Texas trails · McKittrick Ridge Trail
McKittrick Ridge Trail
A 7.4-mile out-and-back in Texas, with 2,505 ft of climbing. Managed by the National Park Service.
Length
7.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,505 ft
Difficulty
Expert
Max grade
32%
Steepest mile
+906 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
3.0 mi
Shape
out-and-back
Horses
yes
Managed by
National Park Service
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the first third — 61% of the ascent, between mile 0.0 and mile 2.5.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Heads up
Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:08 a.m., the sun rises at 6:33 a.m. and sets at 7:24 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:49 p.m. (MDT) — 12 h 51 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 14.9-mile round trip takes roughly 8 h 01 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 2:34 p.m. — 4 h 50 min before sunset.
Nearby trails
- Bush Mountain Trail — 3.1 mi
- Smith Spring Trail — 4.4 mi
- Tejas Trail — 5.6 mi
- Guadalupe Peak Trail — 5.6 mi