Park Access
Climbing and Rock Art in Hueco Tanks State Park
There are multiple ways to access Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site for climbing, hiking, rock art tours, and more. You can access North Mountain without a guide, or go into the backcountry on East Mountain, West Mountain, and the East Spur which are only accessible with a guide. Other options are available as well and are explained below.
North Mountain
The park limits the number of people that can be on North Mountain at any given point in time each day. If you want to climb on North Mountain, you should make reservations up to 90 days in advance to guarantee your spot. Reservations for North Mountain are made by calling the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Hueco Tanks reservation direct line, (512) 389-8911. The spots fill up quickly, especially during the holiday season, so if you know in advance when you will be visiting and you want to visit North Mountain, reservations are highly recommended. If you make a reservation in advance, you have until 10:00 am that day to either claim the reservation at the park or notify the park to hold it for later in the day. At 10:00 am the park staff will count the unclaimed reservations and give them to people on the wait list.
To be placed on the wait list, you need to be at the front gate of the park on the day you want to visit North Mountain as early as possible to have a good place in line. After 10am, they will let people from the waiting list in if there are spaces available from unclaimed or cancelled reservations. There is still a fee to visit North Mountain. However, if you buy a Texas State Parks Pass, this covers everyone in your personal vehicle.
Hueco Tanks Park Fees as of 2019:
$70 Yearly Texas state parks pass (waived entry for whole vehicle up to 15 passengers)
$7 per person park entrance (North Mountain or tours)
Backcountry Access
Volunteer Tours
You can request a volunteer tour to go into the back-country (East, East spur, West Mountains) for climbing or to see rock art through the Headquarters at Hueco Tanks, (915) 857-1135. Volunteer tours offer a cheaper way to access the back-country. There is no guarantee the tour will actually go out since the park office has to find a volunteer guide to take the tour. If there are no guides available, then the tour will be cancelled. The park does not allow tips to volunteer guides, but accepts donations in the office.
Volunteer tours start at pre-specified times by the park at the park headquarters without your guide.
You will meet your guide after signing in and paying your fees to the park.
Tours are normally every half hour between 8:30am and 11:00am with the most common start time being 10:00am.
Volunteer tours can be booked by park visitors Wednesday-Sunday, and by guide only Monday-Tuesday. Guides can sign up to take a tour any day. If you sign up for a 10:00am tour and the 8:30am, or 9:00am, or 9:30am tour did not have a guide, then all tours after the 8:30 tour may be cancelled even if they have guides. This is in order to be fair to the patrons who showed up to the earlier tour who did not have a guide.
Volunteer guides are much like employees of the park. They have gone through the guide class and passed their observation tours. They are under the rider of insurance of the park and cannot climb, spot, or give any beta nor be compensated for service. They use the park equipment, radio, and are not required to be certified in first aid. They provide this service out of their love for the park, its patrons, and being outside.
Subject to $2 per person tour fee plus park entry (see above park rates)
Commercial Tours
We work with a group of guides that can offer guiding services for bouldering, rope climbing, hiking, and rock art tours.
Please contact us at info@huecohacienda.com to schedule commercial guiding during your stay.
Commercial guides are not as affected by the park and can go out whenever there is space in the backcountry; which almost always has space except during the most busy of days such as events or holiday rush.
To get a commercial tour, contact your guide of choice. You will meet your guide outside of the park, fill out a form with your name, vehicle info, pay your fees to the guide, and then proceed into the park where the guide will handle all the paperwork with the park headquarters while you wait/get ready at your vehicle. You will then continue with your guide to your back-country area of choice after learning about the park and its rules from your guide.
Commercial guide concessions are required to carry liability insurance. The guide has gone through park training on site and passed his/her observation tours. The guide has invested in his/her own radio, and have taken (at a minimum) a wilderness first aid class in order to guide commercially. They are invested in providing quality access to the backcountry of Hueco Tanks. A commercial guide can also guide as a volunteer if they choose.
Commercial Tour Fee breakdown:
Annual Park Pass not valid for entry
$10 per person to Hueco Tanks State Park
$2-5+ per person concession charge - varies per concession
$10+ per person guide income - varies per guide
Generally $25/person/day regular season, more if higher demand.
Commercial guides must purchase a radio and attend a WFA class which adds up, as well as attend a 24 hour guide training at the park.
This said, your backcountry guide does not make as much as it might seem and provides a valuable service. Please tip them if you feel their service met or exceeded your expectations.
There are multiple ways to access Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site for climbing, hiking, rock art tours, and more. You can access North Mountain without a guide, or go into the backcountry on East Mountain, West Mountain, and the East Spur which are only accessible with a guide. Other options are available as well and are explained below.
North Mountain
The park limits the number of people that can be on North Mountain at any given point in time each day. If you want to climb on North Mountain, you should make reservations up to 90 days in advance to guarantee your spot. Reservations for North Mountain are made by calling the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Hueco Tanks reservation direct line, (512) 389-8911. The spots fill up quickly, especially during the holiday season, so if you know in advance when you will be visiting and you want to visit North Mountain, reservations are highly recommended. If you make a reservation in advance, you have until 10:00 am that day to either claim the reservation at the park or notify the park to hold it for later in the day. At 10:00 am the park staff will count the unclaimed reservations and give them to people on the wait list.
To be placed on the wait list, you need to be at the front gate of the park on the day you want to visit North Mountain as early as possible to have a good place in line. After 10am, they will let people from the waiting list in if there are spaces available from unclaimed or cancelled reservations. There is still a fee to visit North Mountain. However, if you buy a Texas State Parks Pass, this covers everyone in your personal vehicle.
Hueco Tanks Park Fees as of 2019:
$70 Yearly Texas state parks pass (waived entry for whole vehicle up to 15 passengers)
$7 per person park entrance (North Mountain or tours)
Backcountry Access
Volunteer Tours
You can request a volunteer tour to go into the back-country (East, East spur, West Mountains) for climbing or to see rock art through the Headquarters at Hueco Tanks, (915) 857-1135. Volunteer tours offer a cheaper way to access the back-country. There is no guarantee the tour will actually go out since the park office has to find a volunteer guide to take the tour. If there are no guides available, then the tour will be cancelled. The park does not allow tips to volunteer guides, but accepts donations in the office.
Volunteer tours start at pre-specified times by the park at the park headquarters without your guide.
You will meet your guide after signing in and paying your fees to the park.
Tours are normally every half hour between 8:30am and 11:00am with the most common start time being 10:00am.
Volunteer tours can be booked by park visitors Wednesday-Sunday, and by guide only Monday-Tuesday. Guides can sign up to take a tour any day. If you sign up for a 10:00am tour and the 8:30am, or 9:00am, or 9:30am tour did not have a guide, then all tours after the 8:30 tour may be cancelled even if they have guides. This is in order to be fair to the patrons who showed up to the earlier tour who did not have a guide.
Volunteer guides are much like employees of the park. They have gone through the guide class and passed their observation tours. They are under the rider of insurance of the park and cannot climb, spot, or give any beta nor be compensated for service. They use the park equipment, radio, and are not required to be certified in first aid. They provide this service out of their love for the park, its patrons, and being outside.
Subject to $2 per person tour fee plus park entry (see above park rates)
Commercial Tours
We work with a group of guides that can offer guiding services for bouldering, rope climbing, hiking, and rock art tours.
Please contact us at info@huecohacienda.com to schedule commercial guiding during your stay.
Commercial guides are not as affected by the park and can go out whenever there is space in the backcountry; which almost always has space except during the most busy of days such as events or holiday rush.
To get a commercial tour, contact your guide of choice. You will meet your guide outside of the park, fill out a form with your name, vehicle info, pay your fees to the guide, and then proceed into the park where the guide will handle all the paperwork with the park headquarters while you wait/get ready at your vehicle. You will then continue with your guide to your back-country area of choice after learning about the park and its rules from your guide.
Commercial guide concessions are required to carry liability insurance. The guide has gone through park training on site and passed his/her observation tours. The guide has invested in his/her own radio, and have taken (at a minimum) a wilderness first aid class in order to guide commercially. They are invested in providing quality access to the backcountry of Hueco Tanks. A commercial guide can also guide as a volunteer if they choose.
Commercial Tour Fee breakdown:
Annual Park Pass not valid for entry
$10 per person to Hueco Tanks State Park
$2-5+ per person concession charge - varies per concession
$10+ per person guide income - varies per guide
Generally $25/person/day regular season, more if higher demand.
Commercial guides must purchase a radio and attend a WFA class which adds up, as well as attend a 24 hour guide training at the park.
This said, your backcountry guide does not make as much as it might seem and provides a valuable service. Please tip them if you feel their service met or exceeded your expectations.