The route is contained completely in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and follows the Guadalupe Ridge Trail (GRT) from McKittrick Canyon Contact Station to Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas.
As compared to the full GRT which covers the Lincoln National Forest and Carlsbad Caverns National Park, this portion may encourage more attempts as it's logistically easier to get dropped off at the northeast entrance to the park (McKittrick) and finish at the peak in a day. The section in GUMO arguably covers the more scenic and challenging portions of the GRT (in terms of elevation gain/loss), with the route moving through the maple forest in McKittrick Canyon, up through the Notch and the views of the canyon below, along the ridge, dropping 2000 feet down the Tejas trail, before the final 3000 foot climb up to Guadalupe Peak.
In addition, as of August 2022, the backcountry trails in CCNP are currently closed due to flood damage on the main park road and likely not to reopen in 2022, limiting access to the full GRT.
