The man who once owned it said it was “the most beautiful place in Texas.” It’s a West Texas place where desert meets flowing water and where the plants of the arid grasslands – sotol, lechuguilla, prickly pear, agave – grow beneath pines and tall maples.

For many visitors to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, an autumn walk in McKittrick Canyon is an annual tradition.

McKittrick Canyon is a spectacular hike in any season, but for a few weeks each fall, the canyon can feel like an outpost of New England. For those weeks, bigtooth maple trees paint the canyon the colors of a cornucopia – orange, yellow, apple-red and burgundy wine. Late October and early November are typical...