It turns out that Mitre Peak Girl Scout camp, just north of Alpine in the Davis Mountains, is available for day use and group rentals on the off-seasons. So this fall, my friend Megan Wilde made those arrangements for several of us to explore the camp and its trails for the day. We were delighted to find a friendly caretaker on site and a web of trails, only some of which we explored, up and behind the cabins and a waterfall.
Just call the Girls Scouts of Permian Basin at 800.594.5677 and ask to make a day reservation at Mitre Peak Girl Scout Camp. The organization asks for two weeks' advance notice. And you'll need to download a form from the organization's web page and mail it to them with a check for the day-use fee.
On an unseasonably cool day in late Sept., Alpine resident Kay Wilde hiked at Mitre Peak Girl Scout Camp, just a few miles north of Alpine. (Note actual Mitre Peak off in distance, enshrouded by clouds.) Here, Wilde explored some waterholes above a waterfall, just a few minutes’ walk up a steep trail from the cabins.
Spider eating a bee in its web.
Megan & Tim Wilde scramble up another hill to get an even better view....
.... of the cabins of the girl scout camp facilities below, and Mitre Peak.
We were really pleased to find so much water in the desert, including standing pools like the one in this tinaja. Look closely for my reflection in the clear water.
Kay and Megan Wilde behind some falls and cave. Magical!
Our intrepid hikers venture back down the proverbial rabbit hole, dreaming of lunch at a restaurant in Alpine, and determined to return to the camp again soon to explore much more of this wonderland.
