Two years ago, realizing we'd already visited the highest points in 16 states, Tom and I began a quest to reach as many additional state high points as we reasonably could. With this trip, our high-point journey ends with a grand total of 38 state high points achieved, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.
In 2021 on a trip to Big Bend, we drove right by the highest point in Texas, 8,751-foot Guadalupe Peak. At the time, we thought, “What kind of dumbass would hike up that thing?” As it turns out, we are two such dumbasses. Reaching the top is an all-day, 8.5-mile hike, with a 3,000-foot elevation gain. It ain't easy but we did it!
We saved 4,973-foot Black Mesa, Oklahoma – in Jana's home state – for our final high point, and Jana's brother Brian, his girlfriend Jamie, and our friend Mooney joined us for our ascent, along with their dogs, Pip and Lil Dude. There are no hotels nearby, so we made a camping trip of it, spending three nights in remote Black Mesa State Park, about as far west as you can go in Oklahoma's panhandle. The elevation gain of the Black Mesa Summit Trail isn't extreme – just 750 feet – but the hike was a challenging 9.2 miles in full sun.
Had we started our high-point pursuit sooner, we could have bagged a couple more, but it would never have been all 50. Some of them are just too difficult! In the end, we reached every state summit east of the Rockies, plus Hawaii. It's been fun! Now on to the next adventure, whatever that may be...
Click here for Tom & Jana's State High Points Map
Tom and Jana on top of Texas!
Places visited include: Hot Springs, AR; Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, OK; Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX; Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM; Santa Fe, NM; the High Road to Taos, NM; Capulin Volcano National Monument, NM; Black Mesa State Park, OK; Gloss Mountain State Park, OK; and Jana's home town of Edmond, OK, where we had fun visiting more family.
This was the inaugural road trip for our new-to-us Honda Odyssey van, which we found roomy and comfortable. It would have been a tight fit in my car with all our camping gear.