Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains

Base yourself in the town of Carlsbad to explore the vast caves and bat flights of Carlsbad Caverns, then head south to the Guadalupe Mountains to summit Texas's highest peak.

This destination uses the small city of Carlsbad in southeastern New Mexico as a base and covers two neighboring national parks: Carlsbad Caverns National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), about 30 km southwest, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park across the state line in West Texas. Both are part of the Capitan Reef, an ancient Permian reef. The highlights of Carlsbad Caverns are the Big Room and the Natural Entrance trail, and you can add ranger-guided tours such as the King's Palace and Slaughter Canyon Cave; on summer evenings, the emergence of hundreds of thousands of bats from the cave is a spectacular sight. In the Guadalupe Mountains you can climb Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, and hike the Devil's Hall Trail; McKittrick Canyon is famous for its fall color, and El Capitan is visible from the highway. In Carlsbad itself there's the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and a riverfront walk, and Sitting Bull Falls is an hour's drive northwest. Mar–May and Sep–Nov are the most comfortable months; summers are hot, but the caves stay at a constant temperature and it's bat season; spring is windy in the Guadalupe Mountains. The nearest airports are Carlsbad (few flights), Midland and El Paso. A car is essential, and the two parks are about an hour's drive apart. Carlsbad Caverns requires a timed-entry reservation on Recreation.gov. Although Guadalupe Mountains National Park is in Texas, it observes Mountain Time like Carlsbad, one hour behind most of Texas. Plan on 3 days.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries