Attractions
Often called the 8th Wonder of the World, Carlsbad Caverns National
Park is the world's largest underground chambers. Most visitors start
at the visitors center and take the self-guided walk into the caverns.
The tour takes three to four hours and ends with an elevator ride 800
feet back up to the surface. It is also possible to take the elevator
both down and back to the surface and only walk the area at the
bottom. You can also take a 1 1/2 mile diversion into the Big Room to
an incredible underground room large enough to house several sports
stadiums.
Ranger-guided tours are also available into several other caves. On
these tours you'll carry either a flashlight or a headlamp and explore
the caverns more the way early visitors did. Be prepared to crawl
around and get dirty! At dusk from May through October you can also
take in the bat flight as thousands of bats swirl up out of the main
entrance for their nightly feeding.
Carlsbad Caverns is open every day of the year except Christmas. For
more information and reservations, call 505-785-2232.
Located 35 miles southwest of Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains
National Park is an 86,000 acre hidden jewel of the National Park
system.
The view from the top of Guadalupe Peak |
The park's 80 miles of trails include the 3,000 foot climb to
the top of Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet
above sea level. The McKittrick Canyon trail follows a year round
stream shaded by maple, oak and Texas madrone trees. This hike is
especially popular in the fall when the leaves change to vibrant
colors. The main visitors' center is open daily, call 915-828-3251
for more information.
Situated on the northeast edge of the city of Carlsbad, Living Desert
State Park is a great site to learn more about life in the Chihuahuan
Desert. The main visitors center contains exhibits and a small gift
shop. The 1.3 mile paved trail through the park offers opportunities
to see a wide range of desert plants and animals in a natural
environment. There are many types of cactus, trees and grasses along
with animals including bison, pronghorn, Mexican wolves, rattlesnakes,
Gila monsters, eagles and hawks.
The park is open every day except Christmas, call 505-887-5516 for
more information.
The Pecos River runs directly through the city of Carlsbad and
provides numerous recreational options. Lake Carlsbad is located on
the eastern edge of Carlsbad and offers bumper boats, swimming, paddle
boats, a river walk, fishing and picnic areas. Brantley Lake State
Park is just 12 north of Carlsbad and offers great fishing for
largemouth and white bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill and channel
catfish. The fishing is best by boat, but the Seven Rivers day use
area does have a fishing dock.
The park also offers camping, a nature trail and picnic areas. Call 505-457-2384 or 888-NMPARKS for more information.
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