Can you believe that two national parks are only 30 minutes away from each other? The journey from Carlsbad Caverns to Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a must do road trip at least once in your life! Despite being in two different states (new Mexico and Texas) they are right across the border from each other. It’s easy to see them both in just a few days!
As an avid traveler and national park enthusiast, I was very excited to visit these unique parks. Venture down low into the deep rooms of Carlsbad Caverns, before rising up to panoramic views on top of the Guadalupe Mountains. It’s truly a trip that will instill wonder! 🤩
I have visited most of the national parks in the US, so I’ve learned how to craft a national park itinerary. Below you can find everything you need to know about visiting these parks and tips for planning your trip.
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Comprehensive Guide to Carlsbad and Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Things to Know Before You Go
💵 Each park has an entrance fee: Carlsbad is $20 to go into the lower cave and Guadalupe is $10 per person. I highly suggest you get an America the Beautiful pass to get into all the National Parks for the year!
🚗 Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains are located 30 minutes away from each other. I recommend getting a car for your journey!
☀️ Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains are both in the desert. This means that you can expect harsh conditions. So, prepare for heat during the summer and pack plenty of water!
⛺️ While there are no places to sleep in Carlsbad, there are three developed campgrounds in Guadalupe Mountains. You can book them up to 6 months in advance on recreation.gov.
🎟 Timed entry tickets are required for entering Carlsbad Caverns. They cost $1 and you can make them ahead of time on recreation.gov.
🦮 Pets are not allowed in these two parks and they must stay leashed in parking lots as well.
🍃 Remember to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. As always, you want to leave nature looking better than you found it.
How to Get From Carlsbad Caverns to Guadalupe Mountains
Getting to Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains can be tough. The closest major airport is El Paso International airport, which is about 2.5 hours away. ✈️ So, you will definitely need a car to visit these two gorgeous destinations.
Luckily, these two parks are only about 30 minutes apart. To get from Carlsbad Caverns to Guadalupe Mountains you’ll take New Mexico 7 East until you get to US 180. Then, you’ll follow that for about 31 miles until arriving at Guadalupe Mountains.
How Long to Spend in Each Park
You can easily fit exploring both of these parks in a weekend! Although Carlsbad Caverns is one of the coolest parks that I’ve visited, you only need a day to venture down below the caverns. Spend an hour in the cave and then venture above ground to see the landscape.
The trip from Carlsbad Caverns to Guadalupe Mountains is the perfect weekend trip!
Then, you can spend a day or two in Guadalupe Mountains. If you are an avid adventurer and want to hit multiple trails, then I would dedicate two days to this park. But, if you just want to do an easy stroll and see the mountains from the road, I would say you only need one!
Best Time to Visit These Parks
Although these parks are open year round, the best time to visit Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains is in the spring or fall. During these times of year, the temperatures are mild and you can see wildflowers 🌸 or fall colors!
That being said, if you want to see the bats fly out of the caves in Carlsbad you should visit in the summer. Bats swarm out of the caverns around sunset every evening and it’s a magical show. Bats fly out from Memorial Day to October, but the baby bats born earlier that summer join the party in August and September!
You can attend the free Bat Flight Program every evening in the summer and it’s first come, first-served. 🦇
Where to Stay Near Carlsbad & Guadalupe
Although there is no lodging in Carlsbad Caverns, there are three campsites in Guadalupe Mountains. That being said, you must reserve them in advance on recreation.gov. If you miss out on these campsites, there are free campsites nearby.
If you’d rather stay in a hotel, then there are great options nearby. Luckily, both Carlsbad & Guadalupe are very close to Carlsbad, New Mexico. This town has plenty of hotels as well as restaurants and shops in town.
Best Hotels in Carlsbad:
Packing Guide for These Parks
Because of the harsh sun, it’s important to bring plenty of water and sunscreen! If you plan on hiking at all, then you will also need sturdy boots and clothing with sweat wicking materials. It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared!
Packing List:
- Comfortable Hiking Shoes
- Hiking Poles
- Sweat Wicking Shirt
- Baggies
- Hiking Socks
- Water Reservoir
- Polarized Sunglasses
- Sun Hat
- Sunscreen
- America the Beautiful
- Satellite Phone
Things to Do in Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns is an natural marvel! There are over 100 caves in this park, but nothing is as awe-inspiring as the Big Room. Visit this park to explore natural cavern formations and learn about how they were formed!
Go to the Visitor Center
I like to start all my trips to National Parks by going to the visitor centers. At this visitor center, you can admire great exhibits on the caverns and you get advice from park rangers on how to spend your time in the park. Plus, you have to check in for all caverns tours at the visitors center!
Take a Self-Guided Tour
Carlsbad Caverns was made to preserve the wondrous caverns underground. In this park, you will find the largest cavern room in the entire US 😮! It is called the Big Room, because it is more than 200 feet high and longer than 6 football fields. Most people go to Carlsbad to see this room alone.
Because the caverns are so popular, the park has timed entry reservations for self-guided tours. You can book these ahead of time on recreation.gov. The last tickets are sold at 2 pm, with the last entry at 2:30 pm!
How to Take the Big Room Tour:
- In order to see this room, you’ll need to book a reservation for a self-guided tour on recreation.gov.
- You can choose when you get there to walk 1.25 miles down the caverns to the Big Room or simply take the elevators down.
- Once you get to the Big Room, you can take another 1.25 mile walk around the room itself looking at the exhibits and rock features located throughout.
- This tour can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, but it is the highlight of any Carlsbad Cavern trip!
Take the Scenic Drive
Once you have seen the cave, you can head back up to the surface and go on a drive along the scenic road. The drive is 9 miles along a gravel road and takes you through the Guadalupe Mountains. Along the way, you’ll see gorgeous canyon views and backcountry trails, which you can explore if you have time!
Note: RVs and trailers are not allowed.
Watch the Bats Fly
From May to October, bats fly out of the caves at sunset and fill the sky. It’s truly a magical ✨ sight to see and visitors come from all over to watch this phenomenon! You can sit and watch the show from the amphitheater above the caverns. The amphitheater is walking distance from the visitor center.
The show is free and seating is first-come first-served. You’ll also be able to listen to a ranger talk about the bats and their migration before the bats fly. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take pictures or videos of the bats, to protect the bats. But, this allows you to be more present!
Things to Do in Guadalupe Mountains
Now that you’ve spent a day in Carlsbad Caverns, it’s time to journey to the tall peaks of the Guadalupe Mountains. In this southwestern mountain landscape, you’ll find plenty of great trails to explore and things to see. Find out how to spend a day or two in this magnificent park!
Hike up the Mountain
The best way to see Guadalupe Mountains National Park is to go up into the peaks. There are many trails to choose from, but the two I recommend are Devil’s Hall and Guadalupe Peak.
Devil’s Hall
Devil’s Hall is a strenuous 4 miles over rock scrambles and cliff edges to see this fantastic rock formation. Once you get to the end you will be standing between two tall walls on either side. The hike can take anywhere from 2-4 hours to complete, so prepare yourself with water, snacks, and layers.
Although this hike can be added to Guadalupe Peak trail, I do not recommend that! It’s a very tiring climb up to the top of the mountain, which will make for a long day through the desert landscape.
Guadalupe Peak
Guadalupe Peak is an incredible day hike, where you will make your way to the highest point in all of Texas. The trail itself is 8.4 miles and climbs up 3,000 feet! It is a very hard hike, so make sure that you are prepared. Bring plenty of food and water to make it through this challenging climb.
I am a seasoned hiker and I was struggling through this entire hike. I recommend using hiking poles for this hike as you will be climbing up and down a steep mountain. This hike can take anywhere from 4-8 hours, so you will need to ensure you have enough time to complete it.
Walk Through the Canyon
If hiking up the mountain isn’t your thing, then why not hike through the canyon below? The McKittrick Canyon Trail is 20 miles long from start to finish, but you can choose to do as little or as much of it as you want.
Along the way you’ll get astounding views of the canyon walls and you’ll get up close to some beautiful natural features. We chose to hike 3.5 miles to the Grotto and then turn around for a total of 7 miles. We enjoyed being in the canyon as it was a unique experience.
Drive to El Capitan Lookout
This is technically located outside of the park, but it is something that you should not miss on your visit. Drive past the Pine Springs Visitor center area going South and you’ll eventually get to a pull off with picnic tables. There, you’ll be able to observe the glorious El Capitan mountain. It was one of my favorite parts of our visit and you will be blown away by the magnificence of this mountain.
Final Tips on Visiting These Two Parks
These two parks are both incredible and they will blow you away. Although they are hard to get to, they are definitely worth it! Make sure to plan ahead to get your tickets and prepare for the strong sun. I hope this weekend guide to visiting Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Park inspires you!
Ready for your Carlsbad & Guadalupe Mountains National Park trip? Let me know if you use my guide in the comments!
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Sounds like the perfect road trip! Carlsbad Caverns is such a fun cave. Next time we are out that way, we’ll have to check out Guadalupe National Park. Thanks for the tips! El Capitan is magnificent!
It really is! We loved seeing it from both below and above when we were on the Guadalupe Peak trail!
It sounds an amazing adventure. I never been to the United States, but I would love to explore the National Parks.
That’s honestly the best part!
Sounds like an ideal weekend trip for me. I love all things outdoors. And I love that the caverns are so close to the park.
Yeah, it’s nice that you can see it all in just a short trip!
The Carlsbad Caverns look amazing! I’m a huge fan of bats, and watching them fly out into the evening would be such a cool experience. I would definitely visit from May-October to see that. The hiking looks great too!
Yes, I wish we could have seen it. We will have to go back!
Love this! I’m looking at doing this same trip. Was thinking about staying at Carlsbad KOA. Would that be to far from Guadelope NP? If so, any other idea’s on a great park between both parks?
That should work out well! Carlsbad is the closest spot to Guadalupe and KOAs are usually very nice.
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