Carlsbad & Las Cruces, New Mexico
Along the Southern border of New Mexico are two of the most unique National Parks in the continental United States: Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands NP. Both of these parks are absolutely stunning and well worth the visit, but given their somewhat remote locations, it can be difficult to plan a visit to them.
During our month in Taos, we elected to combine the two parks into one roadtrip, spanning from Friday through Sunday, which ended up being an almost perfect amount of time. Come along and see how we combined two national parks into a full weekend excursion!
Planning your visit
White Sands NP has an adjacent Missile Testing Range, which means that the road into the park can sometimes be closed during live testing activities. It is important to call ahead or check this site sometime in the week before visiting to verify that your visit won’t be met with closed roads.
Also worth noting is that if you plan on hitting both Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands in your trip (or planning any future national park trips within the year) then it is well worth getting the National Parks Pass. You can purchase it onsite at one of the parks and it will virtually pay for itself straightaway!
Luckily, both parks are pretty much open all year round. You’ll just want to plan around major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmans, and New Year’s Day.
Where to Eat in Carlsbad & Las Cruces
Carlsbad Food Favorites
Danny’s Place: This is a great spot near the caverns if you are interested in some BBQ. We enjoyed the sweet potato fries and the brisket sandwich. Grab extra napkins if you are taking it to go!
Cloudcroft Food Favorites
Cloudcroft Brewing Company: This place has a great vibe and a good selection of housemade beers. The Greek pizza was pretty 🔥 too. And sometimes they have live music! Since they have such a nice outdoor setting for groups, the wait can get pretty long.
Burro Street Bakery: We were excited to find this hidden gem way up in Cloudcroft. We tried both the peach and “fruits of the forest” pies and were not disappointed…we may or may not have taken an entire pie for the road! They also have some good scones if you need to grab a quick breakfast on your way through.
Las Cruces Food Favorites
DH Lescombes: After a long weekend of driving (or anytime if we are being honest), this place is a must for some high quality food and drinks. We were intrigued by their wide assortment of wine flights, and they really delivered! The sparkling flight was delicious and the free wine sample was a nice touch. Honorable mention to the lavender honey baked brie as well.
P.S. Want to see more New Mexico recs? Check out our extensive Taos blog.
Exploring the Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a breathtaking site in the southeast corner of New Mexico, filled with unique rock formations created through the gradual process sulfuric acid slowly dissolving limestone, ultimately resulting in some truly stunning features. While some of the most iconic of these features (such as the Big Room) are accessible via the self-guided tour, a large portion of the cavern system is available only through ranger-guided tours, and a still larger portion is not open to the public at all, having only ever been accessed by a handful of daring explorers.
The caves are pretty extensive so we recommend accounting for a full day here. You actually can’t enter the caves beyond 2:30 pm so plan to arrive early. Some things that we felt made our experience better:
- Bring a mask: We recommend this not just for COVID safety, but also because the caves do have a pretty strong smell from the bats that live there. We were thankful we had masks on hand to block some of the scent!
- Wear layers: You’ll be underground so it can get a little chilly! This isn’t a place where you can easily go in and out (at least if you are going in from the natural entrance) so plan accordingly.
- Make a reservation: There are certain time slots for self-guided tours that you will want to pay attention to. We were able to book online just days in advance with no problem though!
If you have disabilities or are traveling with small children, there is also an elevator that takes you straight down to the main portion of the caves.
There are also some ranger-guided tours where you can explore deeper parts of the cave. These have been closed during COVID, but are high on our list if we make it back to Carlsbad Caverns!
Pitstop in Cloudcroft
If you plan to combine a visit to Carlsbad and Las Cruces, Cloudcroft is an optimal stop between the two locations. Situated in Lincoln National Forest, Cloudcroft is also a nice change of scenery from the desert which surrounds it to both the East and West. There’s also a number of trails and overlooks in the area which are definitely worth checking out if you have a few daylight hours to spare.
We elected to stay at the Cloudcroft Hostel, which was a cute (and highly affordable) option just a few minutes out of town and surrounded by serene forests. We even heard the shrill calls of elk around the sunset hours! It was clean, quiet, and our room was nice and spacious. The hostel offers a selection of both private and shared rooms, as well as some communal snacks and reading material. It really was a great stay!
Since we visited Cloudcroft in October, we had the opportunity to check out their annual Haunted Village — a sprawling series of haunted buildings which even included the local museum. The village was surprisingly extensive; we saw several dozen people working (scaring) on the Saturday night we visited. This would be a great option for most ages, although it might be just a touch too scary for really young kids.
Exploring White Sands National Park
If you ever envied Luke Skywalker’s time on Tatooine, you will absolutely love White Sands National Park! The titular dunes of the park truly give off an otherworldly vibe while still offering the comforts of a closely accessible air-conditioned car. Laying atop the warm sand (composed primarily of gypsum deposits, fun fact), you can dig your hands down just a few inches to find that the sand beneath the surface is surprisingly cool to the touch. The desert here hums with life hidden all around, inviting you to explore and uncover its secrets!
Here are some tips to consider when planning your visit to White Sands:
- Bring lots of water: As the signs will mention, you are in a desert and will be sweating out more water than you anticipate. You won’t find refill stations along the trails so plan ahead.
- Bring a sled: Much like a trip to the snowy mountains (but without the cold!), you will find kids and adults alike sliding down the slopes! As you reach the loop at the end of the drive, you will find many places where you can park your car and sled down without any obstacles.
- Be aware of shifting sands: The dunes of White Sands move with the wind, which means that some trail markers may become full or partially buried. Make sure to always keep track of the direction you entered from, so that you can make your way safely back in a place where everything looks the same!
- Be on the lookout: Signs of desert life are all around you, though they may not always be apparent at first glance. Keep an eye out for cute little footprints of lizards and rodents in the sand, or the slithering trail of a wayward snake. Go slow and keep your eyes peeled!
A somewhat smaller sized park, White Sands can easily be explored in less than a day. We were able to hit almost every single trail along the main road without issue, and make it over to Las Cruces for a late lunch. Give yourself roughly 4 hours in the park. One consideration you will want to make is the time of day to visit. We enjoyed being there in the morning and midday to clearly see just how expansive the white sand dunes are, but next time we would opt for a sunset tour where there is a higher chance of hearing the sounds of wildlife.