Carlsbad Caverns National Park is in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico.
There are over 100 caves in the area. During our visit to Carlsbad Caverns, the elevator to the lowest point of the cavern was out of service requiring a 750 ft descent and equal climb back out.
It takes about an hour and a half to descend through the natural entrance. This is an awesome but steep walk into the cavern where the temperature is a constant 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slow going down as the path can become quite slippery with the constant moisture entering through the ground from above. We only ventured about half way down before turning around and heading back. Knowing the climb back out would be long we opted to turn back before completing the descent.
We will return at a later date, one park ranger recommended September/October time frame, to complete the cave tour and enjoy the bat flight which takes place at sunset.
After our visit to Carlsbad Caverns we headed south toward Guadalupe Mountains National Park located in the Chihuahuan Desert in southwest Texas just 55 miles from Carlsbad Caverns on U.S Highway 62.
Guadalupe Mountains is known for its hiking. Over 80 trails from easy to strenuous, the mountains are filled with adventurous back-country hikes and amazing mountain views. The peak of the Guadalupe Mountains is the highest point in the state of Texas at 8749 feet.
Our visit to Guadalupe Mountain NP was short. Maggie isn’t allowed on the hiking trails we just took in the beauty of the mountains.
We will definitely re-visit this park again when traveling through southwest Texas. Next stop Whitesands National Monument.
Be sure to check out our photo gallery below for all the photos we took while visiting these two National Parks.
