
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
This national park is just over the New Mexico-Texas border, 32 miles to the southwest of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Plan Around Guadalupe Mountains National Park
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park Details
Just over the New Mexico-Texas border and 32 miles to the southwest of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park offers even more opportunity to explore the Guadalupe Mountains -- whether for a day, or a week -- and learn more about the history of this ancient Permian Era fossil reef. The two parks share a mountain range and a geological history. Millions of years ago, a shallow ocean covered this region. There was a coral reef here that got buried by rock after the ancient sea receded, then got pushed back to the surface as tectonic plates shifted, creating the mountains we see today. There are hundreds of miles of hiking and backpacking trails in the national forest, as well as plentiful opportunity for the whole family to learn about the region's geological and cultural history. From Carlsbad Caverns National Park, take Highway 180/62 south to Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
N/A
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Compare nearby parks around Guadalupe Mountains National Park when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Guadalupe Mountains National Park while the map context is still fresh.
0.7 mi away
Walnut Canyon Desert Drive
This nine-mile gravel loop is one of the few designated scenic drives in the park.
0.7 mi away
Bat Flight Amphitheater
The amphitheater features rings of stone benches looking down on the cavern's natural entrance, where thousands of bats emerge nightly.
0.8 mi away
Bat Cave
Most of the cave's bat population lives in this underground chamber.
0.8 mi away
Natural Entrance Trail
The Natural Entrance Trail is one of two options for self-guided touring of the cave.
0.8 mi away
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Cavern is one of the world's most famous show caves and forms the heart of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.