Books, Bites, and Sights

March 13th – March 15th, 2026

Two for One: A Weekend in Carlsbad, New Mexico

Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park are only 30 minutes from one another and are complementary national parks making for the perf weekend getaway. Because neither of the parks are expansive nor difficult to traverse, you can get the most out of both in just 3 days.

Day 1, Friday

• Drive toward Guadalupe Mountains NP via US-180. Books, Bites, Insights? Make a pit stop before entering the park at the Pine Spring Safety Rest Area if needed.
• Stop by the Guadalupe Mountains Visitor Center to snag locally made Taos Bakes and to stamp your national park passport.
• Without having to move your car, walk to and hike the Devil’s Hall Trail (4 mile out-and-back through a scenic canyon). This trail required a good bit of rock scrambling over boulders and was difficult to follow at points. “Just follow the canyon,” they said – easier said than done lol. As always, use AllTrails. Books, Bites, Insights? I almost stopped after scrambling up the “Hiker’s Staircase,” ignorantly thinking that I was at the end of the trail; however, I wasn’t. Keep going until you get to the signage pictured below. If you stop early, you will miss out on the geological, namesake ‘hall’-like formation.
• Take rest at Chose Campground, only 22 minutes North of Guadalupe Mountains NP. This large gravel lot is perfect for boon-docking, is completely free, and is easily found and routable to – no bathrooms, shade, or water but there are dumpsters.

Day 2, Saturday

• Rise early for a sunrise and early start on the Guadalupe Peak Trail (8.5 mile out-and-back). Guadalupe Peak is the highest natural point in Texas – nearly 9,000 feet above sea level. This hike is very popular which is why I would recommend starting early, beating the crowds. The first three miles of the trail are very steep and challenging. But the views at the top are epic and vast.
• Drive back to camp, cook dinner, kick your feet up, and relax. You’ll be tired – trust me.

Day 3, Sunday

• Drive to Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center and Museum, only 20 minutes from the Chosa Campground.
• Go on the Self-Guided Tour of the Natural Entrance and Big Room Cavern (3 miles round trip, $15 per person). This massive cave and geological phenomenon is very accessible, with the option to take an elevator straight to the Big Room rather than hike in through the Natural Entrance. The cave formations are numerous, awe-inspiring, and mesmerizing; peaking my curiosity with every turn.

Books, Bites, Insights? Make reservations in advance for the cave tour. The park does offer a handful of first come, first serve tickets, but, be warned, Amory and I drove into Carlsbad Caverns National Park an hour before the visitor center opened and the line was already very long.

Xoxo, thanks for tagging along reader. Stay curious and, if possible, take a weekend for yourself. Do something new. Learn something new. And then tell me about it. I’d love to catch up – even if it isn’t travel or cave related.