This place was bustling and interior was huge! Lots of cool exhibits and we learned quite a bit…read morearound the caverns, how they were formed, and the bats! Loved the large gift shop where we got a hardhat for the kiddo, and some other fun magnets. During the low season, their indoor cafe was not open. Still there were lots of guests inside the visitor center, and a good area to rest your feet after the long walk inside the caves!

This park is a must see. The caverns are greater in person than by pictures/videos. It was nice…read moreand cool. You decent 80 stories either via an elevator or a paved path. There is a guardrail the whole way down. Timed entrance requires ticket purchase in advance. You can order them on the nat'l parks website and also via eventbrite. The giftshop on site is great and pretty large. They also has a restaurant which we didn't try.

Here's Carlsbad…read moreCaverns completely exceeded my expectations. Pictures don't do it justice--the caverns are absolutely huge, and the rock formations are incredible. We decided to walk in through the natural entrance, and although it's a steep descent (over 800 feet), it was well worth it. We explored the entire cavern and took the elevator back up, which took us about 3 hours at a relaxed pace. The trails are paved, easy to follow, and very well maintained. Everything is beautifully lit, making it easy to appreciate all the amazing stalactites, stalagmites, and other rock formations along the way. The staff were friendly and helpful, the restrooms were clean, and I thought it was great that they even have kennels available if you're traveling with pets. There's also a small gift shop inside by the elevator, and once you're back up top, you'll find two more gift shops and a café. If you're visiting when it's offered, don't skip the evening bat flight program. It's such a unique experience and the perfect way to end your visit. I would absolutely recommend Carlsbad Caverns to anyone--it's one of those places you have to see in person.

Weekday timing paid off -- with school back in session, the place was blissfully quiet. Parking was…read morewide‑open, the kind of "pick any spot you want" situation that immediately sets the tone for a low‑stress visit. The highway approach is long and monotonous, but once you turn off US‑62 and slip past the tourist trap of White City, the park road starts winding and rising in a way that feels like you've crossed into a different world entirely. The semis, pump acks, and dust vanish, replaced by a surprisingly scenic climb to the visitor center. Inside, you're greeted by a large gift shop stocked with a mix of forgettable knick‑knacks -- the usual magnets, novelty trinkets, and "did anyone actually ask for this?" souvenirs -- alongside genuinely nice items like well‑made books, quality apparel, and thoughtful geology‑themed gifts. The museum‑side shop feels more curated and appropriate, with fewer gimmicks and more things you'd actually want to bring home. The descent is long, winding, and steep, but absolutely worth it if you're able -- the gradual transition from daylight to the cavern's cool, echoing darkness is one of the best parts of the experience. The caverns themselves were wonderfully empty -- not silent, but calm, with enough space to enjoy the formations without weaving through crowds. Most visitors kept their voices to a whisper, which made the atmosphere feel appropriately reverent. The only real disruption came from the audio‑tour devices: even from a distance, the narration carries sharply through the still air, and encountering groups using multiple units at once breaks the quiet in a way that's hard to ignore.

First off, the visitor center has a water filling station, nice restrooms and amazing employees…read more Their gift shop is really small compared to other national parks but they have a good variety of items to choose from. This park is on mountain time- remember that- even if your phone keeps jumping back and forth between the time zones. I hiked the Guadalupe Peak Trail and oh my goodness such an amazing hike. I started early and made sure to have plenty of water. When I was coming down, I was a little surprised by how many people were starting the hike... in June at the hottest time of the day. Make sure to be prepared and enjoy all the breathtaking sights.

So I spent part of the week here exploring and I really enjoyed my time here. It is the smaller…read moreNational Park in Texas on about 85,000 acres (compared to Big Bend National Park which is 800,000 acres) but still plenty to explore. This park is more for folks that really like to hike, explore and camp. There are a few entry points into the park but there really is no scenic routes through the park. You are expected to park somewhere and walk to your destination instead which I find very interesting to do (can see alot more too). I've visiting the frijole ranch that had a small museum inside explaining the history of the park. Attach to it there are a few trails you can take off to do. I did the smith springs and it was very pretty to see. Once you manage to get up the hill there were some seats and rails you can hang onto and relax while watching the spring. I also did the Guadalupe Mountain Peak trail, which is the highest peak in Texas. That one takes about 6 to 8 hours to hike (round trip) and it had amazing views. There was also a mark at the to there you can take a picture too which was cool. Definitely need to be prepped to do this or any of the hikes (water, food, first aid, hiking stick and good hiking boots). The Salt Basin Dunes were also really nice to explore but expect to do half a day here. That one you drive over dirt road to get to but very nice views of the mountain. It also had a place you can use the restroom and sit down to eat. The place is exactly what you expect...alot of sand hills you can climb but very soft and cooling (just watch your step). I didn't get to explore all the park since there was a government shut down and closed one of the trails I wanted to do but overall It was definitely worth the trip to visit. I plan to come back next year when it's not too hot (best time for fall colors and cool air for tough hikes). I would absolutely recommend anyone to at least check this park out at least once in your life. Make sure do your research and bring what you need.

Checked in and got my pass the day before hiking Guadalupe Peak. Staff was very friendly and…read morehelpful. The cost was only 10 bucks. Parking was easy

So I'm visiting the Guadalupe Mountain National Park currently and per the website, this is one of…read morethe entry points to the park. We came early so there was hardly anyone here and plenty of parking. It was a very cold and windy day so was grateful to go inside this building. Once you enter they have a small exhibition of animals and fossils/rocks common in the area and had a lot of good info. Definitely cool for the kids to explore a bit while you warm up. On one of the sides it had recommendation you can visit depending on how much time you have (some trails can be 20 minutes or can be up to 8 hours so always good to do research before you take off). If you didn't buy a pass prior to entering the park, this is also the place to do so. In the back they do have a store but very small with some options depending what you need for souvenirs. Around the building also had trails you can walk and explore if you want and not to challenging. Overall the place was well kept, clean, and very informative.

I wanted a hiking and an outlook experience and this place did not disappoint. Meandering through…read morethe grounds, there are is an aviary, pond, creature cave, outdoor elk & sheep pen, gardens and more. Lots of panoramic views. Indoors, there are a bunch of displays, restrooms and a gift shop. An easy 1 hour exploration of the grounds. Lots of free parking.

*** mountain lions and a bobcat are here now! ***…read more My young daughters and I loved seeing black bear "Maggie" open her 20th birthday present on 1.18.2025. We had no idea this event was happening prior to our visit that Saturday, so it was a special treat. Adult admission is now $10. Kids ages 7-12 are $5. I will always be a fan of this park because of certain staff members and the animals... Chihuahuan desert animals are the absolute best! Note, this go around we did not see the bison or a single scorpion. In saying this, I would NOT plan a trip just for this state park. It's not where it should be. The map they handed us clarifies that a new Framework Plan is in the works, but its implementation has seemingly been prolonged. There needs to be certain renovations and maintenance done before I would ever recommend this as a key destination. Before you visit, check out their hours ahead of time and set aside at least an hour for a self-guided tour. The signage going to this place absolutely still sucks. I'll never understand why New Mexico is like this. How do non-natives of this area even find this place without a GPS? Seriously. Ample free parking for RVs, trucks, my Jeep, and the usual boring cars. Bring water, a hat, & comfy walking shoes.

Whew! This was a tough little hike. The National Park Service has changed the rating of this hike…read morefrom difficult to strenuous and I can totally understand why. You will definitely be rock scrambling and bouldering during many parts of this hike and the portion that runs along the wash is extremely hard to follow. If I didn't download a map ahead of time, I would have been completely lost. There were times that I was literally looking up at huge rocks and wondering if I had hit a dead end, but ended up having to climb them to continue the trail. Don't be fooled by the AllTrails description of this hike. 3.6 miles and 577 feet of elevation gain really ends up being more like 4.2 miles and almost 700 feet of elevation gain. Although that's not a very difficult amount of elevation, what makes this hard is the fact that most of it includes rock climbing. I should also mention that it's an out and back hike, so most of the elevation is gained during the first half of the hike. You will use your entire body to get through this trail (upper and lower). The trail begins at the parking lot behind Pine Springs campground and visitor center. It starts off gradually inclining up a sandy single track hiking path through desert vegetation and alongside the wash. You'll hit a part of the trail where it'll actually meet the wash, and this is where you'll hike through the wash to finish the out portion of the trail. This is where it starts to get rocky and tricky. This portion where it follows the wash is so hard to follow. Make sure that you download a map ahead of time so that you have something to help you navigate. Reception is very spotty, so download the map so that's its ready for offline use. After scrambling through rocks, you'll reach the natural staircase. It's so stunning to look at but also terrifying to try and navigate through. I did see a few people actually climb in front of it and my anxiety went out the roof watching them do it. Most people just took the "shortcut" and hiked behind the staircase which is a bit longer to do but also much safer. And trust, I took that shortcut. I was not trying to die that day being extra adventurous. The shortcut is a bit nerve racking too, but there are places where you can put your hands and feet to climb up the rock (you can see the slits in the rocks). After passing the natural staircase, you'll reach the infamous "pool". It's nothing special folks; just a small puddle of water with hella mosquitoes inside. Eeeck! After passing the pool, you'll do some soft rock scaling and then you'll find yourself at Devil's Hall. There's no signage or anything, and I actually kept going past it at first because I wasn't sure if that was the end of the hike. Luckily there was another group of people up there who told me that I had made it. And then, the photo ops! Hiking back down all of those rocks is almost as brutal as climbing them. Trying to get your footing right while coming down loose gravel and boulders is killer. I slipped a couple of times. Witnessed a few people along the trail who slipped too. High ankle hiking boots are highly recommended. The ankle support will really come in handy. My feet were on fire at this point too, but I'm also out of shape and that's clearly my fault. The heat didn't help either. This trail has zero shade and I was burning up. Bring more water than you think you'll need and lather up on the sunscreen. From start to finish with breaks, it took me about 3 hours to complete this hike. Again, I wasn't in my best shape, but this hike ain't easy either. The nice views and the photo ops at the natural staircase and Devil's Hall pretty much made up for that though. It was surely an excellent workout too. I just wished that it was marked better, but I'm happy that I came prepared and downloaded the offline map. So, this hike probably wouldn't be too difficult for an avid hiker who hikes higher elevations and rock scrambles pretty regularly. But for the occasional hiker or the average Joe, get ready for a serious climb.

Amazing Trail. About 4 MI total. Wear proper shoes, this one's a rocky one, lots of boulders to…read moreclimb and scramble over but fun and rewarding. You will start from the parking lot using the same Trail for Guadalupe Peak, then it splits. The peak one way the devil's hall or the other. You will follow the little Trail all the way to the creek wash, then you head up the wash the remainder of the way. You just walk the wash till you get to what they call The Devil's Staircase. You can't miss it. You'll climb and enter that and immediately you run into a tank filled with water hopefully and from there you keep going forward into the wash. Don't give up you're almost there. It looks sketchy I know but keep going. Then before you know it you come to the slot canyon known as The Devil's Hall. Amazing hike. Go do it. Get out and explore. Happy hiking

Exhilarating trail in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Heed the MANY warnings that the staff…read moreoffer up ahead of time, bring plenty of water, sun protection, and solid footwear. This is a challenging hike! I loved the trail because it's almost four or five hikes combined into one. You'll move through different segments that each have their own "feel" to them, from the arid climb up front, to the green portions in the middle, to the footbridge and campsite, and finally the exposed rugged rocks at the top. The climb involves lots of loose rock, but it never felt like a true scramble until a very small portion near the top; it's not the most technically challenging, but it is physically demanding. And be warned, the trail is very narrow and exposed at the peak! If you are scared of heights like me, it's a challenge because of the narrow ledge and the steep drop. The last tenth of a mile is pretty scary right before the peak. Great hike to challenge yourself and get rewarded with amazing views!

The Guadalupe Peak Trail Hike was one of my most memorable hikes…read more Maybe because it was the Top of Texas, y'all. Lol. I was a chaperone for the Backpacking and Camping class through New Mexico Junior College back in 2009. We started at the Pine Springs Trailhead parking lot. I cannot remember how long it took us, but with a group of course we had to stay together. Even though the highest peak in Texas is not at all like the New Mexico and Colorado heights I grew up around, it was still breathtaking. Very cool experience. The wildlife was amazing. The weather was fairly warm, but it can change in a hurry. I keep thinking about this trip for some reason. I have throughout the years. It was fun. I cannot wait to bring my girls here... Use the usual precautions... Bring water, hiking boots, a light jacket, sunscreen, snacks, etc. Pack it in, pack it out.

A wonderful State Park, located on Brantley Lake! There are 47 camp sites with water and electric…read more They also have dispersed sites as well.

Beautiful out in the Desert with Lake Brantley near…read moreoverlooks the lake, beautiful sunset, long drive on tho but if you go, visit the Desert Gardens nearby as well as Carlsbad Caverns!!!