Best part was the falls. Otherwise windy, unsteady terrain with mid views of a lot of brownread more

Couldn't check in because of lack of phone internet, then said I was too far away to check in. A…read morebeautiful drive to the park but watch for the range free cattle near the roads. A whole day can be spent here with the sites and the swimming pools at bottom of falls. There's also some great covered picnic sites with a grill and plenty of tables. To park at the falls lot is $5 and it's self service so have correct amount.

First time here and was staying close by Carlsbad. Getting here super easy for a National Park…read more Parking was easy and close to the visitor center. Visitor center gives a great overlooking view of the valley below. Great educational preview for the caves and bat show. Wear good shoes you will be walking down A Lot ! No flops or crocks your feet will hate you. Bring a backpack for a light jacket and flashlights are allowed. Good for looking into some deep portions of the cave. I brought 2 flashlights one that clipped on my backpack and aimed down so I can see my footing. There are some wet spots in the cave and slipping IS a Possibility. Second one was bright enough to look into deep openings around the caves. My EDC is a Wurkkos TD11 has up to 3k Lumen which is plenty. The pack also had some snacks that you can only eat at the bottom where the food court is. Brought 2 water bottles that were packed with ice and electrolytes. Now the big issue. Cell phones are great but I also brought my insta360 x5. Good for low light and extra batteries. No one up top told me I couldn't bring it in. Mind you I was using just the standard stick. Yes it extends but I only used it as the short stick. I also did bring a clip on rig just in case. 3/4 down was stopped by one Ranger and told yes as long as I didn't extend the stick it was ok. At the bottom by the food court another ranger told me no MUST put it away period. Fine for the main big chamber I used the clip on mount to get my shots. Just be aware that Rangers vary. Yes I was responsible and didn't interfere with the environment. Just wanted to capture the beauty. Now the rest of the story. Lots and lots of down hill switchbacks. Tons of spots to take AMAZING pictures. The bats are just below the entrance of the caves and in a separate chamber. You can spot a few outside that chamber. Way way way way way down you go switchback and beautiful spots of picture taking. Blown away and the final Big chamber. If your planing go for the Ranger led tour as it will bring you further down into deeper chambers! Remember camera restriction as mentioned. Handicap can take an elevator down to the main chamber so they can experience the awe. As for going back up 2 options elevator or hike back up. I love my hips and knees so I chose elevator. As for the bat show. Get there 630pm ish is fine show starts 730p-830p. but do know that if its windy (past 20mph) no bat show as the bats are too small to battle hight winds. If you miss it there is live viewing on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/live/BwiIsjXt3KI?si=uf5eNH9g2KD0hnfl

Call me the naysayer. I hated this place…read more I bought the tickets ahead of time for the timed entry. Self guided big room tour. We decided to do elevator up and down. It's 750' down to the cave. That's like 50 stories. Then it's a 1-1/4 mile loop walk. It's relatively cool, damp and dark in the cave. They have lights everywhere. And some signs you can read. But I didn't see a ranger anywhere in the cave. So why didn't I like it. The whole walkway is paved with railings on both sides. And they have brought lights in. Which made it seem unnatural to me. I almost felt like I was at Disneyland the cave ride. Then as I was walking around - I felt like you see 1 stalagmite you've seen them all. Ok - so I guess one looks like a Chinese theater and another looks like a penis. But they are all stalactites and stalagmites. It was probably the lack of ranger interaction - nobody to ask questions to or give any insight into the caves. So 1-1/4 miles of looking at the same boring crap. Granted it didn't help that some other visitors brought their screaming toddler down there. And that's all I heard the whole time. And when you got near the elevators - they actually have restrooms down there that smell like a sewer. I will 100% say this was the worst national park I ever visited.

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.

My husband and I visited in December 2025 and decided to climb Guadalupe Peak. It was amazing…read more The trail was maintained. A search and rescue ranger was walking the trail to keep a count of the hikers, which made me feel safe. I was so stoked that we were able to summit. We went to the ranger station afterwards to buy souvenirs and share our achievements. The rangers just looked deadpan at us after sharing our news. It left me disheartened. They could have pretended to care about our little victory. Would have liked to hike Devils Hall, but we were beat after the peak.

You don't accidentally end up at Bottomless Lakes State Park you make the choice to drift a little…read moreoff the grid. It's a short drive out of Roswell, but it feels like you've stepped into a quieter, older story. Legend says they tried to measure the lake with ropes tied end to end and never hit bottom. Maybe that's true. Maybe it's just a good tale told over a couple beers. Either way, standing there, staring into that dark water, you start to feel it--that little itch in your brain that wonders if everything you've been told is only half the story. We rolled in like we knew what we were doing cooler packed, grill fired up, chicken skewers sizzling, jalapeño poppers snapping over the flame, and my buddy throwing together something that leaned suspiciously close to Hawaiian poke. No crowds. No noise but what we brought with us. Bose speaker cranked, music bouncing off the water, beers cracking open one after another like punctuation marks in a long, lazy sentence. It wasn't polished. It wasn't fancy. It was just right. That's the thing about a place like this it doesn't try to impress you. It just sits there, quiet and a little mysterious, letting you project whatever story you came with. Some of it feels real. Some of it feels like the kind of myth you tell because reality isn't quite enough. Either way, it sticks with you. Bottom line off the beaten path, a little rough around the edges, and exactly the kind of place that earns its spot on the list.

Just outside of Roswell is a wonderful camping park surrounded by Pecos Diamonds, short trails, and…read moreswimming holes. We just dropped in during the winter months on a beautiful sunny afternoon to watch the NM sun go down over the west horizon. We stopped by the visitor center and met volunteers, Will and Jody. Let me just say they were super friendly and knowledgeable about the park. When we come back it will certainly be because of these awesome hosts...they were living their best lives. I was jealous. We drove over to a couple of the lakes. We checked out Mirror Lake and the Devil's Inkwell. They both had small trails around them to view the watering hole and the surrounding layers of red quartz on limestone. The area around Lea Lake is better set up for picnics, swimming, and water sports. It was closed for the season, but would open in the Spring. Tip: Make a reservation for space during the warmer months. It was a great outdoor distraction just outside Roswell. Beautiful sunsets, and super calm during the winter.

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.

We have stayed here for 14 days. It is a nice secluded park, quiet, and dark but still close enough…read moreto Carlsbad and local attractions. We went to Carlsbad Caverns and Bat Flight Program, Sitting Bull Falls and The Flume during our second visit to this area. The park is in need of some trimming and weed control. Our site is filled with Texas Star Thistle. We had to do yardwork before setting up our pet fence. I mean it is everywhere here. There are dead trees at sites which should be taken down before they fall on someone. The sites are not level. The dump station is closed. They said they are taking bids from local companies and should be up in two weeks but it has been two weeks. We were able to use our blue boy and dump at a vacant host site. The park would be so much nicer if a little care was taken to clean the sites of vegetation. I'm not sure if we would stay here again.

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.

What a shock! Gorgeous visitor center with incredible views, great gift shop, a few hiking trails,…read moreand a viewing loop to safely check out the migrating birds. This may be one of the best kept secrets in New Mexico. That said, there's also quite a hornet infestation outside the entrance to the building and the patio, so do be mindful of that. Hopefully the staff will see that it is addressed.

A nice ride to the bitter lake National wildlife refuge. Great place to unwind, take a bike ride,…read morewalk, see wildlife, go on a picnic. Lots of land and nature to view. Lots of ducks, birds ect. as well as a nice place to catch a sunset. Nice place to visit and is free to the public.

The Lovington Highway Health Walk is a public trail in north Hobbs, NM…read more It runs parallel to the railroad tracks, crossing over them in some areas. The entire length which begins relatively close to the Rockwind Community Links golf course to the end which is at the intersection of Lovington Hwy and Bender Blvd comes out to 7.15 miles. Features include a wide, cement path good for walking, running, roller blading, biking, scootering, and more. There are a few benches scattered. Several dog waste bag bins with the small black plastic bags stocked. Please clean up after your dog. Larger trash cans. Shade trees. Other landscaping to compliment the natural desert terrain in Lea County. Grassy areas. I was disappointed that the water fountain was not in working order. I am always prepared with water for my dog, but I was curious to see if it was available. It was not on 3/17/2023. Just be careful because some people don't give pedestrians the right-of-way like they're supposed to. This town is not yet a pedestrian or bicycle-friendly community. There are parking lots in various areas near the NMJC. Enjoy!

This place was a nightmare. Over priced cheapy dirty lodging. The cabin was not as listed. It's a…read moreSHARED double wide trailer with the owner although listed (and priced) as a private cabin. Listed as family friend, yet we got a complaint that our kids noise was excessive from INSIDE of the cabin. The cabin comes with bad views and lots of attitude. Lodging walls are plastered in cheap tacky prints in goodwill frames with price tags on every single one. The "maintenance guy" came onto the property on our 1st morning to yell at us and treat us like children over the fire pit we used the night before, while my husband was still sleeping. He came trying to intimidate us, threatening that we are going to be charged for excessive damage, at the very start of our stay. There is NO communication here. No instructions, no checkout or checkin information, nothing. We placed a log on a propane firepit because we were supplied a nearly empty propane tank, and were unaware we could burn a log. Again, no information about ANYTHING anywhere inside or out, just an inaccurate map. After being berated and yelled at by the "maintenance man" multipe visits, we spent our Saturday morning cleaning out that firepit with our bare hands. It looked and functioned 10x better than when we arrived. Not my idea of vacationing! So we didn't mess with it the remainder of our 2 days there, robbing us of one of the few amenities we came for. We came for the view and campfire, both we didn't get to experience here. We went to politely and professionally talk to the owner after the maintenance man drama and he could care less and then sat there making lavish statememts, and saying comments like, "wheres your realtors license"... huh?!?! There's lots of lodging in this area, stay anywhere but here! You will find better accommodations at cheaper prices. Also, after reading my negative reviews, the camp sent me a private message on social media calling me "low life". The owner also made a very bizarre comment on my Facebook review requesting that I friend him. This is the usual MO with any negative review (guest shaming and intimidation) as you can see on any site with 1 star reviews.

Great location, was passing through and was able grab the "cozy cabin" for a night, but the star…read moreof the show is the ristas food truck, ristas was insanely good, the seared ahi tuna, and a monster quesodilla were better than any sit down I've ever been to. Tons of wildlife on the property, camp host even tried to lure them closer to get pics! Best spot in NM!