Guadalupe Mountains National Park Off The Beaten Path Tips by mrclay2000 Top 5 Page for this destination

A Place to Shake the Dust Off Your Shoes

With the town of Carlsbad NM roughly six miles away to the north, and the Guadalupe Mountains fifty miles away to the south in Texas, there is little in between. No place really to fill your tank or get a bite to eat within dozens of miles of Guadalupe Park. Get out and visit the emporia whenever you can. This little shopping oasis is one of the few aboveground emporia within the vicinity of the caverns.

The Caverns

About 50 miles north of Guadalupe Mountains National Park are the famous Carlsbad Caverns. Admission for adults is under $10. Though the surrounding area is flat and scrubby, covered with chaparrals and desert bush, the underground is rich in mineral formations. The elevator descends 750 feet into the caverns where self-guided walks take you into an underground chamber whose volume equals fourteen Astrodomes. In the right season, visitors can watch the flight of Mexican free-tail bats from the amphitheater at the mouth of the caverns.