Southeast of Albuquerque, there are many National Parks and other attractions in fairly convenient proximity to one another. We drove from Albuquerque, passing through the alien-themed town of Roswell (3 hours), down to Carlsbad Caverns (another 1 hour 40 minutes) and then to Guadalupe National park (another 30 minutes) just across the boarder in Northern Texas for a hike to Devil’s Hall. We spent the night close to Carlsbad Caverns, then the next morning drove across Lincoln National Forest to White Sands National Park (just over 3 hours), where we rented wooden tobaggans to sled down its dunes. We continued to Truth or Consequences (another 1 hour 45 minutes), where we spent the night and finally relaxed in its natural hot springs.
So we really only had two full days for this area of New Mexico, and absolutely made the most of it, but you would really need a week to give it the time it deserves. We rushed through Roswell as Carlsbad Caverns closed early, didn’t have any time to spend in Lincoln National Forest, and didn’t get to enjoy the longer hikes in Guadalupe National Park.
Table of Contents
Roswell
Carlsbad Caverns
Guadalupe National Park
Lincoln National Forest
White Sands National Park
Truth or Consequences
Roswell
Roswell is a small town surrounded by desert and arid plains in Southeast New Mexico, about a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque. It is famous for the hypothetical flying saucer crash in 1947, which transformed the town into an alien-themed hub for tourists. Many of the stores and restaurants have statues or paintings of aliens out front to lure tourists inside, and there are a multitude of souvenir shops and museums dedicated to aliens, such as the International UFO Museum and Research Center and Roswell Museum and Art center. It contains the New Mexico Military institution, a military style high school and junior college, as well as the Roswell Industrial Air Center, a former military base which now serves as an industrial and aviation hub. There is also a famous McDonalds shaped like a flying saucer, and right next door a Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin’ Robbins with a giant Alien statue holding the sign above its head. The city also hosts the annual UFO festival each July, featuring costume contests, parades, guest speakers, and UFO related exhibits.
We had very little time in Roswell but were able to check out the McDonalds and Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin’ Robins, as well as a gift shop for some alien souvenirs. It is a little cheesy but still a fun town to visit. I would have liked to have had more time to at least check out one of the museums.
The Crash
The UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena) crash that made Roswell famous occurred in the summer of 1947, at the beginning of the Cold War. Supposedly, a rancher found an unexplained wreckage on his ranch located 75 miles north of Roswell. He brought the remains to the sheriff of Roswell, who then brought it to the commanding officer of the Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF). The following day, the RAAF released a statement that announced that they had come into possession of a flying disc. Shortly afterwards, the U.S. army retracted the story, claiming instead that they had simply found the remains of a weather balloon. The conflicting stories released as well as rumors of people seeing the flying saucer crash and alien bodies being recovered from the crash made people skeptical of the announcement.
Then in 1994, the U.S. Army admitted that the weather balloon story was a cover-up, and that the wreckage actually was from a spy device created in a covert project designed to spy on the USSR’s attempt to test their own atomic bomb. Furthermore, they claimed that the hypothesized alien bodies taken from the site were parachute-test dummies. Of note the Air Forced did do experimental flight training at the Walker Air Force Base in that area from 1941-1967.
People still remain skeptical as to the various stories offered by the government, and UFO conspiracy theorists have come up with many elaborate stories as to the actual sequence of events that took place.
Media
There is a fictional TV show, Roswell, that aired from 1999 to 2002 centered on three human/alien hybrids living undercover in Roswell, New Mexico. Then more recently they did a reboot of the series 2019-2022) that is available on Netflix.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Just an hour and 45 minutes’ drive South of Roswell and about 4 hour 40 minutes from Albuquerque is Carlsbad Caverns, a network of caves underneath the Chihuahuan Desert. It contains the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America, dubbed the Big Room. The cavern is only open from 9:30am until 3:30pm, with the last entry time at 2:30pm, with timed entry tickets required which can be purchased online ahead of time. It is a National Park, and is included in the National Park Pass, but otherwise tickets cost $15/person.
To get to the park, you will follow a winding road through the desert hills, gaining elevation to an overlook with parking for the cavern. There is a visitor center with gift shop and café at the front, and you can purchase tickets inside if you have not already done so online. To get to the Main Room, you can either take an elevator down, then walk a 0.6 mile loop, or you can hike down a steep pathway to the bottom via the Natural Entrance for a total of 1.25 miles. We entered via the Natural Entrance, and slowly walked through all the caves with multiple stops along the way, which took us about 1.5 hours. After you finish the trail, you can take the elevator back up to the visitor center.
The caves are dimly lit with lights and feature a variety of structures that are described on information boards. Beyond stalactites and stalagmites, I’m a bit lost, and even then I often get those two confused (stalagMites rise from the floor like Mountains). In some areas, the ceiling is covered with so many thin, sharp stalactites that I definitely imagined them all falling on us like a million small swords. The temperature in the cave is much cooler than outside, ranging from 43 to 55 degrees F near the entrance, so make sure to bring a jacket even in summer. In the Big Room the ground helps to warm the air, so it is a bit warmer, ranging from 58.5-59 degrees F.
There are also evening bat viewings that you can attend from May through October, which occur at the bat flight amphitheater at the Natural Entrance. Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats sleep in the Carlsbad Cavern during this time of year, and at sunset they all fly out to catch their breakfasts (insects). No reservations are required, and the program is free.
If you have extra time, there are several other surface trails listed on the park website: Surface Trails
We stayed at a motel right outside of the park. However, the closest town, Carlsbad, which also contains all the food options, is 25 minutes away. We had to drive out and back for dinner, so it would have made much more sense to just stay in Carlsbad itself.
Mei’s Foodie Hub
A great authentic Chinese joint. In a state where it is difficult to find good ethnic cuisine other than Mexican, this was quite a find for us.
Blue House Bakery & Cafe
A great stop for coffee and a breakfast sandwich, full of locals
Guadalupe Mountain National Park
If visiting Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountain Park is a no-brainer. Only a 30-45 minute drive south across to Texas, it is a great option to explore after doing the caves earlier in the day. There are two trails that seem to be the most popular, which both start with the same trail then diverge from each other partway through. We didn’t have time for Guadalupe Peak Trail, so instead opted for Devil’s Hall Trail.
Devil’s Hall Trail
- 4.5 miles there and back
- Took us 2.5-3 hours to complete, walking fairly quickly without stops
- Leads to the “Devil’s Hall,” an alley between two steep canyon walls
- Wear good Hiking Shoes! A good proportion of the trail consists of bouldering through a dry wash. There is also a wall with natural rocky steps, the “Hiker’s Staircase” that you have to climb up to continue near the end of the hike.
Guadalupe Peak Trail
- 8 miles there and back
- Leads to stunning views from the top of the mountain
Lincoln National Forest
Driving from Carlsbad to White Sands, we drove through Lincoln National Forest, a reserve that covers more than a million acres of forested mountains with ample hiking trails and campgrounds. The forest is beautiful, and a lot lesser known than other attractions in New Mexico. We didn’t spend any time exploring, but even the drive was pretty scenic.
White Sands National Park
We also skipped out on White Sands to save time for other things, because it seemed like a bunch of white sand dunes that you take some pictures of then leave. But a local told us that there was nothing like it, and that it was a must to go and slide down the dunes in toboggans, so we somehow crammed it into our schedule. It’s a bit over 3 hours driving there from Carlsbad, and about 3.5 hours from Albuquerque.
The park is right next to the White Sands Missile Range, which regularly conducts military tests, during which the main road into the National Park is closed, usually for no more than three hours. You can find upcoming park closures on the park website. At the entrance to the park is the visitor center and gift shop, where you can rent toboggans to slide down the dunes. The plastic ones cost $15 and the wooden $28 for the day, and for an additional $2 you can buy a bar of wax to use on the bottom of the sleds. We rented the wooden ones, which were supposed to work better, and they were great. The wax was an absolute must—after every three rides or so I would have to re-apply the wax in order to slide quickly down the dunes. The park is included in the National Parks pass, otherwise costs $25/vehicle.
From the visitor center, you enter the park by driving down a road with a loop at the end. Driving from the visitor center, around the loop and back is 16 miles. Along the route, you can stop at 5 different trails ranging from 0.4 to 5 miles. There are also several areas to pull over with parking lots, restrooms, and picnic tables where you can head out to explore the dunes on your own and sled or snowboard.
The park also hosts various concerts, ranger programs, and other shows during their Full Moon Nights at their outdoor amphitheater. The park hours are usually from 7am to sunset, though on Full Moon nights it is open until around 10-11pm.
Truth or Consequences
About 1hour and 45 minutes from White Sands is the little town of Truth or Consequences. It is named after Truth or Consequences, an American game show in which contestants had to answer various trivia questions. If they answered the incorrect “truth,” they had to face the “consequence”–typically an embarrassing stunt. In 1950 the town officially gained this name when the show offered to broadcast its 10th anniversary in the first town to change its name to that of the show’s. The town attracts visitors for its natural hot springs, but beyond that, honestly there’s not much to do. We relaxed there for the evening after spending the afternoon at White Sands. We stayed in an igloo at “Hot springs Glamp Camp,” which consisted of a fenced in glamp site with the igloo, a teepee, and several trailer camping spots (igloo link ). It included private and public tubs made from troughs that you could fill up with the natural hot spring water to soak in, as well as bath salts for purchase for an enhanced experience. There was also an outdoor seating area with a fire pit where the campers could hang out at, and where the caretaker, Linda, hosted nightly social events such as “S’mores night.”
The hot springs water at the camp ranged from around 107-111 degrees F so it feels a bit like you’re in a steam room or a hot tub on steroids. The water contain various minerals, from calcium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride to more exotic gold, silver, and silica. The absorption of each mineral supposedly has different benefits, from nerve conduction to collagen production. The heat is supposed to help with cardiovascular health similar to a sauna, as well as help relax your muscles and provide stress relief, aiding with insomnia and various mental health issues. Our host recommended staying in the tub for about 30 minutes to reap the benefits of the water, which turned out to be a bit of a challenge due to its temperature. The water did feel very moisturizing, and my skin definitely felt softer afterwards. There are many nicer hot spring facilities you can visit throughout the town, but after using the camp’s hot springs we were a bit too over-heated for more. Pro-tip: Do not drink alcohol before entering the hot springs – both dehydrate you and act as vasodilators, which can dangerously lower your blood pressure and cause you to feel dizzy.
~ Buen viaje ~