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Beneath the Chihuahuan Desert southwest of Carlsbad lies one of the largest cave systems on Earth, and most visitors come to this Pecos River town to descend into it. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a short drive away, has the Big Room, a limestone chamber of stalagmites and draperies that you can walk through on a paved path, and summer evenings when hundreds of thousands of bats spiral out of the natural entrance.
The town itself was founded in the 1880s as Eddy and renamed after the Czech spa of Karlsbad for its mineral springs. Irrigation turned the valley green, and the 1890 Pecos River Flume, which carries a canal over the river, became a local icon. Later, potash mining and oil from the Permian Basin shaped the economy.
Today a landscaped riverwalk and beach park line the Pecos, the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens shows off desert wildlife on a hilltop, and each December boats glide past glowing riverside homes on Christmas on the Pecos. Brantley Lake, Sitting Bull Falls and the trails of Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas round out a trip.
About 20 miles southwest of town, this national park protects more than 119 caves. Walk the steep Natural Entrance trail or take the elevator down to the Big Room, a huge chamber with a self-guided path past stalagmites and columns. Timed entry reservations are often required, so book ahead.
A spring-fed waterfall that spills about 150 feet over travertine cliffs in the Lincoln National Forest, roughly 45 minutes west of Carlsbad. A short paved path leads to pools at its base, and longer trails climb to the springs above. The area is day-use only and has limited hours, so check before driving.
From late May to October, Brazilian free-tailed bats pour out of the cavern's natural entrance at sunset while rangers give a talk in the stone amphitheater. Numbers peak in late summer. Electronic devices and cameras are banned during the program to protect the bats, so just sit back and watch.
A detached section of Carlsbad Caverns National Park where a spring feeds a grove of cottonwoods in the desert, drawing hundreds of bird species. Birders come for vermilion flycatchers, painted buntings and migrants in spring. It has shaded picnic tables, making it a cool stop before or after the caverns.
A hilltop state park on the edge of Carlsbad with a 1.3-mile trail through Chihuahuan Desert habitats, a greenhouse of cacti and succulents, and native animals such as Mexican wolves, mountain lions, javelinas and bison. Visit in the morning before the heat, and bring a hat and water.
A long grassy park on the dammed Pecos River with a swimming beach, picnic shelters, boat ramps and a paved riverwalk shaded by trees. In summer you can rent kayaks and paddleboats, and families gather for cookouts on weekends. It connects to walking paths toward the flume.
A reservoir on the Pecos River about 15 miles north of Carlsbad, with campgrounds, a boat ramp and good fishing for bass, walleye and catfish. It is one of the few large lakes in this corner of the desert. Check current fish advisories before keeping your catch, and expect strong afternoon wind.
An aqueduct that carries an irrigation canal across the Pecos River, first built of wood in 1890 and rebuilt in concrete in 1903, once billed as the largest concrete structure of its kind. Walkways and the riverwalk give good views of water flowing over water, and Christmas on the Pecos boats pass beneath it.
From the day after Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, evening boat tours cruise past riverside homes decorated with elaborate light displays, a local tradition for decades. Tours last about 40 minutes and sell out, so reserve tickets well in advance and dress warmly for the open boats.
A free city museum downtown with exhibits on Pueblo pottery, ranching, potash mining and the caverns, plus galleries of Taos Society and regional art. Changing exhibitions keep it fresh. The adjoining Halagueno Arts Park hosts outdoor concerts and events in the warmer months.
Across the Texas line about an hour southwest of Carlsbad, this park holds Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, and McKittrick Canyon, famous for fall colors. The peak trail is a strenuous all-day round trip. There are no services in the park, so fill up on fuel and water in Carlsbad or Whites City.
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