A beautiful waterfall, out in the middle of nowhere. It was about an hour from Carlsbad, & you may…read moreas well plan a half day trip there to make it worth your while It can get very busy, so you will have to explore the creek, & other areas, to find a good spot to sit & relax in the water No gas stations out there, or food of any sort. You are in the middle of nowhere lol service is very spotty, so come prepared. There are bathrooms though, & some shelters with tables if you plan on staying to eat & relax

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

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.

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.

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!!!

It's very clean and even has a playground for the kids. However for me, it felt too isolated. It's…read moreapprox. 20 min. from town. There are no RV parking spots close to the water. You have to drive down if you plan on fishing or you can hike but it's hot and dry.

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!