RV Tour Leg 18.5 - Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- Judy Carmein
- Jan 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 30
January 5-12, 2025
Well, folks, I’m backtracking a bit. While going through my unpublished blog drafts, I realized I had started writing about Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Park but never finished or published it! We visited these incredible parks back in January, right after leaving Big Bend, and it would be a shame not to document them.
Winter presented its own challenges for this leg of the trip—it was cold! We quickly learned a few lessons about camping in freezing temperatures, such as the importance of bringing the hose inside at night. (We only froze it once—progress, right?) When our water spigot turned into an ice block, we discovered that a pot of boiling water was the magic fix. Despite the chilly conditions, our camper kept us snug, and once we navigated the icy pass up to the caves, we found ourselves in the perfect environment—underground, where the temperature remained comfortably constant.
This was also our first experience getting truck repairs while on the road. It was time for new brakes—normally no big deal, except for one small detail: rusted rotors. The New Mexico Ford dealership had never seen anything like it. (I imagine mechanics in Minnesota would have laughed and changed them in five minutes.) After some extra effort, they managed to pry the rotors off and order replacements. The truck was finally fixed just in time—late in the evening before our scheduled departure—leading to a creatively orchestrated rental car drop-off. (Long story—I’ll spare you the details.)
Exploring Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns are massive and utterly breathtaking. Unfortunately, photos don’t do them justice. Over two days, we explored them through both self-guided and ranger-led tours. The first day, we followed a 1.25-mile self-guided route through the enormous underground chambers. The next day, we took the King’s Palace tour, a mile-long ranger-led walk into deeper, more intricate cave formations.
Unlike Mammoth Cave, which has a protective sandstone cap that prevents much water from dripping in, Carlsbad Caverns is a wonderland of stalactites and stalagmites. Every turn revealed formations more intricate and awe-inspiring than the last. It was one of those places where we eventually had to put the cameras away, take a deep breath, and simply be in the moment.
On the third day, we had planned to take the Lower Cave tour—a more adventurous, ranger-led experience described here:
"There are no electric lights or paved trails, just the uneven natural floor that can be slick or rocky. To get to this level of the cavern, you must descend about 60 feet of ladders and walk backward down a 10-foot slick slope using a knotted handline. Once down, you will squeeze through the Florida Keyhole, hike through large passages, stoop-walk through a maze, and experience total darkness."
Sounds thrilling, right? We set our alarm early, braved an icy drive up the mountain pass in our tiny rental car… only to find the visitor center closed and the tour canceled due to the weather. I was disappointed—but I’ll admit, maybe just a little relieved.
Since our visit, we’ve learned that all ranger-led tours at Carlsbad Caverns have been canceled due to staffing shortages caused by federal budget cuts (thanks, DOGE). That makes us even more grateful we got to experience the King’s Palace tour before the layoffs. But it’s also worrisome—many of the National Parks still on our itinerary rely on rangers to provide access to special areas, offer safety guidance, and share history that you just can’t get from a sign. I’m hoping this isn’t a trend we’ll see across the board.
A Side Trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Only 30 minutes from Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains National Park offers a completely different experience—towering peaks, rugged desert terrain, and fascinating history. We took a beautiful hike in the McKittrick canyon out to the Pratt stone cabin built in the 1930's. The simplicity the the cabin was very charming and reminding me a bit of what I love about of our RV lifestyle.
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