4 Best Gateway Towns To Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park protects more than 119 known caves carved into the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. This far-flung yet highly regarded park’s main cave features massive chambers that the public can explore, including the Big Room, one of the largest cave rooms in North America.
As you can imagine, access to this park is remote, with limited services nearby, making its small selection of gateway towns essential for lodging, food, and fuel. Choosing the right base can also determine how early you enter the caves, how much you explore beyond them, and how efficiently you navigate this isolated corner of the Chihuahuan Desert. With that, here are four ideal options for you to consider the next time you find yourself spending a significant amount of time in the area.
Whites City
Whites City, New Mexico, is the closest gateway town to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, sitting just outside the park’s entrance. Built specifically to serve visitors at this renowned natural attraction, it functions as a convenient base rather than a traditional town with a fuller variety of businesses and amenities.
However, choices for lodging here are surprisingly varied, allowing early access to the caverns before crowds arrive. The Whites City Cavern Inn is a popular option for a cozy stay, whereas the Whites City RV Park is good for campers. Whites City also offers basic dining, gas stations, and souvenir shops, all geared toward tourism. In fact, its location along U.S. Route 62/180 makes it an easy stop for road-trippers of all kinds crossing southeastern New Mexico, not just ones headed towards the caverns.
At night, the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert is noted for its clear skies and minimal light pollution, giving it a truly remote feel that conveniently appeals to the outdoorsy, national park adventurers who frequent the region. The nearby Walnut Canyon Nature Trail also adds a nice touch for something else to do, while the Sunset Reef Campground, just minutes south, offers an alternate accommodation for campers even closer to the national park.
Carlsbad
For most, Carlsbad is the primary gateway town to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and offers more to see and do than other nearby access points. With a sizable population of around 32,000, it is by far the most developed settlement in the area, boasting a robust downtown that centers on the Pecos Riverwalk, a paved path with parks, tons of public art, and nice river views.
Other local draws, like the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park, showcase Chihuahuan Desert wildlife and native plants just outside town. Furthermore, the Carlsbad Museum and Art Center provides an insight into local history via exhibits and rotating regional art shows. In terms of outdoor recreation, Lake Carlsbad Recreation Area supports kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing, and the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, also within driving distance, adds additional hiking and scenic overlooks.
Like most cities of its size, Carlsbad has a full range of hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, and fuel stops, making it the most practical base for multi-day visits to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and surrounding desert landscapes.
Artesia
Artesia sits north of Carlsbad and serves as a secondary major gateway city to Carlsbad Caverns National Park for travelers approaching from central or northern New Mexico. The town has a functional downtown with lots of local restaurants, coffee shops, and public art heavily tied to its oil and ranching history.
Furthermore, locales like the Artesia Historical Museum are interesting for anyone wanting to know a bit more about early settlement, agriculture in this otherwise arid corner of the country, and energy development. Try out the Heritage Walk downtown, too, if you have extra time, which provides an easy, walkable break from driving. On the way down to the caverns, you can also drop by Brantley Lake State Park, where a plethora of beaches and campgrounds can be enjoyed.
What may make this city even more attractive for visitors is the fact that its lodging, gas stations, and grocery options are typically less crowded than those in Carlsbad during peak season as well. Between hotels, motels, and rental options, there are almost a dozen different choices for overnight accommodations, all within a short drive or walk from popular local food joints like Adobe Rose Restaurant and La Fonda.
Van Horn
If you are planning to enter from the south, Van Horn, located across the border in Texas, sits at the intersection of Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90 and serves as a unique destination in its own right for travelers visiting West Texas and the numerous remote parks of southern New Mexico. While farther from Carlsbad Caverns National Park than Carlsbad or Loving (at about a 90-minute drive away), it works well for multi-park trips that include Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Davis Mountains State Park. Other notable nearby attractions include the Van Horn Mountains, local desert hiking trails, and the wide-open Chihuahuan Desert landscapes in all directions.
Moreover, Van Horn offers reliable lodging, places to refuel, and numerous eateries, making it a common overnight stop for long-distance travelers making their way across the Southwest. This community also serves as a staging point for drives to notable destinations farther south, including Marfa, Fort Davis, and the Salt Basin Dunes.
Stay the Night at These Welcoming Desert Communities
Visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park is more enjoyable and certainly more comfortable when based in one of these nearby gateway towns. From the practical services of Carlsbad to the quiet convenience of Loving or a strategic stop in Van Horn, each location above offers unique advantages that cater to a variety of road trippers. Choosing the right spot ensures more time to explore the caves and their remarkable surrounding desert landscapes without stress.
