HappeningThe best weather of the year, with warm days, cool nights and a low sun on the dunes. The bats leave the cave for the winter late in the month (dates vary).
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: mild days score highest, and fierce heat or freezing nights cost points. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. The two parks are a long way apart, so decide your beds and your car before you land.Details
Getting here
The closest large airport to both parks is El Paso, Texas. Alamogordo, where the trip starts, is about an hour and three quarters from the airport by road. Check flights into El Paso, and plan to leave the airport as soon as you have the car.
Your car
A car is the trip. Distances are long, towns are far apart and phone signal drops out on the long stretches. Fill the tank in a town, carry plenty of water, and take a layer: the desert is hot by day and cold at night in the cooler months.
The distances
White Sands to Cloudcroft is under an hour. Cloudcroft to Carlsbad takes close to three hours, and Carlsbad to the airport at El Paso takes about three. Treat Day 2 and Day 4 as driving days with stops, not the other way round.
Where to sleep
Stay two nights around Alamogordo and two in Carlsbad. Carlsbad is about forty minutes from the cave, and the gateway at the cave itself has few rooms. Rooms near the parks fill early in the busy months, so book ahead. Day 1 begins with the museum at midday, so a morning flight into El Paso fits.
Day 1. Carlsbad and the caverns
3 stops · 24.0 mi
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time, go early
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
One of the great show caves of the world, in the Guadalupe Mountains. Walk down through the natural entrance or take the elevator, and spend time in the Big Room, a chamber of stalactites, columns and pools. Check how entry works before you go, because a booking system can apply.
Go whenMorning, before the groups arrive.
Local tip The cave stays cool all year, so take a light layer. Check ahead on how entry works and on which routes are open, and wear shoes with grip, because the paths are wet and steep in places.
A state park of Chihuahuan Desert plants and animals on the Ocotillo Hills above Carlsbad, shown in their native habitats. A calm afternoon above ground after the cave.
Go whenAfternoon, as a calm stretch after the cave.
Local tip Allow an easy hour or two. Bring a hat and water, and check ahead on opening.
Pecan-smoked meat, a plate of fajitas or a Tex-Mex dinner in Carlsbad when you arrive at dusk.
Local tip Many kitchens close earlier than you might think on weeknights, so eat early.
If it rains. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is covered, so keep it. Move Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park and Carlsbad to a dry day if you can.
Day 2. The Guadalupe Mountains and El Paso and Carlsbad and the caverns
3 stops · 86.6 mi
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from CarlsbadAbout 1 h 10 min by car42.6 mi
Where Day 1 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time, check access
McKittrick Canyon
A narrow canyon with a flowing stream, bigtooth maples and oaks in a landscape of desert, known for its color in the fall. The gate hours are limited, so check ahead and get there early.
Go whenMorning, because the gate hours are short.
Local tip The canyon is famous for its color in the fall, but its hours are limited and the walk is long, so check ahead and bring water. Keep to the path, since the canyon is a protected place.
A waterfall in a canyon of the Lincoln National Forest southwest of Carlsbad, with pools below, a surprise in the desert. It runs with the seasons and can close after fires or floods.
Go whenMorning, in the cooler months.
Local tip The falls can run thin or dry, and the road and the falls close at times after fire or floods, so check ahead before you drive.
A mountain park in West Texas with the highest point in the state, an old stage station and a choice of trails from short strolls to a day hike. Pick a short walk from the visitor center and look up at the pale cliff of El Capitan.
Go whenMidday, with a short walk.
Local tip The park has trails for a stroll and trails for a hard day, and the weather on the ridges can change fast. Pick a short walk from the visitor center and do not start a long climb late in the day.
Tacos, enchiladas or a plate of carne asada in the old downtown, a good end to the road trip.
Local tip Ask what the cooks recommend, and leave room for a sweet pastry.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 3. Cloudcroft and the Sacramento Mountains and the Guadalupe Mountains and El Paso
3 stops · 165.9 miAbout 3 h 56 min driving
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Guadalupe Mountains National ParkAbout 2 h 8 min by car90.7 mi
Where Day 2 ended.
1
MiddayA cool stop on the way
Cloudcroft
A mountain village high in the Sacramento Mountains, among pines and cooler than the desert below. A good place to stretch your legs, eat something warm and look out over the basin you have just left.
Go whenMidday, when the desert below is at its hottest.
Local tip Stretch your legs on the main street and look out over the basin. Fill the tank before the long drive east, because stations are few.
A tall wooden railroad trestle left from the logging days, in a canyon just outside Cloudcroft. A short walk, a good photograph and a small piece of the history of the mountain.
Go whenAfternoon, when the light falls on the timbers.
Local tip It is a short walk, so wear sturdy shoes and keep off the structure. Check ahead on the road, which can be rough after rain.
A sandwich and a slice of fruit pie at a table in the pines, the right meal in a cool mountain village.
Local tip Eat on the early side so you can start the long drive east by the early afternoon.
About 1 h 48 min by car74.1 mi
3
AfternoonA good stop, book ahead
Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site
A cluster of rock hills northeast of El Paso with rain pools that have drawn people for thousands of years, and rock art on the walls. Entry is limited, so check ahead and book if you can; skip it if the day is running late.
Go whenAfternoon, if the day allows.
Local tip Entry is limited, and some areas are visited only with a guide, so check ahead. The rock art is fragile, so look but never touch.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 4. Alamogordo and White Sands
3 stops · 96.4 mi
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic SiteAbout 1 h 43 min by car69.5 mi
Where Day 3 ended.
1
MiddayWorth the time
New Mexico Museum of Space History
A museum and planetarium on the hillside above Alamogordo, about rockets and the people who flew them, in the region where American rockets were first tested. A cool, indoor stop after the drive from the airport.
Go whenMidday, when the sun is high and an indoor stop is welcome.
Local tip The museum looks out over the basin where the first American rockets were tested, so look through the windows as well as at the cases. Check ahead on opening and on any planetarium shows.
A canyon in the Sacramento Mountains where a spring feeds a thin line of green, with a short trail up Dog Canyon and an old ranch house from the 1800s. A quiet, shady break before the dunes.
Go whenAfternoon, in the shade of the canyon.
Local tip Walk a little way up the canyon trail, where the air is cooler by the spring. Bring water, and keep to the path.
Lunch
A green chile cheeseburger
A burger with roasted green chile, the lunch of the state. A good meal to eat before an afternoon in the sun.
Local tip Ask how hot the chile is before you order, since it can surprise you.
About 37 min by car or transit14.9 mi
3
EveningGo for the late light
White Sands National Park
A sea of white gypsum dunes, the largest of its kind in the world, rolling away in the Tularosa Basin. Drive in on the dunes road, walk up a ridge and watch the sand turn pink and blue. Check the closing time before you go, and bring water.
Go whenLate afternoon into the evening, with the low sun on the sand (about 6:30 PM).
Local tip The sand stays cool to bare feet because it is gypsum, not quartz, but the sun and the glare are strong, so bring sunglasses and water. The dunes road can close for storms and for tests on the missile range next door, so check ahead on the day.
Enchiladas, tacos or a plate of grilled meat after the dunes, with red or green chile on the side.
Local tip The answer "Christmas" to "red or green?" gets you both.
If it rains. New Mexico Museum of Space History is covered, so keep it. Move Oliver Lee Memorial State Park and White Sands National Park to a dry day if you can.
Day 5. Alamogordo and White Sands, part 2
3 stops · 124.4 mi
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from White Sands National ParkAbout 28 min by car or transit7.5 mi
Where Day 4 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time, go early
Alkali Flat Trail
A marked trail across the dunes toward the bed of an ancient lake, with posts to follow because there is no other path. Go early, while the sand is cool and the light is low. It is a long, hot walk by midday, so turn back if the heat or wind builds.
Go whenEarly morning, before the wind and the heat.
Local tip Follow the posts and look behind you now and then, because the dunes all look alike. Carry more water than you think you need, and turn back if the weather turns.
About 1 h 7 min by car39.6 mi
2
MorningWorth the time
Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
A ridge north of Alamogordo with more than twenty thousand petroglyphs cut in dark volcanic rock, with a trail along the ridge and wide views of the basin.
Go whenMorning, before the heat.
Local tip Thousands of images are cut in the dark rocks along a ridge. Bring water and a hat, and look from the trail without touching the stone.
A jagged range of spires above Las Cruces, on the road between El Paso and Alamogordo, with trails and desert views. A good first look at the country on the drive in.
Go whenMorning, as a stop on the way to Alamogordo.
Local tip A good first look at the desert on the drive from El Paso. Check ahead on which trails and roads are open.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. Day 4 ends near El Paso, so the airport is close, but leave more time than the map says.Details
The drive out
From the last stop the airport is under an hour, but road work and desert weather can slow the highway from the mountains. Fill the tank before you leave the last small town, because stations are few.
Your flight
The day before is long, with hours at the wheel. Book a flight that leaves in the afternoon or evening, and do not plan a big sight on the day you fly.
Returning the car
If you rented in El Paso, fill the tank before the airport. If you rented in another city, ask the rental company about the rules for dropping the car somewhere else.
If you have a few hours
The Franklin Mountains rise right behind El Paso, and a last coffee in the old downtown is an easy end to a long road trip.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Alamogordo?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, March to May and September to November are the most comfortable months for a desert trip to Alamogordo. This plan is built for late October, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 5 days in Alamogordo, planned for late October. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
Each day has about 24.0 to 116.9 miles between its stops, and 287.0 miles in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days in Santa Fe and TaosAbout 240 miles away
3 days in SedonaAbout 400 miles away
