Travel Mazes: Day 7 – May 29th, 2025 - Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Woke up to a beautiful view of Lake Holloman in New Mexico. After soaking in the scenery, I hit the road toward Carlsbad Caverns National Park, about a 3-hour drive. I passed through the Lincoln National Forest and stopped at the charming town of Cloudcroft for a coffee and a warm sandwich.

The road after the forest, all the way to Morningside town, was dry, hot, and scenic in some ways, and very isolated. Driving through it felt like entering a cinematic silence: endless plains and sun-blasted rocks. For miles, I barely saw another car, maybe one every 30 miles. I sped up a bit, why not, once in a while.

Along the drive, I noticed abandoned homes, gas stations, factories, and entire towns left behind. I couldn’t help but wonder about their stories. Why were these places empty and unlivable anymore?

Crossing into Texas, it was no surprise to start seeing oil fields and those constant gas flames. Very industrial, I thought: this land must be very rich.

Then I came across a massive group of classic cars—maybe around 100 of them. It felt like a car club or some sort of veterans’ ride. Interestingly, they all seemed to be heading to Carlsbad Caverns, too.

I arrived at the visitor center around 11 a.m., located on a hill under dramatic stormy skies. The wind was picking up, and you could smell the rain in the valley. The bathrooms were under construction, but there were porta-potties available.

I showed my annual pass and began the cave tour through the natural entrance. The entrance itself was incredible, and once inside, looking back up, the opening looked like a giant eye. It reminded me of Cennet Mağarası in Mersin, Turkey, which I visited during my college graduation trip in 2013 (also known as the Heaven & Hell Caves).

The trail to the rest area and lunchroom was about a mile long. Then came the Big Room, North America’s largest cave chamber, about two more miles. Hiking back to the surface makes it roughly a four-mile round trip, though there’s also an elevator most people take to avoid the very steep climb.

Highlights of the cave included Mirror Lake, Crystal Spring Dome, Bat Cave, Green Lake, and Devil’s Spring. Carlsbad Caverns truly showcases incredible geological formations. I moved quickly through the cave with my headlamp on. It felt magical, like being inside a complicated dream.

But I have to admit, it felt overused. Way too many people, including kids, are yelling and touching everything. There was even a restaurant, gift shop, and restroom inside the cave. It made me wish there were more restrictions, maybe allow access only through guided tours. There was electricity all over the cave and built-in trails, and even an extra seating rest area. A place this sacred deserves more protection.

I hiked back up quickly—only saw one other person hiking; the rest took the elevator.

Afterward, I browsed the gift shop and asked the rangers if there was more to explore. Besides a few hiking trails and waiting for the bats at 7 p.m., there wasn’t much else. I skipped the evening hike since I had already done over 40 miles this week and had more ahead.

I grabbed some food at the visitor center restaurant, then booked a camping spot online at Pine Springs Campground in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. I filled up on gas since it’s a remote area, then drove through a storm with heavy rain. It was an intense, beautiful drive.

When I arrived at Guadalupe, which was only about 45 minutes away, I found my reserved campsite had a tag saying it was already booked for May 28–29. Confused, I called Recreation.gov. They confirmed it was under my name and told me to go ahead and use it. The person on the phone could not answer why there is a tag that says this place is reserved.

I set up camp and cooked dinner. After the storm, the rainbow over the Guadalupe Mountains was massive—one of the most incredible I’ve ever seen. I crawled into my tent early. That night, in the quiet of the mountains, I finally got the rest I’d been needing.