5 Stunning Stops: White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns Road Trip

Think of your dream road trip.

I’m guessing you imagined west coast beaches, or maybe it was pine trees, forests and alpine lakes… or maybe fall foliage in the northeast, or the red rocks of Utah.

I know it was NOT a place known for dirt, rocks and badlands, like West Texas and New Mexico.

But this forsaken area of the USA has one of the most unique road trips I’ve ever gone on.

It loops from El Paso, through White Sands, to Carlsbad Caverns and on to Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

I did this trip myself while driving from Texas to California.

I hopped from park to park, and camped for free almost every night. Along the way, I soaked in sunsets over dunes, hiked to the top of Texas, and explored caverns that felt like they belonged on another planet.

It isn’t the most obvious pick for a US road trip. But trust me, by the time your road trip wraps up back in El Paso, you’ll understand why it’s one of the most underrated adventures in the southwest.

Here’s your guide to doing the same, from details on what hikes to pick to where to camp for free.

A Road Trip in an Unexpected Place – El Paso

El Paso doesn’t scream “ultimate travel destination.” It definitely didn’t for me.

The first time I traveled to El Paso, it was because one of the world’s best outdoor bouldering areas is right outside the city – in Hueco Tanks State Park.

Other than that, I had heard about it in the movie Glory Road (“Nacho, Taco, Burrito? No I’m looking for hotdog-o!”).

As the weeks went by (I’ve spent a total of 6 weeks in El Paso over the year), I got to know places around the city on rest days from climbing.

I was surprised, to say the least.

This underrated Southwestern road trip stops at all these awesome destinations:

• Franklin Mountains State Park – desert peaks right in the middle of the city. It’s one of the largest urban parks in the U.S.
• Hueco Tanks State Park – one of the world’s best climbing areas.
• 3 national parks: White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains
• 2 cities nobody thinks of visiting: El Paso and Alamogordo

Writing about this road trip has already gotten me exited. Let’s get straight to the itinerary!

Where to Stay (and make it cheap)

I paid $35 for lodging when I did this road trip because I car camped for free most places.

And that’s what this blog is all about – budget road trips that you don’t have to save up to be able to do!

To help plan your road trip starting in El Paso and driving from White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns, I made a free map with the 7 free car camping spots I used when I did it!

👉 Grab the map for free below – I’ll email it to you right away!

If you’re new to SUV camping, I highly recommend starting with a simple setup.

👉 Read all about the exact SUV camping setup I used to make this a budget-friendly road trip!

And worry not! If you’re not the car camping type, I included a few budget stays in each day of the road trip itinerary below!

What Gear You ACTUALLY Need for This Road Trip

Honestly, don’t worry too much about gear.

I’m not a gear‑heavy traveler, and you don’t actually need anything super specialized or expensive for this road trip.

It does involve a lot of hiking, but it’s not technical hiking at all.

If you have clothes and somewhat athletic shoes, you should be good to go – that’s pretty much how I did this trip.

But I know you love some gear recs, and there are a couple things I wish I had even though I didn’t absolutely need them.

1. Footwear: any athletic shoes will do, and you can go barefoot in White Sands. But going barefoot for 5 miles can HURT, and then putting on shoes means having sand in them for days (both things happened to me). So, I would have liked having some hiking sandals just for White Sands.
2. A hydration vest: I’ve traveled around the US twice, been on crazy long hikes, and still carry 2-3 waterbottles in a small back pack. I really want a CamelBak, but haven’t made the investment yet, and it would be great for the hikes in White Sands and the Guadalupe Mountains.
3. Hiking sticks: I was against hiking sticks because it made me less of a man until I realized how amazing they really are. Now I use one on longer hikes because they REALLY help. PRO TIP: get one pair for two people (having just 1 is enough).
4. Camping gear: This whole road trip (and most road trips) can be SUPER cheap if you camp for free, so take camping or car camping gear!

❌ What You Don’t Need

• Expensive hiking clothes: maybe just a rain jacket, but you don’t need a super pro jacket.
• Technical desert gear: unless you’re planning on getting lost
• Brand‑name equipment: I always get REI brand stuff, Decathlon stuff or whatever I can find at the thrift store.
• Huge backpacks: all these hikes are half-a-day at most.

The Road Trip Itinerary

The ideal length for this road trip is 5 days, and that’s what I’ll present in this itinerary. But you could do it in 3 days if you’re REALLY crunched on time.

And if you want to spend more days getting to know these parks, my individual blog posts on each one have lots of ideas for your trip! They’re linked throughout this travel guide.

Arriving in El Paso

Fly to El Paso and rent a car for your road trip.

You can compare rentals with Discover Cars to get a fair price.

El Paso is the only place you have to pay for lodging, and I’ll get to that at the end of Day 1.

Day 1 – Franklin Mountains State Park

Franklin Mountains State Park is a gorgeous natural area in the middle of a big city. It’s actually pretty weird driving into the park – all of a sudden, you’re in a completely different environment.

It’s a great place to get away from the city, but it unfortunately also has evidence of the city everywhere, like graffiti on prominent rocks and features. LOTS of people travel here for an experience in rugged mountains.

And what do you do in the mountains?

You hike.

And hiking really is the only thing to do in Franklin Mountains State Park. These are the best hikes in the Franklin Mountains:

• North Franklin Mountain Trail: This is a popular trail to one of the peaks in Franklin Mountains State Park. It’s a 7.7-mile hike with 2,400 feet of elevation gain – a great way to get to know the park and get the best views! It starts at Sneed’s Cory Parking and is well marked.
• Agave Loop Trail: This is the trail I did when I visited. It starts at the same Trailhead as the North Franklin Mountain Trail, but loops around quickly to make it a 1.6-mile hike. It’s easy but very beautiful!
• Aztec Caves: A short 1.2-mile hike to some impressive caves and great views. If you aren’t doing the hike to the summit, I would recommend doing the Agave Loop Trail and Aztec Caves Trail.

Getting into Franklin Mountains State Park costs $5 per person (free for children 12 and under). Camping costs $10 per site, and they have no amenities other than a picnic table. Some sites are for car camping and others for tent camping.

I car camped in Franklin Mountains State Park 1 night and it was TERRIBLE. The wind in El Paso in March is the worst, and it’s even worse in the mountains. I just hid in my car because being outside was not fun.

After Hiking – Food and Where to Stay

Make sure you get lots of Mexican food in El Paso. Mexican food is some of my favorite, and you can get some delicious authentic Mexican in El Paso because it’s right on the border with Ciudad Juarez.

After a day of hiking in the mountain, refueling with cheap tacos or huge plates of heavy food is a blessing.

My favorites were:

• Tacos Don Cuco
• Los Bandidos De Carlos & Mickey’s
• El Zape (VERY traditional)
• Union Draft House (only on Wednesdays for $1 pizza)

El Paso won’t disappoint your taste buds.

When it comes to where to sleep after Day 1 of this road trip, I recommend somewhere close to Hueco Tanks State Park to get ahead on the next day’s driving.

If you’re camping, try out the Gleatherland Ranch. It’s less than 10 minutes from Hueco Tanks. BUT… it isn’t open during the summer.

If camping isn’t an option, find a hotel like La Quinta in eastern El Paso.

Day 2 – Hueco Tanks State Park and White Sands

Day 2 of this southwestern road trip starts in Texas and ends in New Mexico. Explore Hueco Tanks in the morning and then make your way to White Sands National Park in the afternoon for an incredible sunset.

Hueco Tanks

Hueco Tanks is a gigantic pile of boulders eroded into a maze of caves and cracks.

And it’s a special place because ancient tribes lived here, even though it’s the desert, because of the “huecos” that can hold water for weeks. So, even if you don’t rock climb, there’s a lot of cultural heritage to see and the hiking is fun… it’s almost scrambling at times.

Now, even though I’ve spent almost 2 months total bouldering in Hueco Tanks State Park, I don’t know any specific trails. But I’ve hiked all over the rocks and know most of the trails are to see petroglyphs.

So, here’s my recommendation for touring Hueco Tanks State Park in half a day:

Do a guided tour.

Most of the park is closed to the public and can only be explored with a guide. Those areas will have almost no tourists or climbers.

You can do a self-guided tour too in North Mountain, but reservations for that are a pain. If you want to do that anyway, I go over how to get into the park with or without a reservation on my guide to bouldering in Hueco Tanks.

You can book a tour in Hueco Tanks State Park by calling (915) 857-1135. There’s no option to do it online.

Sunset at White Sands National Park

Drive about 2 hours to White Sands National Park and prepare to be astounded.

The landscape of White Sands is absolutely surreal.

By the time you get there, it’ll be the afternoon. My recommendation is to go to the Visitor Center and watch the park film. It’s awesome learning about how this crazy desert came into existence.

Then, drive to some of the tallest dunes for your first experience on the crazy white sand. You can find the tallest dunes at the Alkali Flat trailhead.

Walk into the dune field a bit (do it barefoot – you’ll thank me later), spread out a blanket at the top of a dune, and watch the sunset over the towering San Andres Mountains.

Where to Stay on Day 2

The area I car camped for free was amazing. Right by a lake, the place has the most incredible views.

To get there, enter “Holloman Lake (Public Access)” into Google Maps, it’ll get you to a dirt road right on Highway 70 going West. Drive in and find a spot!

Otherwise, find a highly rated budget hotel near White Sands in Alamogordo to spend the night.

Day 3: White Sands National Park and Alamogordo

White Sands National Park is incredible.

Gypsum from the nearby mountains gets eroded by wind and rain and makes it to the Alkali Flat. From there, it keeps rolling across the flat, becoming smaller and smaller sand particles. Then, the new sand joins the dune field, which is growing to this day.

And though the dunes aren’t as big as, say, Great Sand Dunes National Park or the Eureka Dunes, I’d say they’re prettier.

And in the light of golden hour? Incomparable!

Now, White Sands isn’t very big and there isn’t THAT much to do. But something that people don’t talk about much at all is the city right next to the national park – Alamogordo.

I had an absolute blast in the city. It’s worth spending some time there if you’re visiting White Sands National Park.

Day 3 is a combination of exploring the park and having fun in the city.

Fun Activities in Alamogordo

There are 3 main tourist destinations in Alamogordo. I only explored one (the best one, PistachioLand) because I didn’t have enough time for the rest:

• PistachioLand: My favorite thing here was the free wine tasting (which is free until you buy a bottle of wine). And yes, they have pistachio wine. They also have the best pistachio ice cream I’ve tried and bunches of roasted pistachio flavors, which you can sample for free too. Then there’s the amazing pistachio farm tour, which only costs $4 per person. And you have to take a selfie with the world’s largest pistachio right at the entrance.

• Museum of Space History: I wanted to go because I’m a nerd and love space museums. Alamogordo is actually “the cradle of America’s space program” because technology was developed here that made the U.S. space program what it is now. They have exhibits, a planetarium and an IMAX theater.
• White Sands Missile Range Museum: Remember the atomic bomb they made in the movie Oppenheimer? That first atomic bomb was tested at the Trinity Site in Alamogordo, New Mexico. I wanted to visit so bad! You’ll learn about the atomic bomb, but also about missiles and space – just, in a more military context. Fun fact: I saw some missile launches from where I slept at Raptor Lake.

I would explore Alamogordo in the morning and then get to know White Sands in the afternoon to enjoy another great sunset.

Hiking in White Sands National Park

The best way to get to know the national park is to hike deep into the dune field.

Drive to Alkali Flat trailhead again and do the Alkali Flat trail. It’s a 5-mile hike from the tallest dunes to the plains where the dune field begins and back around.

What I loved most is that you can do it barefoot the entire way because, since the sand is white, it doesn’t get too hot.

That being said, take your shoes just in case your feet start hurting. I was able to do it all barefoot, but I was in pain towards the end.

Also, make sure you rent a sled ($25, but you get $10 back when you return it), because the sand is so fine that it behaves like snow. You can get some great rides in, and you will definitely eat some sand.

Convenient Lodging for Day 3

After a long day, camp at Raptor Lake again or go back to your hotel in Alamogordo.

Otherwise, if you want to get started on your drive the next day, you can stay near Cloudcroft.

Cloudcroft is a ski town in the Sacramento Mountains, and it’s on the way to the Guadalupe Mountains.

Like any ski town, it’s pretty cool. It has lots of great hotels and a bunch of awesome restaurants.

It’s one of the possible stops on Day 4 of this road trip through Texas and New Mexico.

Day 4: Road Trip from White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns

The road from White Sands is a scenic route through Lincoln National Forest, a lush landscape filled with towering pines. The drive is beautiful.

Day 4 is the day with the single longest drive. The drive from White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns is about 3 hours long. And I actually recommend driving all the way to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which adds 30 minutes.

So, Day 4 is a free for all. It’s a classic road trip day with lots of possible stops on the way:

1. Alamogordo: Finish up exploring the city if you couldn’t do everything you wanted to do.
2. Cloudcroft: Stop at this ski town in New Mexico to hike or even just to eat. Like any ski town, it has great vibes and wonderful restaurants. The pine tree forests here are a nice change of landscape from the desert of Texas and New Mexico.
3. Lincoln National Forest: This hilly, lush forest would be perfect for a short hike to stretch your legs or have a picnic. I just drove straight through it when I did this road trip… But I went deep into the national forest to climb on another trip!

Now, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is the next closest stop on the road trip. But I recommend driving past it on the afternoon of Day 4 to explore Guadalupe Mountains National Park first. Why?

It’s simple – to save the best for last.

There are lots of hikes in the Guadalupe Mountains, and hiking is really the only thing to do. Do a hike in McKittrick Canyon, which is known as the “Most Beautiful Spot in Texas.”

The Guadalupe Mountains are a random range in the middle of badlands. And McKittrick Canyon is a rare oasis in the middle of these random mountains. So, you can see a lot of green, as well as wildlife.

These are the best hikes in McKittrick Canyon:

• Permian Reef: This is a long hike. It’s 8 miles to the top of ridge and back. It goes through the northern side of the canyon. You can see geological features of the Permian age and you might even find some fossils. I did this hike but just walked 30 minutes in and then 30 minutes out. You don’t have to do the full hike to get the feel for it.
• Pratt Cabin: It’s a 4.8-mile roundtrip hike to Pratt Cabin, in the middle of the canyon. This is the hike with the lush scenery because it follows the stream. If you have the time, extend the hike to The Grotto.

Where to Stay Close to the Guadalupe Mountains

There isn’t much lodging around here!

You can either stay at White’s City Cavern Inn, which is right outside of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, or find a stay in Carlsbad, 20 minutes away.

Honestly, your best option here is to camp for free.

You can car camp but NOT camp at the Pine Spring Safety Rest Area. It’s the closest to Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

I slept there because I was getting up early the next morning to hike to the highest point in Texas.

The other area is a free campground called Sunset Reef Campground. It’s really good – it’s actually closer to the Carlsbad Caverns. I also stayed here one night on another trip, and it was great but a little crowded.

The sunset in both places is ridiculously amazing!

Day 5: Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Park

The Guadalupe Mountains are right on the border of New Mexico and Texas. They’re home to 2 national parks – Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

The two national parks are just about 45 minutes from each other.

Fun fact: this mountain range is an ancient (GIGANTIC) coral reef.

This was by far my favorite day during this road trip.

Like I said, we’re saving the best for last.

Guadalupe Mountains

I got up at 5:30 a.m. and started hiking at 6 to climb up the tallest mountain in Texas: Guadalupe Peak.

It’s an 8.4-mile-long hike with 3,000 feet of elevation gain.

It’s hard, but absolutely worth it. The views of both the mountain range and the rolling hills around it are amazing. And, if you’re lucky, you might see a Blue Origin rocket launch from 30 miles away.

(I actually don’t know how often that happens, but I saw a launch while I had breakfast at the summit).

The view of El Capitan Reef at the top of the mountain was the best part of the hike.

Now, I recommend doing this hike because it really is the best one in the park.

And you have to start early for two reasons.

1. You have to beat the sun! Even in late February, which is when I did it, the sun was baking me. It’s actually dangerous to start later in the morning during the summer.
2. You have to get to Carlsbad Caverns by 2:15 p.m. at the latest. That’s the last time you can get into the actual caverns and explore them. So, start hiking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park early to be done early.

Once you finish hiking, drive 30 minutes to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and prepare to get your mind blown.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

This national park is in the same coral reef mountain range as Guadalupe Mountains National Park. But while that one is in Texas, the caverns are in New Mexico and it’s WAY underground.

Now, you do need to make reservations, but it’s easy.

Make a reservation to enter the Carlsbad Caverns on the Recreation.gov website. They cost $1 per person. Then you show the confirmation e-mail at the front desk and pay the usual entrance fee at the park or get in with your America the Beautiful pass.

For this road trip, make a self-guided reservation for the last slot at 1:15 (so you can get in between 1:15 and 2:15).

Touring the Carlsbad Caverns is simple: walk all the way down, tour the entire cavern and then take the elevator up.

1. Even though you’ll be tired from hiking Guadalupe Peak, walk down into the caverns. You’ll thank me later… the immensity of this place will hit you like a freight train. It is awe-inspiring, which is why you NEED to do the walk.
2. The hike down takes you through the Main Corridor, skirts around a 200,000 ton rock and ends at the Big Room.
3. The Big Room is insane. The easy loop through the cavern is 1.2 miles, but it took me an hour and a half to get through it because there is SO much to look at. It looks like another planet and the size of everything is hard to grasp.
4. The loop ends at the elevators, so you don’t have to hike up the height of the Empire State building at a 45° angle.
5. If you’re there between late May and October, head back to the mouth of the cave to experience thousands of bats flying out of the cave at sunset. They do it every day and the pictures I’ve seen look CRAZY!

Finally, after an incredible day exploring 2 VERY different national parks, it’s time for the 2 hour and 15-minute drive to El Paso.

Who This Road Trip from White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns is for!

✅ You’ll love this trip if:

• You enjoy hiking and unique landscapes in relatively unknown places
• You like road trips with minimal crowds
• You’re fine having limited services in remote areas

🚫 You might want to skip this trip if:

• You prefer luxury resorts
• You don’t enjoy driving a bunch to hike and gaze at nature
• You want the big city vibe and nightlife

Trip Cost Breakdown

How much might this road trip actually cost?

Well, Lala and I keep a log of all our finances, including during our 2 years road tripping across the US.

So, this is how much the road trip from White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns actually cost us:

• Car rental: $0 because we drove our own car. If you rent a car, it will cost $300-$550.
• Lodging: $35 total ($20 on night 1 at Franklins Mountains and $15 at Gleatherlands Ranch near Hueco Tanks. The rest of the time, we car camped for free. If you’re staying at hotels, lodging will cost between $375 (budget) and $750 (mid-range).
• Food: $150 – our daily food budget was always $30 a day for 2 people (we cooked all our food). Eating out will increase that to at least $45 a day per person.
• Gas: $60 with gas at $3 a gallon and our car getting 30 mpg.
• Park passes: $80 for national parks with the American the Beautiful Pass. $14 for Hueco Tanks State Park ($10 entrance fee to Franklin Mountains included in lodging fee above).
• TOTAL TRIP COST: $339 during the actual trip because we were on a VERY low budget.

Your trip cost might be different depending on what comforts you need, but I promise you that number is REAL.

That’s how we traveled full-time for 2 years!

I show you my trip cost so that you know it’s possible to travel on a low budget!

With hotels, car rental, and eating out, this trip will cost between $1200 and $2000.

Then, plane tickets can cost $100-$400 depending where to travel from (Denver and Las Vegas usually have the cheapest tickets to El Paso).

Final Thoughts on the White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns Trip

When people think of a southwestern road trip, something like the Grand Circle road trip usually comes to mind.

It’s where the whole WORLD seems to go, which is why it’s so popular and crowded!

But nobody ever thinks of El Paso and New Mexico as their bucket list southwestern road trip.

Well, I think it’s time to! I can’t recommend it enough.

Frequently Asked Questions