Southwest National Parks Itinerary
In January 2026, we left home to visit four southwest parks, one epic adventure: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado, White Sands National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas.
It’s such a pleasure for me to recap the trip because I’m reliving the fun I had. Please enjoy reading my Southwest National Parks Itinerary from my four-day epic adventure to four amazing parks!
My companion for this adventure was my four-month-old furry friend, Lyla Faye. It was her very first vacation, and she quickly proved to be an enthusiastic travel companion.
I know winter road trips can be precarious, especially with mountain passes and high-elevation roads. So before setting out, I carefully checked the weather forecast for each destination. Fortunately, the forecasters predicted clear weather throughout our journey!
January 28, 2026
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO
Our first destination was Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in southern Colorado. The park lies in the San Luis Valley, with the town of Alamosa, CO serving as the primary hub for visitors. Alamosa offers hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, and other necessities for travelers exploring the dunes.
The drive toward the dunes was one of the highlights of the trip. Although mountains surrounded us in every direction, I felt drawn to the Sierra Blanca Massif to the east. I learned later that the massif is part of the Sangre de Cristo Range and includes several impressive fourteen-thousand-foot peaks. These include Blanca Peak (Colorado’s fourth highest peak), Little Bear Peak, and Ellingwood Point.
There was something almost spiritual about driving through this landscape. I enjoyed learning that the Navajo people regard Blanca Peak (Sisnaajini, or White Shell Mountain/Dawn Mountain) as a sacred mountain. It traditionally marks the eastern boundary and doorway of Dinétah, the Navajo homeland.
By the time we reached Great Sand Dunes, I knew this was going to be a memorable beginning to the trip. The contrast between the enormous mountains and the seemingly endless field of sand was remarkable. Having Lyla experience her first national park would make it even more meaningful!
While there, I learned that the park has an interesting history. The United State established this area a national monument in 1932. It became a national park and preserve in 2004. Today, the park encompasses more than 107,000 acres, with another 41,000-plus acres protected in the national preserve.
The main attraction is impossible to miss: the tallest sand dunes in North America. Some of the dunes rise approximately 750 feet above the surrounding valley floor. We both certainly enjoyed traversing the dunes and seeing how high we could climb. It was a joy to photograph Lyla having a great time!
Lyla’s B.A.R.K. Ranger Tag
One of the things that made this stop particularly special was being able to bring Lyla along. The park permits dogs on portions of the main dune field. The park also allows dogs up to the first high ridge, as well in the Piñon Flats Campground, and throughout the national preserve. However, we must keep our furry friends on a leash. I felt like a proud friend when Lyla earned a B.A.R.K. Ranger Tag for following the rules of the park!
Taos, New Mexico
After visiting the park, we spent our first night in Taos, New Mexico, staying at the El Pueblo Lodge. The owners built the this historic adobe-style hotel in 1912 as part of a small ranch. The lodge currently features more than 50 rooms spread across three acres of park-like grounds. Ideally, it’s just a five-minute walk from Taos Plaza.
Upon arrival, the staff greeted me with a yummy chocolate-chip cookie and shared the happy hour schedule later in the day. Given that it was January, the heated pool and hot tub were not operating. Regardless, I enjoyed walking around the grounds with Lyla. Our room was spacious, and the bed was very comfortable.
Not knowing much about Taos prior to my visit, I learned that the town has about 6,500 full-time residents. Living here, residents celebrate the areas rich Native American and artistic heritage. Taos Pueblo, a living Native American community and UNESCO World Heritage Site, is nearby.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to visit Taos Pueblo, but we did have an opportunity to explore a handful of shops around Taos Plaza. We also enjoyed a meal at Michael’s Kitchen Restaurant and Bakery, to which I give a strong thumbs-up.
January 29, 2026
White Sands National Park, NM
From Taos, we ventured south along NM 68, U.S. 285, and U.S. 54 early the next morning and eventually reached Alamogordo, NM. From there, we took U.S. 70 west to White Sands National Park.
The United States originally established the sands as a national monument in 1933. White Sands became a national park in 2019. The protected landscape encompasses roughly 232 square miles, including approximately 115 square miles of dunes. The larger dune field extends across an even greater area.
I found it interesting that White Sands has an unusual geology that makes it unlike almost any other national park. The dunes are made primarily of gypsum, a mineral that normally dissolves in water. Therefore, it rarely forms large sand dunes. Here, however, gypsum accumulated in the Tularosa Basin. It was then broken down into fine grains that were carried and shaped by the wind.
We took the eight-mile scenic Dunes Drive deep into the heart of the dune fields. The farther we traveled, the more surreal the landscape became. The white gypsum dunes stretched in every direction. The best part of the trip was outside of the car! We took our time exploring the dunes on foot and having fun.
Lyla’s B.A.R.K. Ranger Certificate
White Sands was also one of the most dog-friendly stops of the entire trip. Lyla was able to accompany me onto the gypsum dunes, and the staff inside the visitor center were exceptionally friendly. It was there that Lyla earned her official B.A.R.K. Ranger Certificate for following the park’s rules.
For a four-month-old puppy experiencing her very first vacation, she was already becoming quite the national park traveler.
Alamogordo, NM
After exhilarating hours of playing on the dunes, we spent the night at the Classic Desert Aire Hotel in Alamogordo, NM. It’s a great option if one is looking for clean, no-frills lodging. The hotel is a landmark 1950s retro motor lodge featuring 92 rooms with classic parking directly outside each room. It blends vintage mid-century charm with vibrant Southwestern and Pueblo motifs.
After ordering takeout from a local restaurant, we walked around the hotel grounds and settled in for the night. The hotel is along the main highway through Alamogordo; therefore, the sounds of traffic didn’t die down until 10 p.m.
Alamogordo, with a population of just over 30,000, surprised me with how many hotels and restaurants were available. The city sits where the desert landscape begins transitions to the foothills and rugged rock faces of the Sacramento Mountains.
I appreciated learning about the area during my visit. It has a fascinating connection to American history and science. Combat-ready Airmen inhabit nearby Holloman Air Force Base and perform missile testing and pilot remote aircraft. Alamogordo is also approximately 65 miles from the site of the 1945 Trinity Test. The government detonated the world’s first nuclear device on July 16, 1945.
Looking west from Alamogordo, the landscape opens into the sun-drenched desert basin of the Tularosa Valley. The brilliant white dunes of White Sands dominate portions of the valley with San Andres Mountains farther to the west.
January 30, 2026
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
The next morning, we departed the White Sands area. We traveled east on U.S. Highway 82 through the beautiful Sacramento Mountains and the high-elevation community of Cloudcroft, New Mexico.
Cloudcroft sits at roughly 9,000 feet and is one of the highest-elevation communities in the United States. Historically a logging town, it is now known as a mountain getaway and ski destination. Its elevation also creates a remarkable contrast with nearby Alamogordo—the temperatures can be roughly 30 degrees cooler. We experienced this firsthand during the drive.
Our route through the Sacramento Mountains was beautiful. Cloudcroft provided a completely different environment from the desert landscapes we had just experienced.
Eventually, we descended toward Carlsbad, NM. The economic landscape changed dramatically along the way. Carlsbad has experienced a major oil and gas boom. It is associated with development in the Permian Basin (hydraulic fracturing). The growth was impossible to miss as we approached the city from the west and north. I experienced the activity first-hand in city traffic. Apparently, oil and gas workers appreciate a good restaurant on a Friday evening, also!
But beneath this modern energy boom lies one of the country’s most extraordinary natural wonders: Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The park is a twenty-five-minute drive south from Carlsbad.
The caverns have a long history. They were first designated as a national monument in 1923 and became a national park in 1930. The park was later designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 due to the geological significance of its caves.
During our visit, I learned that Carlsbad Caverns is unlike a typical limestone cave system. The caves were not formed primarily by water slowly dissolving limestone from above. Instead, they were created largely through sulfuric acid dissolving the limestone from below. The result is a massive underground world filled with enormous chambers and intricate mineral formations.
After arranging for Lyla to stay in the pet kennel on-site, I visited the Big Room. This is the largest cave chamber by volume in North America. It covers more than eight acres and reaching heights of approximately 255 feet. The chamber is difficult to comprehend until you are standing inside it.
The variety and density of the formations were astonishing! Stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, and other mineral formations fill the cavern. They create an underground landscape every bit as fascinating as the mountains and deserts above it. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Big Room!
I was fascinated to learn that the caverns are also famous for their enormous population of Brazilian free-tailed bats. Hundreds of thousands of bats use the caves. They are another remarkable connection between the surface world and the hidden ecosystem below. I’d like to learn more about the bats on a future trip.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX
After visiting the caverns, we continued south along U.S. Highway 62/180, often called the National Parks Highway. Out next stop was Guadalupe Mountains National Park in western Texas, just south of the New Mexico state line.
The Pine Springs Visitor Center is about an hour south of Carlsbad. Established as a national park in 1972, Guadalupe Mountains preserves one of the most rugged and remote landscapes in Texas.
One thing that immediately stood out was the absence of a traditional scenic drive through the park. That is intentional. About 95 percent of the park remains wilderness. I read that it reflects the conservation philosophy of the era in which the park was established.
Because Lyla was traveling with me, I wasn’t able to tackle the park’s more strenuous trails. Instead, we hiked the Pinery Trail from the visitor center to the remains of the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach station. Even that relatively short hike offered a glimpse into the history and rugged beauty of the park.
I was fascinated to learn that Guadalupe Peak, at 8,751 feet, is the highest point in Texas. The park also contains the Salt Basin Dunes, a striking gypsum landscape on the western side of the park.
Guadalupe Mountains left me wanting more. I would love to return someday to climb Guadalupe Peak and explore the Salt Basin Dunes. As a bonus, I’d also hike deep into McKittrick Canyon and toward the high ridges.
In many ways, this was the perfect place to end the national-park portion of the adventure. Guadalupe felt like a wild, rugged landscape. It was very different from the dunes of Colorado, gypsum of White Sands, and the underground caverns.
Carlsbad, NM
We spent our last evening on the road at the La Quinta Inn and Suites in Carlsbad, NM. The 96-room, midscale, smoke-free hotel is located off the National Parks Highway in Carlsbad, NM. Situated 17 miles from Carlsbad Caverns National Park, it features an outdoor pool, free breakfast, and a fitness center.
I found the accommodations to be the most modern and upscale of my trip. Our room was small, but it was very nice. Because our room faced the main highway through town, I could hear road noise until 10 p.m.
We had dinner at a very busy Chili’s a couple of miles north of the hotel. To my delight, the bar staff did not have a problem with Lyla as a patron. They welcomed all three pounds of her, sitting happily in her backpack on the seat beside me!
January 31, 2026
The Drive Home
With four National Parks behind us, it was time to begin the long journey home. We began our ten-hour drive around 5:30 a.m. that morning.
Our route took us through Roswell, New Mexico, a city that needs little introduction. Roswell is famous around the world for the 1947 Roswell Incident, when a mysterious object crashed on a nearby ranch. Although the military identified the debris as coming from a weather balloon, the incident spawned decades of speculation. Many people believe the debris was from an extraterrestrial spacecraft. These beliefs have transformed Roswell into the center of UFO tourism.
The city embraces its unusual reputation completely. UFO-themed streetlights, saucer-shaped buildings, and space-themed businesses are scattered throughout town.
But Roswell is more than its extraterrestrial reputation. The city is home to the New Mexico Military Institute. It also supports substantial agricultural operations, including Leprino Foods, one of the country’s major mozzarella cheese producers.
From Roswell, the final leg of the trip followed U.S. Highways 285, 54, and 84. We eventually connected with I-25 north and followed this northward through Denver, CO to our home.
Reflecting on my Southwest National Park Itinerary and Epic Adventure
Four days, three states, four southwest parks, one epic adventure! “EPIC” is especially true because this journey included one very adventurous four-month-old puppy. sweet Lyla.
My carefully planned winter road trip became a collection of memories I won’t soon forget: standing beneath the enormous dunes of Colorado; watching Lyla earn her B.A.R.K. Ranger tag and certificate; driving through the white gypsum landscape of New Mexico; descending into the depths of Carlsbad Caverns; and standing beneath the highest peak in Texas.
And perhaps the best part was knowing that this was only Lyla’s first vacation. There are many more parks—and many more adventures—waiting down the road!
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my Southwest National Parks Itinerary and epic parks adventure. If you’ve ever visited any of these National Parks or plan to in the future, I’d love to hear from you!
Additionally, if you like to learn more about my treks to other amazing parks and places, please refer to my Destinations or Blog page.