Carlsbad is located in the Eddy County of New Mexico. As a county seat, Carlsbad New Mexico has a population of over 26,000 inhabitants. Carlsbad New Mexico has had a major contribution to the development of the area, which is why it was designated the center of the Carlsbad-Artesia micropolitan area, bringing a lot of industries and touristic opportunities to the city and the other neighboring locations.
Top Attractions within Carlsbad
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is one of the top contributors to the touristic development of Carlsbad. The caves are an amazing sight to see for everyone, because the scenery is really incredible and there are a lot of things to learn about the formation of rocks and caves. Some of the rooms have been designated by name, thus you can explore: the Balloon Ballroom, the Bat Cave, the Bell Cord Room, the Underground Lunchroom, the Rookery, the Talcum Passage, the Spirit World, the Queen's Chamber, the Papoose Room, the Chocolate High and many others. They have all been named according to the way they were discovered or through the most striking shapes they present.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park is the most wonderful outdoor facility to be found in Carlsbad. Visitors have the opportunity to admire many species of flora and fauna in their natural habitats, that are typical to the Chihuahuan Desert, such as: bobcats, bison, cougars, prairie dogs, eagles, roadrunners, cactus, agaves, prickly pear trees and many more.
Project Gnome is to be visited as a historical site of interest for people coming to Carlsbad. Here you can see the results of the first nuclear test explosion, from the Plowshare Program. The site features a commemorative plaque and a bunker, in which the explosion of the nuclear weapon was tested. It is an important landmark of the American history.
The Artist Galley, in Carlsbad, is the most important venue for the popularization of local artists and their works. The changing exhibitions feature paintings, photographies, sculptures and other forms of art for everyone to enjoy and appreciate, regardless of age and passions.
Carlsbad, New Mexico (population 27,000), is near the border with Texas and 140 miles east of El Paso. Located on the Pecos River, Carlsbad offers hiking, golfing, and river recreation. Carlsbad Caverns and the Guadalupe Mountains national parks are nearby.
1. Carlsbad Caverns National Park: The most famous cave complex in the U.S. contains more than 100 limestone caves notable for the profusion, diversity and beauty of their formations. The park encompasses a portion of the Capitan Reef — one of the best-preserved, exposed Permian-age fossil reefs in the world. Carlsbad Caverns is the summer home of a world-famous colony of migratory Mexican free-tailed bats. Nearby Lechuguilla Cave (currently open only to researchers) is the deepest limestone cave in the U.S., containing formations and microbes found nowhere else in the world.
2. Guadalupe Mountains National Park: West Texas' only legally designated wilderness contains the world's finest example of a fossilized reef, and complex and unique flora and fauna. More than 80 miles of trails access woodland canyons, riparian springs, and mountaintops for hikers and horse riders. The park is also a good place to look at fossils, learn about Permian Age geology, watch birds and wildlife, and stargaze under pristine night skies.
3. Sitting Bull Falls Cave: This small cave features flowstone, draperies of calcite crystals, stalactites, stalagmite, travertine dams, and an underground lake and pools. Visitors can also enjoy a spectacular view of the forest while looking out from a grotto from behind a waterfall.
4. Ski Apache: Operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, this downhill ski resort's base elevation is 9,700 feet. Approximately 180 inches of snowfall are received each season, the second-highest accumulation of any area in New Mexico. The ski area covers 1,060 acres and has 45 trails with a good mix of beginner, intermediate, and expert runs.
5. Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park: This indoor/outdoor living museum displays more than 40 native animal species and hundreds of succulent plants from around the world. On a 1.3- mile self-guided tour, visitors will experience the Chihuahuan Desert, from sand dunes to pygmy forest to the desert floor. In a walk-through aviary, visitors see songbirds, hawks, eagles, turkeys, and owls. Park mammals include mountain lion, bobcat, kit fox, badger, mule deer, pronghorn, elk, bison, and endangered Mexican gray wolves.
