Carlsbad Caverns National Park · New Mexico

Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail

0.5 mi of trail, end to end · Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail: 0.7 mi loop in the Service's write-up · about 50 ft of climbing · 4,355 ft–4,403 ft · asphalt, concrete surface · trail class Fully Developed

Exhibits

Along the way Guano Mining Guano Mining

Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail 0.7 mi loop · the Park Service's write-up

30 Minutes · dogs allowed

Start Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail

Labels along this 0.7 mile (1.1 km) nature trail loop provide information on plants found along this route. The upper section of this trail is wheelchair accessible and leadsd 0.2 mile (0.3 km) to a viewpoint with a shade shelter.

Accessibility The upper section of the trail is accessible for 0.2 mile (0.3 km).

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.