Three national parks in three days
El Paso, Texas. The largest city in western Texas located on the Rio Grande at the U.S. and Mexico border. Home to the University of Texas – El Paso. The only major city in Texas that operates on Mountain Standard Time. An abundance of sun, with over 300 days of sun per year. And, if you didn’t already know, a great base for a trip to visit three national parks in three days.
Park 1: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains is located less than two hours east of El Paso. Eight of the ten highest peaks in Texas are located in the park, including Guadalupe Peak, the highest at over 8,700 feet elevation. The park is one of the least-visited national parks in the contiguous U.S., seeing around 220,000 – 230,000 visitors annually.
To plan your visit, here are some things to consider adding to your list:
Frijole Ranch Museum – start your visit with a stop to familiarize yourself with the history of the park before you take off on your hikes.
Spring Trail – after the Frijole Ranch Museum, take the Spring Trail to visit Manzanita Spring. That can be done in only half a mile, or you can complete the full loop of 2.3 miles.
Guadalupe Peak – a strenuous hike of almost 8.5 miles. It can take four to eight hours, so plan accordingly if you only have one day at the park.
Devil’s Hall – our favorite hike full of rock scrambling. It doesn’t increase significantly in elevation, but it requires you to climb up and over rock formations . The trail is under four miles and can be completed in two hours based on your fitness level.
El Capitan – there is no trail to the summit, but you can get nice views of the southernmost peak of the Guadalupe Mountains on your drive through the park.
McKittrick Canyon – a must-visit if you’re visiting in the fall. It’s home to beautiful foliage that is unique in the surrounding desert area.
While you could spend several days here hiking the more than 80 miles of trails, one day is enough time to visit a fair amount. Entrance to the park costs $10. Make sure you have a full tank of gas because there are no gas stations within 35 miles.
Park 2: Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Like Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is also located in the Chihuahuan Desert. Carlsbad Caverns is located about two hours and fifteen minutes northeast of El Paso. About half a million people visit the park each year, where you can venture more than 750 feet underground.
Home to more than 100 caves, the main draw is the park’s “Big Room”. You will need a time entry ticket for the cavern, which costs $1.00 per person. You can purchase them in advance here. Reservations are recommended, but you can also take your chances on the day you visit.
To get to the Big Room, you have the option of walking in through the Natural Entrance and going 1.25 miles down, or, you can simply take an elevator from the Visitor’s Center. This is a self-guided opportunity where you can go at your own pace, but there are ranger-led options if you want to visit additional caves.
This is a park that can be done in one day, or even half a day if that’s all you have. Entrance to the park costs $15, which is separate from the $1 for the cave visit.
Park 3: White Sands National Park
An hour and a half north of El Paso, White Sands National Park has seen almost 800,000 visitors in recent years. The name White Sands is a bit deceiving – the “sand” is actually gypsum. The park is home to over 275 square miles of gypsum, the largest in the world. Because it’s not actually sand, the gypsum dunes don’t absorb heat, so you can safely touch the white sands in the park even on the hottest days.
You only need one day at White Sands, but you could stretch it to two if you’d like. Add these to your itinerary:
Dunes Drive – the only road in the park, so you don’t really have an option here :). It’s eight miles long, so if you drive it without stopping, you can be to the end of the park in around twenty minutes or so.
Playa Trail – a short (0.4 miles) trail with signs giving you information about the area.
Dune Life Nature Trail – a fairly easy trail that gets you into the dunes with signs highlighting the plants and wildlife you may see on the 1.1 mile route.
Interdune Boardwalk – easy, accessible trail with a view of the Sacramento Mountains at the end.
Alkali Flat Trail – the longest hike in the park with the most expansive views of the sweeping white sand dunes. The hike does not have significant elevation gain, but going 4.5 miles in sand does a number on your legs!
Sledding – you can sled down the dunes by bringing your own sled to the park or renting one from the Visitor Center.
Entry to the park costs $20.
Logistics
El Paso International Airport is the airport, located just four miles from downtown. Depending on where you’re flying from, you may need a connecting flight. Here are the non-stop flight options to and from ELP:
- Alaska Airlines – Seattle
- Allegiant Airlines – Las Vegas
- American Airlines – Austin, Phoenix, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, and Los Angeles
- Delta – Atlanta
- Frontier – Las Vegas and Orlando
- Southwest – Dallas, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Long Beach, and Orlando
- United – Denver, Chicago, and Houston
In terms of lodging, Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott all have options of varying price points in the area. Because Marriott is our preferred hotel chain, we stayed at the Aloft El Paso Downtown. Depending on when you visit, nights can be as low as $116. Take a look at the 10 Best El Paso Hotels here.
You’ll also need to rent a car from your preferred provider to get from the city to the parks.
Entry to all three parks would cost $45 ($20 for White Sands, $10 for Guadalupe Mountains, and $15 for Carlsbad Caverns). We are big fans of the America the Beautiful pass, which costs $80 annually. If you’re a frequent park visitor, it’s a great way to save money on your visits.
Additional Reading
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