Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, and Lincoln National Forest

Camping on public land means there are no bathrooms, no water, no picnic tables, and no trashcans. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land is camping in its rawest form. I always carry 7+ gallons of water with me, and I have a self-contained commode that I use in the privacy of my own tent. Back east, I carried a shovel with me into the woods, and that sufficed where even the winter trees provide some shelter and seclusion, but in the western desert where there are only scattered, knee-high shrubs, that just won’t do.

BLM land is owned by the federal government and is open and free for camping and recreation. There is very little (read no) BLM land back east, but in the west, there are vast stretches of it.

Between our visits to Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks, Ella and I setup camp on BLM land in Carlsbad, NM. This particular land was a cleared lot with a dumpster and a rail fence, set aside as a campsite for anyone passing through. There are always a wide variety of campers on BLM campsites, from giant RVs to one-man ground tents and everything in between. Ella and I joined our neighbors, RVers from Washington state, by their campfire after supper and shared stories. Soon, another camper, another solo woman adventurer, joined us. There’s a beautiful camaraderie among campers, especially in BLM sites. We all chatted each other up for several hours under the stars in the cold evening air.

At the National Parks, Ella was not permitted on any trails in the Guadalupe Mountains, nor was she allowed in the cave at Carlsbad Caverns. We did as much sight-seeing as we could in each park, making the most of the scenic drives and public areas.

Guadalupe Mountains NP, TX

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a hiking park full of wonderful trails, but it is not a driving park, so the few areas we accessed were on the perimeter of the park. The ironic thing is that the mountains driving to the park were extraordinary, more so than in the park. They were tall and jagged, had little vegetation, and were sometimes red, sometimes mottled gray and white, and sometimes dirt brown. The highway cuts revealed a wide variety of rock strata that often looked like misshapen, craggy bricks, haphazardly stacked into some sort of surreal fairytale castle wall. The tallest mountain, El Capitan, is the most prominent, and you see it from many different angles.

In the park, the views are beautiful. The mountains look strong, solid, and powerful. The desert terrain is covered with cactus, yuccas, and shrubs, and the trails are white, dusty sand, lined with quartz and limestone rocks. While I’m confident that the hikes through the mountains are breathtaking, there was not nearly the scenic variety as on the drive in. After visiting all that was available to us, we hit the road.

Carlsbad Caverns NP, NM

The Carlsbad Caverns scenic drive is almost 10 miles of beautiful views of the mountains and valleys in the area. It’s a dirt road, so you can’t drive fast, which suited me just fine since we stop often to get out and walk around. Caves, both low and high, were visible in the faces of the mountains. It was warm in the winter sun, and it was easy to imagine wildlife or native tribes using the craggy overhangs as places of protection, as well as shade from the summer heat.

At the BLM campsite, the couple whose fire we shared had been to the Caverns the day before and said it was exquisite. They spent five hours inside on a self-guided tour, marveling at the formations. Without a doubt this is a park I will return to without Ella. I really want to experience those caverns!

Lincoln National Forest

As we were driving through NM, after seeing mountains that looked similar at three previous National Parks, I was amazed at the variety of this state’s mountainscape. Holy guacamole!

At the beginning of the drive, the range looked like the mountains we left behind – dry, barren, and rocky. As we drove, however, the mountains changed with the elevation. First, they began to be dotted with small, green juniper shrubs. Soon those shrubs were accompanied by cedar trees and pines. Then the mountains were rolling, a steady up-and-down of green hills with a variety of conifers. Sprawling ranches became visible, and grassy valleys were fenced into parcels for cattle and horses. They grew more upscale and sprawling as we continued the drive – one had a small Learjet and dirt runway; one had a flag that proclaimed with unseemly pride, “Democrats are Idiots,” flying next to the American flag.

Before I knew it the mountains were covered with pines, cedars, and other evergreens, and there was a layer of snow on the ground. Birch trees made an appearance. Signs for elk and reindeer crossing emerged. Ski tracks were visible down the ranches’ hillsides. I was now in Lincoln National Forest. I was shocked. I had no idea this repertoire of mountains was in New Mexico’s wheelhouse. There is a full-on ski resort here, called CloudCroft. Who knew? I am still dumbfounded when I think about it!

I am sorry I didn’t stop to camp in this lush forest. I was on my way to White Sands and had made reservations at a hotel in Las Cruces for a few days. I desperately needed a shower, to wash clothes, and to catch up on my blog.

Don’t worry, Lincoln National Forest. I’ll be back!