1 active Carlsbad Caverns alert
- ClosureFlood-damaged road and trails remain closedWalnut Canyon Desert Drive and three backcountry trail sections remain closed because of extensive damage from the historic August 2022 flood.Official details
Overview
About Big Hill Seep
Why stop
- A compact, clear example of groundwater moving through layered rock.
Heads up
- Water may be faint or not flowing.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Carlsbad Caverns map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Carlsbad Caverns Tour Guide
Your drive to Big Hill Seep, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Carlsbad Caverns National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Big Hill Seep0:00 / 0:17
“Big Hill Seep is ahead, a small roadside stop for a look at desert groundwater. Water moves sideways above a rock layer it can't easily pass through, then escapes at the canyon wall.”
Plays as you drive up to Big Hill Seep in the Parkwolf Carlsbad Caverns Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Walnut Canyon Overlook
- The Cloud That Wasn’t Smoke
- Walnut Canyon Rock Shelter
- Carlsbad Cavern and the Visitor Center
- 26 audio storiesacross Carlsbad Caverns’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mexican Free-tailed Bat, Aoudad, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 12 trails, 12 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Big Hill Seep
What it isBig Hill Seep is a small roadside geology stop along Walnut Canyon Drive, where groundwater…
Big Hill Seep is a small roadside geology stop along Walnut Canyon Drive, where groundwater emerges from a canyon wall. It’s a quick pull-off rather than a major destination; stop if you’re curious about how water moves through this dry landscape.
How water gets hereWater moves sideways through the rock above a less permeable layer until it reaches a canyon…
Water moves sideways through the rock above a less permeable layer until it reaches a canyon wall and escapes. Here, the layered rock includes limestone and siltstone, and the seep’s moisture can support nearby plants and animals. The flow can be subtle or absent, so don’t expect a running stream every time.
What to expectYou can view it from the named pullout beside the entrance-road corridor; no walk is needed.
You can view it from the named pullout beside the entrance-road corridor; no walk is needed. Treat it as a brief geology stop, not a place to count on for a drink or a full stream. The wet seam and plants at the base are the details to look for.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Carlsbad Caverns
48 sightingsMexican Free-tailed BatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
175 sightingsAoudadMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
38 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
86 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
33 sightingsCollared PeccaryMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
52 sightingsLargemouth BassMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Carlsbad Caverns. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
