Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
A steep, faint route into Carlsbad Caverns’ remote southwest corner.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Carlsbad Caverns Tour Guide
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.
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Ussery Trail is a remote out-and-back from the Lincoln National Forest side into the southwest corner of Carlsbad Caverns. Plan on about 4 miles round-trip, roughly 2 miles each way from the Ussery Jeep Trail at Wild Cow Mesa to the park’s southern boundary. The route includes about 0.4 mile of forest-side approach and 1.6 miles inside the park. Turn around at the boundary; land beyond it is private.
The route drops about 1,700 feet on the way in, then climbs almost all of it back to the start. The footpath is poorly marked, so bring a topographic map and compass or GPS and know how to use them. There is no dependable water. Allow about 4 to 5 hours. Summer heat and winter ice or snow can make the hike hazardous.
Access is remote. No designated parking area or exact legal parking spot is documented at the Wild Cow Mesa access, so confirm where to park and the road conditions with the Guadalupe Ranger District before driving in. A free backcountry-use permit is required from the Visitor Center. Pets are not allowed on backcountry hikes.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingYucca Canyon Trail15.4 mi · 17 hr · 6.6 mi awayA remote climb to a sheer rim above Big Canyon.
ChallengingDouble Canyon14.8 mi · 17 hr · 6.6 mi awayA long backcountry branch drops from Yucca Canyon’s high plateau.
ChallengingSlaughter Canyon Cave Trail1 mi · 1.5 hr · 8.2 mi awayA rugged half-mile ascent to a cave only entered on ranger tours.
ChallengingNorth Slaughter Canyon Trail5.3 mi · 7 hr · 8.2 mi awayA remote, exposed 5.3-mile climb to the Guadalupe Ridge Trail.
ModerateLower Rattlesnake Canyon Trail3 mi · 3 hr · 12.6 mi awayA rocky canyon path starts beyond marker four.
ModerateUpper Rattlesnake Canyon to Guadalupe Ridge Loop6 mi · 4 hr · 13.1 mi awayA canyon wash, steep bluff climb, and a ridge-and-road loop.
ChallengingGuadalupe Ridge Trail12 mi · 14 hr · 13.7 mi awayA full-day ridge traverse with sweeping desert views.Parkwolf’s Carlsbad Caverns ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
