National and State Parks:
Carlsbad Caverns National Park | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | Lincoln National Forest
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park | Brantley Lake State Park

Area Attractions:
Fiesta Drive-in Movie | Carlsbad Museum and Art Center | Christmas on the Pecos
George Washington Paddle Wheeler | River walk | Pecos River Village Conference Center
Eddy House and the Flume | Lake Carlsbad Golf Course | Discover Carlsbad Driving Tour
Riverside Country Club and Golf Course

White's City Resort

Within walking distance of the hotel you will find the Million Dollar Museum, Granny’s Opera house and an arcade.

• Million Dollar Museum - 16 large rooms filled with over 30,000 items! See the Whittlin’ Cowboy’s Ranch, 30 antique European doll houses, antique dolls, guns, cars, wagons and 7,000-year-old mummified bodies. Entertaining and educational for the whole family. Price: $3.00 for Adults; $2.50 for Seniors; $2.00 Kids age 6-12.
  
• Granny’s Opera house - Hiss, boo, cheer and throw popcorn in the hilarious performance of "The Bankers Dilemma" or "How the Dollop and Trippington Railroad came to Botts California". Now in its 13th year, this historically incorrect drama is interspersed with oleos and song. Fun for the entire family. Price: $7.00 for Adults; $5.00 for kids under 10.
  
• Arcade - Our redemption arcade has video games, skee ball, basketball, racing and shooting gallery. Located next to the Million Dollar Museum on the boardwalk.
• Water Park (Seasonal) - Slide down our two thrilling 150 ft. water slides. One is completely black making the ride dark and exciting. Small children love the Pirate Ship with its squirting cannons, soft slides, and lookout water drop. The splash pool has a high volume mushroom water drop and is only 12 inches deep. Fun for kids of all ages. FREE TO HOTEL GUESTS. Call for dates and times. Available to White's City guests only.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Located only one quarter of a mile away, be sure to pay a visit to all the attractions found at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is only seven miles to the Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center where you can begin your exploring. Click on the photos below to enlarge.

Quick Facts

Open every day Except Christmas
Mountain Standard (Daylight) Time

Distance to Visitor Center From:

Hours of Operation

Summer May 25-Aug. 18
Big Room Entry:
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
1.25 miles 1 hour

Natural Entrance Entry:
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
1.25 miles 1.5 hours

Kings Palace Tours:
9, 10, 11, 1, 2, and 3
1 mile 1.5 hours

Fall and Spring (8/20-10/13 & 3/16-5/24)
Big Room Entry:
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Natural Entrance Entry:
8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Kings Palace Tours:
9, 11, 1, and 3 o'clock

Winter Oct. 14-Mar. 15
Big Room Entry:
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Natural Entrance Entry:
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Kings Palace Tours:
10 and 2 o'clock

Holiday Dec. 16-Dec.31
Big Room Entry:
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Natural Entrance Entry:
8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Kings Palace Tours:
9, 11, 1, and 3 o'clock

Entrance Fees

Carlsbad Cavern Self Guided Tours

The National Park Pass, Golden Age Passport, Golden Eagle Passport, and Golden Access Passport all cover the basic entrance fee.

King's Palace Guided Tour

Children -- age 3 and under are not permitted on tour.

• Carlsbad Cavern - Explore the subterranean fantasyland of stalagmites, stalactites and helicites in the Eighth Wonder of the World. Designated a World Heritage site, the caverns are accessible by elevator or natural entrance trail. Admission $6.00 adults, $3.00 students and seniors. Tickets are good for three days. Open everyday except Christmas

• Natural Entrance Route
  On this self-guided route you will descend over 750 feet on a steep, narrow switchback trail. This 1.5 hour, 1.25 mile walk takes you through the historic natural entrance to the underground lunchroom

• Big Room Route - The Big Room is a massive 14-acre chamber, which is reached either by elevator or the natural entrance route. It is a 1.0 hour, 1.25 mile easy walk on level trails. You will see spectacular formations in this largest of all underground chambers in North America.

• Kings Palace Guided Tour - This 1.5 hour ranger guided tour will lead you through four highly decorated chamber 830 feet below the surface. Tours depart from the underground lunchroom. Admission $8.00 adults, $4.00 students and seniors. Several tours are offered daily. Reservations and general admission ticket required.

• Lower Cave - Moderately strenuous wild caving tour. Highly decorated passageways highlighted by rare cave pearls and unique formations. Be prepared to descend 50 feet on ladders. Admission $20.00. Tours Monday through Friday 1:00 p.m. Reservations and general admission ticket required.

• Left Hand Tunnel - This .5 mile guided lantern tour over packed earth trails is highlighted by formations, crystal clear pool and ancient reef fossils. This tour is the easiest of the off-trail tours. Admission $7.00. Tours daily 9:00 a.m. Reservations and general admission ticket required.

• Hall of the White Giant - Strenuous and challenging wild caving tour. Tour involves crawling long distances, squeezing through tight passageways and climbing up slippery flowstone lined passages. Admission $20.00 Tours Saturday 1:00 p.m. Reservations and general admission ticket required.

• Underground Lunchroom - This is the only place where you can have lunch 750 feet underground in one of the world’s largest caves. Box lunches of chicken or sandwiches, pizza, snacks and beverages. Do not miss this unique experience.

• Summer Bat Flight - Carlsbad Caverns’ most famous residents are the Mexican Freetail bats that inhabit the cave during the warm spring and summer months. At dusk 300,000 bats take 20 minutes to two hours to exit the cavern. Rangers offer nightly talks about the bats as visitors watch this amazing wonder from the amphitheater of the park. Admission is FREE. At sunset every evening from May through October.

• Bat Flight Breakfast - A bat flight breakfast is held annually, usually on the second Thursday in August, from 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM. Park employees sponsor this breakfast once each year. A special program is given and other activities may be scheduled as staffing permits. A reasonable charge is made for the breakfast. Regular cavern fees apply for entry into the cave following the breakfast.

• Slaughter Canyon Cave - 15 miles away you can tour a large and well-decorated undeveloped backcountry cave. Visitors meet at the Slaughter Canyon parking lot (16 miles from White’s City), hike one half mile and tour the cave by flashlight on unimproved dirt trails. Admission $15.00. Tours daily in summer and on weekends in winter. Reservations required.

• Spider Cave - Nine miles away you can participate in very strenuous wild cave tour visiting a complex backcountry maze cave. Tour involves a half-mile hike to the cave and negotiating tight crawlways. This is a warm cave (75-degrees F). Glasses will fog up. Admission $20.00. Tours Sunday 1:00 p.m. Reservations required.

• Walnut Canyon Desert Drive - Seven miles away is the start of a one-hour drive through the Chihuahuan Desert, this nine and one half mile gravel road is suitable for most vehicles except trailers and motor homes. You may see species of desert wildlife.

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Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Located only 35 miles away, be sure to visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Headquarters Visitor Center is located at Pine Springs, elevation 5,750 feet. On us 62-180, 35 miles southwest of White's City and 110 miles east of El Paso, TX. Information, natural history museum, introductory slide program are all located in the Visitor Center. Admission is FREE. Open every day except Christmas.

Plan your trip wisely! Facilities and services within and near Guadalupe Mountains are extremely limited. The nearest gasoline stations are 32 miles west and 35 miles east in White's City. There is no camp store; bring everything you need with you.

Open every day Except Christmas
Mountain Standard (Daylight) Time

Distance to Visitor Center From:

Hours of Operation

Memorial Day to Labor Day
Visitor Center: 8 am - 6 pm
McKitterick Canyon: 8 am - 6 pm

Labor Day to Memorial Day
Visitor Center: 8 am - 4:30 pm
McKitterick Canyon: 8 am - 4:30 pm

Fees

Entrance Fee Free
Camping $8.00 per night
No hookups, showers, or dump Station available.

Regulations

· No wood or charcoal fires are permitted. Camp stoves are allowed.
· Pack out all of your trash including cigarette butts.
· Pets are not allowed on park trails.
· Firearms are not permitted within the park.
· There is no water available along park trails.
· Collecting natural, historic, or pre historic objects is not allowed.

• Frijole Ranch History Museum - The ranch house features exhibits describing local inhabitants and activities from Native Americans to national park visitors. Grounds include a picnic area near a spring shaded by large oak trees. Restroom available.

• McKittrick Canyon - Highway entrance gate is open 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Mountain Standard Time; 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Mountain Daylight Savings Time. A favorite hiking experience is exploring Mc Kittrick Canyon where maple, walnut, ash oak, pine, juniper, and chokeberry trees grow along the spring-fed stream throughout the canyon. Visit the historic Pratt Cabin and the Hunter Line Cabin.

• Guadalupe Peak - On a clear day, the view from the Top of Texas (8749 feet) is breathtaking. The trail is steep, but well established. Rated strenuous with 3000 feet of elevation gain in 8.4 miles. It takes six to eight hours.

• El Capitan - Once called Signal Peak because the Indians sent smoke signals from its bluffs, this 11.3-mile hike is rated strenuous. Desert lovers will appreciate the rocky arroyos and open vistas while skirting along the base of El Capitan.

• The Pinery - Walk the short 3/4 mile path to the ruins of the old Pinery Station, once a favored stop on the original 2,800-mile Butterfield Overland Mail Route.

Pine Springs Campground

• Water and restrooms are available; but there are NO SHOWERS, RV HOOKUPS OR DUMP STATIONS! The fee is $8.00 per night, per site, $4.00 with a Golden Age or Golden Access Passport. No wood or charcoal fires are permitted; camp stoves are allowed.
• The closest full service campground and RV Park is in White's City. Pull-thru spaces, full hookups, shades and tables are provided. Call 1-800-CAVERNS for more information.

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Lincoln National Forest

30 miles away you can enjoy the Lincoln National Forest.

• Sitting Bull Falls - Located seven miles southwest of State Highway 137 on Forrest Route 276, this 130-foot waterfall is one of the highest in New Mexico. Picnic area, trails and restrooms are available. Day use only - no camping.
• Five Point Vista - Eleven miles south of State Highway 137 on Forrest Route 540. A panoramic view of the desert from the top of the Guadalupe Mountains is spectacular.

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Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park

A brief 25 miles away you will find the Living Desert Zoo and Garden State Park. Dedicated to the interpretation of the Chihuahuan Desert, Living Desert State Park is an indoor/outdoor living museum displaying more than 40 native animal species and hundreds of succulents from around the world. While on the 1.3 mile self-guided tour, which takes approximately 1.5 hours, visitors will discover sand dunes and mountainous areas, where pinon and juniper trees contrast with the desert floor below. Come face to face with a mountain lion or rattlesnake at this unique zoo and botanical garden offering an opportunity to experience the Chihuahuan Desert first hand. See the rare Mexican gray wolf (Lobo) and New Mexico's state bird, the roadrunner. Be sure to catch their mescal roast and the Mountain Spirit Dancers. There is also an unusual collection of cacti and other succulents from around the world.

• Birds to Bison - Inside the walk-through aviary, visitors will see bird species ranging from small songbirds to hawks, eagles, turkeys, and owls. Passing visitors also may see a mountain lion and bobcat perched on a rock ledge or peering through the vegetation. Kit fox, badger, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, and bison also make their home at the park.
• Never Cry Wolf - One of the park's main highlights are endangered Mexican wolves. Living Desert participates in the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's Mexican gray wolf Species Survival Plan Program, exchanging wolves with other zoological facilities to help insure their survival.
• Green House - A visit to Living Desert is not complete without a stop at the greenhouse. Here, hundreds of succulents and cacti from around the world show off their spines and beauty. Small barrel cacti, ocotillo and the majestic saguaro are just a few of the plants on display. Many cacti are also for sale in the Gift Shop.
• Getting There - Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park is on the northwest edge of Carlsbad off US 285, as shown on this map of the area.

Quick Facts

Gate Hours

Summer Hours
8 am -8 pm - last entry 6:30 pm

Winter Hours
9 am -5 pm - last entry 3:30 pm

Fees

Group discounts available

Park Manager

Ken Britt
(505) 887-5516
FAX: (505) 885-4478
Address: P.O. Box 100
Carlsbad NM 88221

Land - 1,100 Acres
Elevation - 3,200 feet
Precipitation12.8 inches

There is no camping allowed in the Park.

A gift shop and vending machines are operated by the Friends of the Living Desert.

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Brantley Lake State Park

Brantley Lake State Park is 35 miles from White's City, located 12 miles north of Carlsbad on US 285. This state park offers camping, boating, fishing, picnic area, restrooms, showers, and grills.

Brantley Lake State Park, a southern desert park, is a refreshing place to fish and enjoy other water sports. The visitor center includes historical exhibits about the Wild West Town of Seven Rivers.

• Fishing Fun - Anglers can catch a variety of warm water fish such as largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, white bass, bluegill, and crappie.
• The Southern Lake - Brantley Lake is the southernmost lake in New Mexico, offering water sports and year-round camping to visitors. It also is New Mexico's newest state park.
• Popular Events - The "Go-fly-a-kite" rally is held in March, the "Shoreline Sweep" is a part of the Park's Earth Day celebration in April and the "Kids Fishing Clinic" is held in May. Throughout the summer, Saturday night campground programs are a favorite.
• Getting There - Brantley Lake State Park is 12 miles north of Carlsbad via US 285 and 4.5 miles northeast on Eddy County Road 30.
  

QUICK FACTS

Gate Hours

24 hours

Fees

Park Superintendent

Adrian Stiteler
(505) 457-2384
Address: P.O. Box 2288
Carlsbad, NM 88221

Land - 3,000
Acres - Lake Surface - 4,000
Acres - Elevation - 3,300 feet
Precipitation - 12.8 inches

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Carlsbad, New Mexico

Be sure to take a drive over to Carlsbad, only 15 miles away. In Carlsbad you will find the Pecos River with its many attractions, Carlsbad Museum, the Eddy County Courthouse and the Fiesta Drive-in Movie.

• Fiesta Drive-in Movie - Outdoor family entertainment at a reasonable price. All features in stereo with your car’s FM stereo radio. Come early and enjoy an evening meal from our concessions. Three giant screen. 401 West Fiesta, Carlsbad, New Mexico.
  
• Carlsbad Museum and Art Center - See on of the only complete collections of Taos Founder’s paintings. The museum features Mimbres pottery, local artifacts, old west chuck wagon and three of New Mexico’s artist’s Glenna Goodacre sculptures. She sculpted the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. Most recently, she designed the nation’s newest coin, a gold-colored one-dollar piece bearing the image of the Shoshone Indian Sacagawea. In front of the library is "The Reader", a sculpture by local artist Wren Prather Stroud.
• Christmas on the Pecos - It glows out of the desert and reflects the magic of each holiday season. Visitors aboard one of the three cruising pontoon boats, enjoy a tranquil fifty minutes floating past exclusive waterfront home decorated for the holidays. Operating from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve, this is a tradition in New Mexico. Admission $7.00, reservations required (505-887-6516)
  
• George Washington Paddle Wheeler - Take a relaxing 40-minute ride up the Mighty Pecos River to view exclusive river front homes. Operates summers and weekends.
  
• River walk - Whether you walk or run, the four and one half miles of paved walk along the banks of Lake Carlsbad is the perfect place for exercising. Playgrounds and picnic tables make these parks irresistible.
  
• Pecos River Village Conference Center - Located on the banks of the sparkling Pecos River, the center offers meeting rooms, spectacular views and shipboard dining.
  
• Eddy House and the Flume - This small stone house was the first built by Charles B. Eddy, Carlsbad’s founder. It is located next to the Flume, once the largest concrete structure in the world.
  
• Lake Carlsbad Golf Course - This beautiful course, found by Lake Carlsbad, offers 18 holes of challenging golf along the river and in the foothills. There is also a 9-hole par three executive course. Fees may be the lowest in the world.
  
• Discover Carlsbad Driving Tour - Signs will guide you through town, along the river, up to the Living Desert in the foothills of the Guadalupe’s, past Carlsbad Senior High School, to the Eddy County Courthouse and the Carlsbad Museum and Art Center
  
• Riverside Country Club and Golf Course - Member of the country clubs are welcome in the clubhouse and on the golf course. Every Tuesday the 18-hole course is open to the public.
  
• Fishing, swimming, boating, waterskiing, Fourth of July celebration may all be enjoyed on the Pecos River at Lake Carlsbad in the middle of town.

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Nearby

• 15 miles from Cavern City Air Terminal
• 150 miles from El Paso

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White's City Resort and Water Park
For reservations, call 1-800-CAVERNS
E-mail: reservation@whitescity.com

1-800228-3767

505-785-2291

Copyright 2001
White's City Resort and Water Park
All Rights Reserved