My trip

Road trip · 4 parks · 6+ days · ~451 miles

West Texas & New Mexico Road Trip

White gypsum dunes, a giant cave, the top of Texas and the dark-sky wilderness of Big Bend.

Best time to go: April and October. Stop in Marfa between Guadalupe Mountains and Big Bend.

The route

Start: El Paso, TX

  1. White Sands National Park

    1 day · Best Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov

    ↓ ~142 miles · 3 hr to Carlsbad Caverns

  2. Carlsbad Caverns National Park

    1 day · Best May–Oct

    ↓ ~41 miles · 45 min to Guadalupe Mountains

  3. Guadalupe Mountains National Park

    1 day · Best Apr–May, Oct

    ↓ ~268 miles · 5½ hr to Big Bend

  4. Big Bend National Park

    3 days · Best Oct–Apr

End: El Paso, TX. Distances are approximate.

Best months for this trip

Average rating across all stops.

Stop by stop

ParkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
White Sands
Carlsbad Caverns
Guadalupe Mountains
Big Bend

Questions

What is the best time for a West Texas & New Mexico road trip?

April and October are the best months, when every stop is rated good or better at the same time.

How many days do you need for West Texas & New Mexico?

Plan at least 6 days in the parks, plus travel days. The park-to-park driving is roughly 451 miles.

More road trips

Utah's Mighty 5

5 parks · 7+ days · Best Oct, Apr, May

All five of Utah's national parks in one loop of red rock, slot canyons and hoodoos. It's the most popular national park road trip in America for good reason.

Yellowstone & Grand Teton

2 parks · 6+ days · Best Jun, Sep

Geysers, bison, wolves and the jagged Tetons. Two of the most famous parks in the country sit just 10 miles apart.

Grand Canyon, Zion & Bryce

3 parks · 5+ days · Best Oct, Apr, May

The classic Southwest loop from Las Vegas: the Grand Canyon's South Rim, Zion's narrow canyon and Bryce's hoodoos.

Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon

3 parks · 6+ days · Best Sep, Jul, Aug

Granite walls, giant waterfalls and the largest trees on Earth along the Sierra Nevada.

Pacific Northwest Loop

3 parks · 6+ days · Best Jul, Aug, Sep

Rainforest, wild coast, a glaciated volcano and the 'American Alps', all within a few hours of Seattle.

Colorado's National Parks

4 parks · 5+ days · Best Sep, Jun

Alpine tundra, North America's tallest dunes, a sheer black canyon and ancient cliff dwellings.