This post is a little different from our usual national parks guides. Instead of a curated “best of” list, this is a real trip recap — what we actually did, what worked, what we’d do differently, and how to plan your own version of this route. If you find trip recaps like this helpful, let us know in the comments! We’d love to do more of them.
One of our long-term family goals is to visit all 63 national parks. We’re doing it over roughly 15 years — not in a sprint, but by weaving parks into trips we’re already taking and inentionally batching parks into a single road trip. The Florida trip is a good example of this: Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas are all within range of Miami, so you can knock out three parks in one swing. The Texas and New Mexico parks work the same way. Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands form a natural loop from the Austin area — four national parks, one road trip, done. This is our fifth time doing a “batched” national park road trip like this. Please leave in comments if you would like me to recap our past trips into blog posts as well!
We just finished this trip with our four kids (ages 7, 5, 2, and 1) and a rented Transit van. It took us seven days total, although you could certainly stretch it to 10-12 days if you want to hike more, camp, or just move slower. Here’s how it went, what surprised us, and everything you need to plan your own version. You can also use our US National Parks Map to visualize the route and see which other parks are within reach of your home base.
The Route
We started in Dripping Springs, Texas (just west of Austin) and made a rough loop southwest through the desert, then north and back east. The order made geographic sense given our location, but you could also do the “loop” in reverse, starting at White Sands instead.
Guadalupe Mountains sits conveniently on the drive between Big Bend and Carlsbad, making it a natural midday stop between the two parks. Carlsbad became our base for a night of real downtime, and White Sands capped the trip before the long drive home.
Driving distances to know: Austin to Big Bend is roughly 5-6 hours. Big Bend to Guadalupe Mountains is about 3 hours. Guadalupe to Carlsbad is under an hour. Carlsbad to White Sands is about 3 hours. The drive home from White Sands to Austin is around 10 hours — we split it over two days, though one long day is possible if you’re motivated.
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend is remote — genuinely remote. It sits in the southwest corner of Texas along the Rio Grande. That isolation is part of what makes it special: the Chihuahuan Desert, the Chisos Mountains rising dramatically from the desert floor, the Rio Grande carving the border with Mexico through sheer limestone canyons. Compared to the headline parks, Big Bend sees a fraction of the crowds, which means the crowds you find at Zion or Yellowstone don’t exist here.
We based ourselves in Alpine and drove into the park for one day. The drive from Alpine to the Chisos Basin is itself beautiful — the landscape shifts as you descend into the park and the mountains come into view. We packed a picnic lunch, which I recommend for every park on this trip: you save time, you eat with a view, and with young kids it keeps the momentum going without the chaos of finding a restaurant (which are always hard to come by in National Parks).
Our favorite stops were the Fossil Discovery Exhibit — a surprisingly well-done outdoor exhibit along the road that had our older kids genuinely excited about prehistoric Texas — and the Chisos Basin Loop a ~2 mile hike into Chisos Basin with a stunning framed view through a gap in the mountains. The hike was very manageable with the kids and offered great views. The Santa Elena Canyon hike along the Rio Grande was on our list but would have added too much driving — that’s one for next time.
One more thing we do at every park: our Bright Standards scratch-off national parks map! Scratching off each park as you complete it is genuinely one of the most satisfying parts of working toward all 63 — and it makes a great visual reminder of how far you’ve come. If you don’t have one yet, it’s the best way to track your progress and keep the whole family motivated.
We also have a passport for cancellation stamps. Each national park has a stamp you can ink at the visitor center — but we always check in advance which visitor’s center actually contains the stamps.
Lodging note: Options around Big Bend are limited. We stayed at the Antelope Lodge in Alpine — it’s kitschy and nothing fancy, but it’s clean, it has exactly what you need, and honestly the charm of it fit the whole Big Bend vibe. Don’t go expecting a nice hotel. Do expect something that works. Book early because options fill up, especially on weekends.
Bonus Stop #1: Marfa Prada Art Installation
On the drive from Big Bend toward Guadalupe Mountains, you’ll pass through the tiny arts town of Marfa, Texas — and just outside of town, in the middle of the desert with nothing else around it, sits one of the most surreal roadside attractions in the country: Prada Marfa. It’s a permanent art installation that looks exactly like a real Prada boutique — full window display, the logo, the whole aesthetic — except it’s sitting completely alone in the West Texas scrubland with nothing for miles. It’s not a real store (the doors don’t open), but it is a genuinely great photo stop and one of those things that makes you do a double-take when you first spot it on the horizon.
It’s free, it’s right off US-90, and it takes about 10 minutes — perfect for a stretch break with kids. If you’re driving this stretch anyway, there’s no reason not to stop.
Practical info: Prada Marfa is located on US-90, about 26 miles northwest of Marfa near the small town of Valentine, TX. There’s a small pull-off area to park. No admission, no hours (and no restrooms!) — it’s just there, in the desert, waiting.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains is easy to underestimate on paper — it’s smaller and less dramatic than its neighbors — but it earns its national park designation. The park protects the highest peak in Texas (Guadalupe Peak, 8,751 feet) and an extraordinary fossil reef system that was once the floor of an ancient sea. The geology alone is worth the stop. For families or anyone on a tighter schedule, Guadalupe works perfectly as a 1-2 hour break on the drive between Big Bend and Carlsbad — you’re passing right by it anyway.
We did a picnic lunch here too (same strategy as Big Bend — highly recommended), walked some of the easier trails near the visitor center, scratched off our map, and let the kids stretch their legs before the final push to Carlsbad. It was exactly the right amount of Guadalupe for a trip this size.
Important warning — and we learned this the hard way: There is no gas station at or near Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We ran out of gas. Do not assume you can fuel up near the park — fill your tank in Van Horn (heading from Big Bend) or in Carlsbad (heading the other direction) and do not let it get low. A call to AAA (and a short delay) and we were fine, but it was an unexpected additional 2 hours we hadn’t planned to spend in the park ;).
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns was the unanimous favorite of the trip — and honestly, it might be one of the most incredible experiences we’ve had at any national park. The caverns are a massive underground cave system carved out of limestone over millions of years, with chambers so large and formations so intricate they don’t look real. Walking into the cave for the first time, the scale of it catches you completely off guard.
We chose to hike in via the Natural Entrance — a 1.25-mile trail that winds down into the cave through the original opening that bats use. The park says to budget about an hour for the descent. We did it on a weekday and it took us 38 minutes — because there were almost no other visitors and we could move at our own pace. The cave was peaceful, eerie, and completely mesmerizing. Once you reach the bottom, you’re in the Big Room, the largest cave chamber in North America. We planned to do the longer loop but adjusted to the shorter loop (4 kids = constantly adjusting on the fly!), but we’d do the full loop next time.
Critical note for families: there are no bathrooms from the Natural Entrance trailhead until you reach the bottom of the cave. That’s the entire descent — easily 40-60 minutes. For young kids, plan accordingly. Use the bathroom at the visitor center before you start hiking down, and be realistic about whether your toddler can manage it. One of our kids struggled with this, even though we knew in advance and planned accordingly.
Go on a weekday, and avoid holidays and spring break entirely. We genuinely think this experience would be much less magical if it were crowded. The cave’s atmosphere — the silence, the dark, the sense of being somewhere completely removed from the world — depends on not being shoulder-to-shoulder with other visitors. Our weekday visit was nearly perfect. A spring break Saturday would be a completely different experience.
Reserve in advance. Cave tours and timed entry sell out, especially in summer and on holidays. Book through recreation.gov before your trip — reservations are required.
Carlsbad the town surprised us too. We found a great Airbnb that backed right up to the Pecos River — we kayaked, grilled steaks, and had a genuinely relaxed evening after days of driving and hiking. After the pace of Big Bend and Guadalupe, the downtime in Carlsbad felt earned. The town has solid lodging options including hotels and Airbnbs, making it the best overnight stop on this route.
Bonus Stop #2: Pistachioland
On our drive into Alamogordo the day before White Sands, we stopped at McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch — better known as Pistachio Land. Home to the world’s largest pistachio (a 30-foot concrete sculpture you really can’t miss), it’s exactly as kitschy as it sounds and completely worth it. The 30-minute tour takes you through a working vineyard and pistachio orchard, and ends with free pistachio samples that the kids demolished. It’s right on the route coming from Carlsbad into the White Sands area — easy to add on the way and a fun way to break up the drive. One of those stops you didn’t plan on loving that ends up being a highlight.
White Sands National Park
White Sands is one of the most visually striking places in the American Southwest — 275 square miles of brilliant white gypsum sand dunes that look like a landscape from another planet. The dunes are constantly shifting, shaped by desert winds, and the light changes the color of the sand throughout the day from blinding white at midday to soft gold and pink at sunset. There are no comparable dunes anywhere else in the world.
What to know before you go: White Sands was our last park — and we had some hiccups in our planning. The mistake cost us extra time in the car with four kids on an already long day in the car.
The planning mistake: park hours vs. visitor center hours
The park opens at 7:00 AM, but the visitor center doesn’t open until 9:00 AM. That matters because the visitor center is where you rent sleds — and sledding is one of the two main things to do here (the other being the scenic drive).
Based on AI trip planning, we thought there were two parts to the visit-
1) a drive around the park
2) sledding near teh visistors center.
Neither of those things was true!
The sledding area is not near the visitor center. It’s at the far end of the park — you essentially have to complete the full scenic drive to get there. So we did the drive before 9:00 AM, came back to the visitor center to rent sleds, and then drove the whole route again. On a day we had a long drive home, that was an annoying extra hour we didn’t need.
What to do instead: If you want to start at 7:00 AM when the park opens, buy sleds in advance — you can find them for a similar price as renting. Head straight to the sledding area at the far end of the park (with no traffic it is about 20 minutes in/ 20 minutes out.
If you’re renting, just wait until 9:00 AM when the visitor center opens, grab your sleds, and make one trip through. No reason to arrive before 9:00 AM if you’re renting. The 7:00 A.M. arrival is most helpful if you are planning to drive later in the afternoon.
Go in the morning — not the afternoon
At one point during planning, the AI recommended going in the afternoon as soon as we arrived in Alamogordo vs waiting until the next morning. Do not do this, even in April. By midday the sand is reflecting heat and temperatures climb fast. At 9:00 AM it was breezy and a little cool at first — completely comfortable (other than the expected sand everywhere!). Morning is the move, especially if you have young kids or a long drive afterward.
Sleds vs. boards — adults, get a board
We rented two sleds and one board. The sleds were a huge hit with the kids. For adults, though, sleds are less exciting — you’re heavy enough that you don’t pick up much speed. The boards (similar to a snowboard) are a completely different experience and much more fun for grown-ups- our kids even managed to lie on the boards and slide down! Two sleds plus one board was the perfect setup for our group — easy to rotate and everyone got plenty of runs.
Logistics are easier than you’d expect
You can pull right up next to the sledding area — no long hike to the dunes. Easy to swap equipment, take breaks, and keep young kids happy. We even parked next to restrooms and had our entire “hill” to ourselves. We went on a weekday in April and there were almost no crowds. We spent just over an hour and fit in a ton of runs, enough to wear the kids out.
Bring clothes to change into — the white gypsum sand gets everywhere. Budget an hour to an hour and a half and you’ll feel like you had the full experience.
Hiking
White Sands has five hiking trails. This is something we would absolutely do on a future trip with proper planning (and older kids).
Trip Planning Tips
How many days do you need?
We did the full loop in 7 days and felt good about it. Six days would be the bare minimum. For us we could have done six days if we combined the last drive into one long day (about 9-10 hours from White Sands to Austin) instead of splitting it over two, but honestly I think 7 is the minimum.
If you want to hike more at Big Bend, camp inside the parks, or spend extra time at Carlsbad Caverns for the bat flight program at sunset, plan for 9-12 days. The parks reward more time, especially Big Bend — we would happily go back for a full week there alone. We missed the Santa Elena Canyon and plan to return one day for that hike.
Fill up on gas before Guadalupe Mountains
We cannot stress this enough: there is no gas station near Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Fill up in Van Horn if you’re coming from Big Bend, or in Carlsbad if you’re coming from the east. Don’t let your tank get below half before this stretch — cell service is limited and the distances between services are longer than they look on a map.
Reserve Carlsbad Caverns in advance
Timed entry for the Natural Entrance hike and guided tours at Carlsbad Caverns can sell out weeks or months in advance, especially in summer. Book at recreation.gov as soon as you have your dates confirmed. The Big Room is accessible via elevator and generally doesn’t require timed entry, but specific tours and the Natural Entrance hike do.
Lodging: what to expect
Big Bend has the most limited lodging. We stayed in Alpine, about an hour from the park. There are other surrounding towns, varying distances from the park. The lodge inside the park at the Chisos Basin is wonderful but books up far in advance. Terlingua Ranch Lodge is another option but distance wise requires more driving depending on your starting point.
Carlsbad has the best variety: hotels along the main strip cover the basics, and Airbnb options in the area (some with river access) offer a more memorable stay. We were even able to fit in some kayaking with kayaks provided by our airbnb host! White Sands is close to Alamogordo, which has standard hotel options, and Ruidoso is a scenic alternative if you want something more resort-like.
Of course, camping is a great option, we weren’t quite ready to tackle that yet with our crew!
Bathroom planning (especially at Carlsbad Caverns)
There are no bathrooms between the Natural Entrance trailhead and the bottom of Carlsbad Caverns — a 40-60 minute hike. Use the facilities at the visitor center before you start. This matters especially for families with young children. The Big Room at the bottom has full restroom facilities, but getting there first requires the descent (unless you take the elevator down- then this is not an issue!).
Picnic lunches make everything easier
We brought packed lunches into both Big Bend and Guadalupe and ate at picnic tables inside the parks. It saved time, saved money, and honestly gave us some of our best views of the trip. Restaurants near these parks are limited and can mean a significant drive out of the park and back. Pack a cooler, bring more food than you think you need, and eat with the mountains in front of you. We’ve learned this is true for basically all National Parks- always come prepared with food and water!
Final Thoughts
Four national parks in one road trip, checked off the list. These aren’t the parks most people think of first — they don’t have the name recognition of Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon — but they’re extraordinary in their own right. Big Bend’s isolation and scale, Guadalupe’s ancient geology, Carlsbad’s underground world was incredible, and White Sands’ alien landscape was awesome. This loop deserves a lot more attention than it gets!
If you’re working toward visiting all 63 national parks, or just looking for a road trip that delivers something genuinely different, this is one of our strongest recommendations. Use our national parks map to start planning your own batched road trip — and let us know in the comments if you’ve done this loop or have questions about the route.
Want more national park planning resources? Check out our complete US National Parks List and Map to track your progress toward all 63 parks.
US National Parks List & Map
Want a FREE complete list and recap of all our US National Parks as well as downloadable maps and other great resources? Check out our US National Parks List and Map guide!
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