Carlsbad Caverns National Park is in the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico. It features more than 100 caves. The Natural Entrance is a path into the namesake Carlsbad Cavern. Stalactites cling to the roof of the Big Room, a huge underground chamber in the cavern. Walnut Canyon Desert Loop is a drive with desert views. Rattlesnake Springs, a desert wetland, attracts reptiles and hundreds of bird species.

Brantley Lake State Park is a state park of New Mexico, United States, located approximately 12 miles north of Carlsbad. The park takes its name from Brantley Lake, a man-made reservoir created when Brantley Dam was built across the Pecos River in the 1980s.