Guadalupe Mountains National Park is just across the Texas state line, if your adventures in Carlsbad Caverns leave you looking for more national-park recreation.
Sitting Bull Falls
is in an unexpected and pleasant little park about 15 miles northwest of town, reachable via SR 137. Nice for picnics, particularly during the spring when the falls have enough water to be scenic. SR 137 continues on into the Guadalupe Mountains, with interesting scenery and some ferociously rough jeep roads and hiking trails. The "Guads" are honeycombed with caves, including some of the world's most beautiful, but most are for the experienced caver only serious vertical work, and all require permits from the National Forest Service.Brantley Lake
north of town offers water sports of a sort -- don't expect Lake Mead and camping.If you happen to be fascinated by UFOs -- Unidentified Flying Objects, or "flying saucers" -- the quirky, schlocky UFO mecca of Roswell is about 80 miles north on US 285.
