Old Guano Road Trail • Hike • New Mexico • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Apr 19 2024

mt98dew

Guides 69
Routes 37
Photos 3,010
Triplogs 2,387

55 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Old Guano Road Trail

Southeast, NM

Old Guano Road Trail

Southeast, NM

Hiking		Apr 19 2024
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,387

Hiking	7.12 Miles	738 AEG

Hiking	7.12 Miles	2 Hrs 2 Mns	3.50 mph
	738 ft AEG

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Early morning hike near Carlsbad. I needed something quick and accessible that I could before checkout. This hike was perfect. The TH is not well signed. After you turn onto the road that takes you to Carlsbad Cavern there is an RV park/tent campground on the left side of the road about .25 miles in. The TH is at the northern edge of the tent campground. There is no signage there, but there is an old dirt road that climbs up a bank. At the top of the bank, there is a fence and a trail sign for the Guano Trail.

Got to the TH around 5:30. A little dark going up. Trail is very well marked cairned throughout. First .4 miles is uphill and rocky. The cairns were a nice assist for this section. The trail faded into the surrounding terrain very easily. After the first.4 miles that trail was generally flat with only some modest uphill gains. Not much to see. Minimal plants and no wildlife. There was rolling hills and canyons to the east and an extensive flat plain that seem to go forever to the west. However, it was kind of cool to think about what you were hiking upon, knowing that the caverns sprawled beneath your feet. Around 3.2 miles the trail dropped into a small canyon where signs of human activity remained. Around 3.5 miles there was a fenced off cave that was one of the entry points used by workers in the early 1900’s for guano removal. Walked a little further to where the Guano Trail junctured with the Nature Path at the Carlsbad Visitor Center.

East hike. Great conditions. Overcast and very breezy. It was probably in the 50’s the whole hike. The trail was very much a trail. Based on its origin, I was expecting more signs of an old road. Not the case.

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Oct 12 2018

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 990
Photos 12,079
Triplogs 865

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Old Guano Road Trail East, NM

Hiking		Oct 12 2018
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 865

Hiking	4.81 Miles	561 AEG

Hiking	4.81 Miles	1 Hour 43 Mns		2.92 mph
	561 ft AEG	4 Mns Break	15 LBS Pack

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After hiking up to Guadalupe Peak I still had some time left so I finished a hike on the Old Guano Road trail in Carlsbad Cavern National Park. I did the western portion of this trail last spring but it was so windy I only did the western 1.5 miles of it. Today I would finish the eastern 2.2 miles of it. The trail starts in Whites City which is at the entrance to the park and heads up the hill to the Caverns. This trail is along the old road used by wagons mining Guano from the cavern. The road is no longer there and is now just a trail. I stayed the night in a "hotel" in Whites City.

Don't make special plans to do this trail it is nothing to write home about but then neither is whites city. Hotels are limited dining is even less and everything closes at 7. Carlsbad New Mexico is about 15 miles to the north and has lots of dining but the traffic is terrible. The one hotel in Whites City (Roadway inn is now closed) is just a step up above camping, Only $65.00 a night though. There is a bed a shower and bathroom in each room but nothing fancy. The hotels in Carlsbad are running $400.00 a night, I believe due to the recent upswing in oil production. If you are visiting the Caverns and have some spare time this trail is a good way to burn off some of the meals you didn't get in Whites City.

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Mar 15 2018

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 990
Photos 12,079
Triplogs 865

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Carlsbad Caverns Guano Road Trail, NM

Hiking		Mar 15 2018
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 865

Hiking	3.00 Miles	343 AEG

Hiking	3.00 Miles	1 Hour 8 Mns		3.05 mph
	343 ft AEG	9 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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Spent a couple of days in Lubbock Texas, It has been a long time since I saw so much flat. On my way back from Texas I thought I would break the drive up by staying the night in Whites City near Carlsbad Caverns. I decided to do a short walk before retiring to the hotel and chose the Old Guano Road Trail. Ate dinner at the only restaurant in town before the hike because it closes at 7. From the Caverns Parking lot took the nature trail to the Guano Trail and headed in about 1.5 miles to just when the sun was starting to set. If I planned it right the bats would be flying out just as I got back to the cavern.
The Nature trail from the parking lot is paved for about the first half mile to the Guano Trail. There are informational signs along the way that give information of the variety of plants in this portion of the Chihuahuan desert. The pavement ends at the Guano trail. A couple hundred yards in on the trail is a man made shaft that goes down into the caverns below and at one time was used to extract bat guano from the cave. It is fenced off now but when the wind is blowing you can smell the caverns (If you have ever been in the caverns near the entrance you know the smell I'm talking about). I continued along the trail for about a mile as it follows the ridge, if you continue along this trail it will head down toward Whites City. The wind was blowing really hard on this hike and the visibility over the desert below was pretty much non existent. The hike in with the wind at my back was fairly easy but on the way back even though the trail is fairly level felt like an uphill climb. Keeping your hat on or taking a leak were near impossible if not comical. Made it back to the caverns in time to see the bats but the show was not very good, I've seen more bats come out of the 22nd street Pantano bridge in Tucson. They probably thought it was too windy and decided to eat in. I did see some Barbary Sheep while in the park, they look a lot like bighorns except the horns are not curved as much. These animals are not native to this area and were brought in by I believe the ranchers years ago. Will have to finish this hike on another trip. Good hike for a shuttle, have someone drop you off below and hike the 3.5 miles or so and meet them at the caverns.

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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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