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2023 Map of Carlsbad Caverns

Name: 2023 Topographic Map of Carlsbad Caverns
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2023
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2023

About this map

The Carlsbad Caverns National Park boundary dominates this high-elevation desert landscape, where the Guadalupe Mountains rise into the prominent Guadalupe Ridge. Human passage through this complex topography is centered on the Whites City settlement at the eastern gate, the starting point for the Carlsbad Cavern Highway and Whites City Rd.

Deep canyons and seasonal water sources define the area's hydrology and transit history, including Lechuguilla Canyon, Dark Canyon, and Bat Cave Draw. Specialized infrastructure is evident in the Desert Scenic Drive (Loop Road) and the Old Guano Road Trl, the latter hinting at the region's historic mining of cave deposits. High-altitude springs like Grapevine Spring and Cottonwood Spring provide rare points of relief across the arid Carlsbad Caverns Wilderness.