Fun zoo with paths to guide you through, so you don't miss anything. Able to see creatures up close. Beautiful gardens and pond. Nice visitor center with lots of information about local flora and fauna. Also, it is very close to Ocotillo trail for walking or hiking.

We arrived at the Living Desert Zoo around noon. The temperature was 95-100, so we had sunscreen and water. We wore short sleeves, shorts/capris, hats, and hiking boots/shoes. There are paved roads, so as long as you're comfortable, you should be okay. Once inside, we were greeted and paid $10 for an adult and $5 for a child. The gentleman was polite and extremely helpful. He gave us a map, explained the trail, and a shortcut in case the heat became unbearable. We took our time and enjoyed every bit of it. The main building has restrooms, a touch table for the kids to explore, and other educational exhibits. Outside are some restrooms. We used the highly recommended ones next to the reptile exhibits. The women’s facility was easily accessible and clean. There's a picnic area, so once we were done, we retrieved our food from the car and enjoyed a relaxing outdoor picnic. Before leaving, we got a few things from the gift store. If you're an active duty service member or a retiree, you can receive a veteran 10% discount. Overall, this is a nice place to enjoy nature and the animals of the desert. It was not crowded and a great break away from busy attractions. We spent about three hours there since we were not in a rush. We loved it and were happy we got in the car before a thunderstorm hit.

Our family loves this local zoo! We've been a few times in different seasons & it's always a fun, active mini adventure to take with the kids. The gift shop has some pretty cool stuff too!

Visited the Living Desert State Park in New Mexico, and while it’s still a very nice place to spend a couple of hours, there are a few things to know ahead of time. First off, the new visitor center is absolutely amazing—beautifully updated, interactive, and packed with good info. Honestly, it's a highlight all on its own. It has a great gift shop too, where you can even buy local plants. It does have a little something for everybody. That said, the rest of the park is showing its age a bit. Some areas are looking a little run down, and there weren’t as many animals as I remember from past visits. A few enclosures were empty or looked like they were in the process of being fixed up. The Cactarium was especially sad. Still, there's a lot to see and do, especially if you're into desert plants and beautiful views. The walking paths are peaceful and scenic, and it’s a nice way to get a feel for the local landscape. Definitely worth a visit—just go in with the right expectations. It is still a very good deal for $10.

My husband and I loved strolling thru the grounds. Saw some great animals. They are slowly working on improving the site. Nice area for a picnic

This is an absolute hidden Gem in Carlsbad. It's a nice stroll through some natural desert habitat and a number of critters. The small museum is a nice little touch too.

We had a wonderful time here. Enjoyed the walk around the grounds and learning about native plants and animals. We were sad that the cat enclosures were empty, but did enjoy seeing the other animals like the Mexican Wolves, Pronghorn, and Elk. In addition to the usual fare, the gift shop also had plants available for purchase.

An oasis in the middle of nowhere! Gorgeous area, bathrooms. Picnic area

This place is beautiful. Only an hour and 15 minutes from Carlsbad and it feels like a different world. Beautiful drive and scenery. I swam at the base of the waterfall and although brisk, very refreshing, worth it, and rewarding. Highly recommend a visit! Bring your bathing suit, towel, and a change of clothes. The rocks are slippery so enter in the middle section. It closes at 4pm daily. The walk to the falls is only about 10 min max from the parking area. Bring $10 with you in cash for the entrance fee. There is no gate or attendant, you put your money in an envelope and drop it in a box.

Absolutely stunning view of a waterfall surrounded by foliage into an ice cold spring. You can swim. It’s about 6.5 feet in the absolute deepest part, and less than a foot in the shallowest. There’s large rocks and small pebbles on the bottom of the spring bed. The water is so cold it’s shocking to get into, but it feels so nice to dry off in the sun when you’re done swimming. Truly a stunning oasis in the midst of the desert. Absolutely worth the long and windy drive to the spot. It closes at 4 pm, so be sure to get there before 4. As long as you’re there before 4 you can stay later.

With myself and my family being part native American Indian it was very important to show them this beautiful and very peaceful peace of our heritage.

Easy .25 mile from the parking lot. For the less traveled pools of water that are deep enough to dive into, take T68 trail up from the parking lot for .4 miles up above the falls. This was my kids favorite part.

Truly an amazing place. The peace and serenity of the place can be felt making the hike around the area. It clear to see why ancient people groups would have chose this as an oasis get away. Super dog friendly and since it a smaller park there is normally plenty of room for the pawers to run and play.

Great place. Relax 😌 Water fall is small but still a great place.

Went there for awhile. Good old stuff they have on display. They also have an art section and they have a lot of quilts hanging. Outside to the side is a small park you can walk around. Museum is free, no charge.

Free museum - bathrooms - water fill station - lots of parking adjacent, too. Very nice for 1-2 hour visit.. to include that many of the WW2 Bataan Death March soldiers were from New Mexico, too. The temporary exhibit about guitars was extremely detailed and informative..!

What a lovely collection! The museum has many exhibits that illustrate the history of the area. There's a little bit of everything. Indigenous pieces, fiber art, war artifacts, sculptures, and a very cool room about famous locals. We especially enjoyed the horse and buggy as well as the antique stagecoach. The kids loved the room full of arrowheads. When I visited there was a large display of art made by kids from the local schools, much of it quite impressive. Give yourself about an hour to see everything. Admission is free.

Awesome museum! My family and I came across this museum while visiting Carlsbad Cavern, and decided to stop by to check it out. There’s no admission fee, and it’s a great place to spend a few hours looking at artifacts! The museum is clean and well spaced, we love this little museum.

The Carlsbad Museum and Art Center in Carlsbad, New Mexico is small, yet informative. It houses very authentic western art. From the Native American pottery collection, to the rifle collection, to the stage coach and the model train exhibit — the museum is worth stopping by. Aside from the very friendly staff, there is no admission fee. Please leave a few dollars into the box by the front door.

The museum is free, which is definitely a plus! They have history of Carlsbad and art. There is plenty of parking as well.

This is an amazing Museum! The inside has a lot of southwest artifacts and some amazing art. They also have a changing art display. This is a must see when you come to Carlsbad.

Very helpful person at the entrance gate Sites are nicely spaced and fairly level. It's a very pleasant campground to stay in for visiting Carlsbad Caverns, Sitting Bull Falls, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Want to say a couple of things about Brantley State Park: if you have ever camped in the desert in the summer, you know two things: lots of bugs and it's very hot. Brantley State Park staff take incredible time and care to clean the campsites and showers. The showers are free and clean. The bathrooms have a working AC running, giving you a cool place to shower and cool down. The toilets are clean and the stalls have no bugs in them. Very few crawl around. The bathrooms have plugins where we could charge our fans (which I highly recommend having in the summer months). There are tarantulas and snakes nearby but we never had any close calls near our tent. It's been wonderful camping here even if the desert makes it difficult. Thank you to the staff who take care of this park.

Quiet park bench areas. Clean! Spectacular views of Dam and the lake. All Seasons photos

Great park. Lake view. Large , level sites. Beautiful. Not close to Carlsbad but doable. I’d definitely go there again.

Stunning, quiet and nice place. Highly recommend. Close to carlsbad caverns.

The best state park campground that we’ve been to. Affordable. Picnic tables are covered. Great views of the lake. Bathrooms have been recently renovated. Good running and mountain biking trails (short paths for mountain biking). Convenient distance to Carlsbad Caverns.

Very nice New Mexico State Park. We stayed at the Limestone Campground and visited the Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

I absolutely love coming here! It’s been a part of my life since childhood, and now I get to share it with my kids. It feels incredible knowing that soon it will be a special spot for three generations! ❤️ This place is just amazing—there's always a great vibe and fun to be had! It truly holds a special place in my heart!

We loved this place! Super open and had many shaded areas. The swim area was great and the lake itself was fairly accessible. Everything was within walking distance of each other. Very beautiful!

I recently visited Lake Carlsbad Beach Park, and it was an absolutely fantastic experience definitely a 5-star destination! The scenery is stunning, with peaceful water views, lush greenery, and plenty of spots to relax or take a stroll. The park is impeccably maintained, clean, and welcoming for visitors of all ages. There’s so much to do here! Families can enjoy the picnic areas and playgrounds, while anyone looking for more activity can take advantage of the walking trails, swimming areas, and water activities. The atmosphere is relaxing and safe, making it perfect for a day of fun or just unwinding by the lake. Whether you’re from the area or just visiting, Lake Carlsbad Beach Park is a must-see spot that leaves you feeling refreshed and happy. I can’t wait to come back!

Amazing place to check out. There’s so much to do, including the water park, hanging at the beach, swimming, water activities, and plenty of areas for cookouts or just some good family time. This is also the BEST place to be on July 4th!! 🎇🎆

It’s actually a very nice, big dog park right next to the water. I was actually kayaking by with my dog the first time I saw it so we stopped at a little dock in front of the dog park and chilled for a bit. We came back several times during our stay. Everyone was very friendly and respectful.

I have a different opinion about the area compared to most locals, as we did not grow up nor raised here. We love going to the beach park area. Our son is four and absolutely loves walking the trail to look at all the animals in the water. It’s the most clean area we’ve been and we have lived all over the state! Yes, there is trash but what we have seen as they make an effort to make it look nice majority of the time. I’m sure there is always room for improvement, but generally this is a great area!!!

Good place to spend your time with friends and family.

Very cool. Worth 20 minutes of your time to walk around. Reasonably priced art too if you’re looking to buy.

Great place to see local artist's drawings, paintings, jewelry, pottery, photography, and other arts/crafts on various mediums! Enjoyed the creative design and creations displayed!

Very friendly staff. Lovely art pieces.

We love Frieda and Leila so much!!! We bought a fossil statue, some fantastic earrings, and three of the 🧶 art frames! Had thee best time looking around?

The wide range of local art was very nice to see, they were quite friendly and informative, and I was able to get a gift for a relative from here.

If you are looking for local artists with a wide variety of styles and mediums this is a great place to check out.

Have gone by a few times and they have not been open as posted on the doors. Also some of the staff are not friendly. It is a good place to shop for local art and support artists.