December 15, 2019
Slaughter Canyon is one of the above-ground features of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. As might be expected, the caverns are why most people come to this park (and why it's a park in the first place). It would seem that very few people look around for anything other than the caverns, so you won't likely ever be bothered by great crowds.
New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns and
Guadalupe Mountains National
Parks
The southern end of these mountains is within the boundary of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. For the above-ground hiker, it makes sense to consider all the trails and canyons to be part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park as they really are part of the same system.
The road to the canyon entrance is paved, save for the last mile (within the park boundary).
The sign identifies the Slaughter Canyon Cave, which is the entrance to another part of the Carlsbad Caverns. Unlike what has been done with the main caverns, this cave is only open for special tours led by rangers and an effort is being made to keep this cave system unmolested (no electricity for lights, for instance). But, this time I'm here for the canyon, not the cave.
I'll be taking the Slaughter Canyon Trail and then the North Trail to just shy of the Guadalupe Ridge Trail. The trail is well marked as necessary where dry streams are crossed.
There's evidence of a great deal of water flowing--once in a rare while.
As is often the case, the wide and well-traveled trail dwindles to a narrow footpath after about two miles.
Where things are especially steep, steps (of a sort) have been cut into the rocks and wood retaining steps have been pinned. That's a lot of work that some people did to construct this trail.
This basin of water probably remains year-round.
The trail has climbed out of the canyon (it's a steep climb) as it nears the connection to the Guadalupe Ridge Trail. This is the view looking back.
Returning to the starting point, tracing the same trail back. I'll descend through that gap. I think I was the only person on this trail all day.
