Carlsbad Caverns National Park. All photography is ours.
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New Mexico with Kids
If you’re planning New Mexico with kids, go to White Sands and rent a sled at the visitor center. We’ve been a couple of times now, in spring and in fall, and sledding the dunes is our daughter’s favorite thing in the state. Then drive three hours to Carlsbad Caverns and explore some of the craziest natural structures you’ve ever seen.
Albuquerque used to be our pit stop on the way to spring break skiing, and it took us years to finally explore this cool city. Now it’s a trip on its own, with Petroglyph National Monument on the edge of town and Bandelier’s cliff dwellings an hour north near Santa Fe.
Destination guide · Updated November 2026 · Last visited March 2020
Best months
April–May, Sept–Oct
National parks
2 + 13 NPS sites
Fly into
ABQ · SAF · ELP
How long
5 days, a week for north and south
Book ahead
Carlsbad Caverns timed entry · Balloon Fiesta lodging · Bandelier summer shuttle
We’ve done New Mexico several times, and it’s one of our favorites. In Albuquerque, the Rattlesnake Museum was at the top of the kids’ list. We added the nuclear museum, the Sandia tram, the balloon museum, and Petroglyph National Monument on the west side of town. A side trip to Santa Fe took us to the O’Keeffe Museum and Bandelier. The southern parks were their own trip, with White Sands from Las Cruces and Carlsbad Caverns from a hotel in Carlsbad.
We’ve loved every trip to New Mexico we’ve taken, but what really gets us coming back is the FOOD. Try something new (don’t be scared). Start with the piñon rolls from Buffett’s Candies.
Your New Mexico guide
Enjoy exploring New Mexico with kids!
Keep scrolling for the essentials, three road trips, and where to stay.
Essential New Mexico
Why we love New Mexico
We think you’ll love it too.
New Mexico is where we’d send a family that wants to sled down sand as white as snow and put green chile on everything. White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, Bandelier, Petroglyph, and Albuquerque are all great for families and kids of any age. Scroll down for more of essential New Mexico.
White Sands National Park Guide
Buy a sled at the visitor center and head for the dunes. It’s Cadence’s favorite park in the state, and we’ve been in spring and fall with great weather both times.
Carlsbad Caverns Guide
Hike the trails in the morning while it’s cool, tour the cave, and stay for the bat flight in the evening. The elevator makes it easy for any age.
Bandelier National Monument Guide
Bandelier has ladders into cliff dwellings, a short drive from Santa Fe. We loved our visit, and it’s an easy add to an Albuquerque trip.
Petroglyph National Monument Guide
Petroglyph is one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, right on the edge of Albuquerque. It’s one of our favorites, and Boca Negra Canyon is a short walk.
And the rest we’d cross the state for
Albuquerque Guide
The Rattlesnake Museum was the kids’ top pick, and the nuclear museum surprised us. The tram is a must, and the food follows the chiles.
Santa Fe Guide
The O’Keeffe Museum is small enough for kids, and there was rolled ice cream from a food truck outside on our day. Meow Wolf is the other reason to go.
The Sandia Peak Tramway Guide
Ride the tram up in the late afternoon and watch the sun set over the city from ten thousand feet. Bring a jacket, because it’s cooler at the top.
The Balloon Fiesta
For nine days in early October, several hundred balloons launch at dawn. Book Albuquerque hotels a year ahead, and it’s on our list.
Taos & the ski valleys AftT Visit
Taos has the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, nearby Taos Pueblo, and skiing at Taos and Angel Fire. Carrick skied here as a kid, and the rest of the family skied Taos in 2020. We got in exactly one day before they shut down the resort due to COVID-19.
Chaco Culture
Chaco was the center of the ancestral Puebloan world, at the end of a rough dirt road. It’s a long day, but a great one for kids who like ruins. Are you looking for more national park sites? See our guide to New Mexico national parks.
Very Large Array
Twenty-seven radio telescopes stand on the plains west of Socorro. The self-guided tour is free.
Las Cruces AftT Visit
Las Cruces is the base for White Sands.
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Find your next adventure in New Mexico
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AftT #ParkPics: Bandelier National Monument
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AftT #ParkPics: Petroglyph National Monument
Petroglyph National Monument in Pictures Just on the outskirts of Albuquerque, New Mexico, lies one of the largest petroglyph sites…
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Visiting White Sands National Park
Visiting White Sands National Park is like stepping onto another planet. This dune field is the largest of its kind…
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A Day in Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is nestled down in the southeast corner of New Mexico, and although it requires some driving,…
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Spice it Up! Things to do in Albuquerque, New Mexico
For our Oklahoma family, Albuquerque had always been a pit-stop on the way to another destination – skiing in Taos…
Routes
Three New Mexico road trip itineraries
It’s one state with three very different trips. Pick the southern parks, Albuquerque and the northern pueblos, or a long weekend in the city. We’ve done all three. See all the best stops on a map.
Home base
Las Cruces
We stayed at the Home2 Suites in Las Cruces. White Sands is an hour east. Check the weather, bring a sled, and drive Dunes Drive to the end.
Then head to
Carlsbad
It’s three hours east. We stayed at a hotel in town about twenty miles from the park. Our Carlsbad day runs morning trails, the cave, and the bat flight at dusk.
Add on
Guadalupe Mountains
It’s forty-five minutes south across the Texas line. Hike McKittrick Canyon in the fall, or the Pinery trail if the kids are small.
Home base
Albuquerque
Fly into ABQ. Our Albuquerque guide covers the museums, the tram, and where to find the chiles.
Then head to
Petroglyph National Monument
It’s twenty minutes west. You can see Boca Negra Canyon in an hour, or try Rinconada Canyon if they want more.
Finish
Santa Fe & Bandelier
It’s an hour north. See the O’Keeffe Museum and Meow Wolf in town, then head to Bandelier for the cliff dwellings. The summer shuttle from White Rock is required midday.
Home base
Santa Fe
Fly into ABQ or SAF. Visit Meow Wolf, the plaza, and the children’s museum. Santa Fe is cool, so give it a couple of nights.
Then head to
Bandelier
It’s an hour northwest. Walk the Main Loop and Alcove House in the morning.
Finish
Taos
It’s ninety minutes north on the High Road. Visit Taos Pueblo, the gorge bridge, and a hot spring by the river.
When to go
Time your visits with the weather and the region
We’ve done New Mexico in spring and fall and both were great. The north is cold in winter and mild in summer. The south is warm in winter and brutal in summer. Spring winds can shut down White Sands for an afternoon, so check the forecast before the drive.
Swipe the chart sideways to see the full year.
April – May
Warm days everywhere, cool nights, and the cave and the dunes are both comfortable. Spring winds are the trade-off. One of our White Sands visits was in spring and the weather was great.
June – August
Hot in the south and stormy everywhere in the afternoons once the monsoon starts in July. Head north to Santa Fe and Taos, or underground at Carlsbad, which is 56 degrees all year.
September – October
Our other White Sands visit was in the fall and it was just as good. The Balloon Fiesta is early October and gold aspens hit the mountains. Book early.
November – March
It’s prime season for White Sands and Carlsbad, and for skiing in the north. Albuquerque is sunny and cold. Santa Fe at Christmas is lovely.
Where to stay
Pick a good base to start your New Mexico adventure
New Mexico is easier when you pick one region. Here’s where we’ve stayed and where we’d stay next.
City trips
Albuquerque
Albuquerque is full of chain hotels and cheap outside of fiesta week, which makes it the easiest base in the state to book on points. Stay near Old Town or Uptown. Visit Buffett’s for your sweet tooth, the Nuclear Science Museum (a Smithsonian affiliate), and Sadie’s for some authentic New Mexican Cuisine. Our guide has all the details.
- Our Albuquerque guide
- Uptown chains for points
- Book Balloon Fiesta a year ahead
Northern trips
Santa Fe & Taos
Santa Fe’s downtown hotels are pricey and worth it for walking. Los Alamos and White Rock are the practical bases for Bandelier.
- Downtown Santa Fe near the plaza
- White Rock for the Bandelier shuttle
- Taos Ski Valley lodges in winter
Southern park trips
Las Cruces & Carlsbad
We stayed at the Home2 Suites in Las Cruces for White Sands so we could spread out and eat in. For Carlsbad we stayed at a chain in town, twenty miles from the park. Book Carlsbad ahead. Oil field workers fill the rooms.
- Home2 Suites Las Cruces, where we stayed for White Sands
- Carlsbad chains for the caverns
- Alamogordo if you want to be closer to the dunes
Good to know
Questions families ask us about New Mexico
Yes, and it’s the reason Cadence picks it as one of her favorites. The visitor center sells waxed plastic sleds, and the back dunes are steep enough to be fun. We hiked the Boardwalk Trail and a bit of the Alkali Flat trail for photos. Then we had a picnic and drove Dunes Drive to the end. Late afternoon has the best light and the coolest sand. Our White Sands guide has the details.
Yes, you do. Reservations are required on recreation.gov and cost a dollar per person on top of the park fee. They release in advance and sell out on holiday weekends. Take the elevator down if anyone in your group has trouble with a long walk. Most of the Big Room is flat and easy. Then stay for the bat flight at dusk from May through October. Here’s our full day.
ABQ for almost everything, SAF for Santa Fe and the north if the fares work, and El Paso (ELP) for White Sands and Carlsbad. Albuquerque is a Southwest hub, so points flights are easy. From Oklahoma we drive.
The Main Loop is a mile and mostly paved, with short ladders into the cliff rooms that little kids can manage with help. Alcove House is 140 feet of ladders and not for the nervous. It’s a short drive from Santa Fe and we loved it. In summer you’ll take the shuttle from White Rock. Our photos give you a sense of the trail.
For ours it was the American International Rattlesnake Museum, which was at the top of their list before we even left home. The Sandia Peak tram is the runner-up. The nuclear science museum caught us off guard with how fun it was. Our Albuquerque guide has hours and prices for all of them.
Higher than you think. Albuquerque is over 5,000 feet, Santa Fe is 7,000, and Taos Ski Valley tops 9,000. Have everyone drink plenty of water, take it easy the first day, and pack sunscreen for every season.
Map
Essential New Mexico, mapped
Keep exploring
Where to go next
Arizona with Kids
Petrified Forest is two hours west of the state line, with the Grand Canyon beyond.
