US Forest Service area between Carlsbad Caverns/Guadalupe Mountains National Parks: hike  through and survey an area between two national parks and an area inventoried for possible wilderness designation by NMWA.

For decades, the area between the two national parks has been proposed as an addition to one of the parks, as a national monument or as a wilderness area. Judged by many as the most beautiful and biologically important area in the Guadalupe Mountains, the area has great opportunities for hiking, photography, and wildlife and wildflower viewing.

We will depart early from Carlsbad for a two-hour drive to the head of Big Canyon (if there is interest we could drive up the evening before and camp near the trailhead). The hike begins with a descent into Big Canyon, following it to the junction with an unnamed canyon adjacent to Camp Wilderness Ridge. We will walk up the second canyon and back to the cars. Keeping a list of plants and animals observed will be important, as there are several species of great interest in this area. Golden eagles, black bears, and a healthy plant community can be found in the canyon bottoms, and tinajas may be filled with water depending on the late summer rains.

Maximum participants: 12

Hike leader: Steve West, stevewest@nmwild.org, 505-302-6187

Hiking distance: about 8 miles

Elevation range: from 7400 feet to 6000 feet at the canyon bottom and back to 7400 feet

Difficulty: moderate