Hotels

Camping in the backcountry, at least a half mile from any trail, is your only lodging option in the park. Backcountry camping permits are required and available at the visitor center.

Outside the park your options expand, but rates in the immediate vicinity are shockingly high because of steep year-round demand by workers in the booming nearby oil-field industry. Whites City, just outside the park's main entrance, has a very basic and relatively affordable Rodeway Inn. Even cookie-cutter chain hotels in the nearest big town, Carlsbad, typically run $300 to $500 nightly. You can find comparable lodgings for a third to half the price in towns farther afield, such as Artesia (an hour away) and even Roswell (a little less than two hours)—this strategy makes sense if you're only visiting the park for a day or two, and at least it's a fairly scenic drive through southeastern New Mexico's high desert.