Natural rock alcove along a scenic canyon trail that provides a shaded resting spot surrounded by towering limestone walls, mature woodlands, and striking geological formations.
Visitors must exit the canyon before the daily gate closure
Daylight hiking only
Individual Entrance Pass (7 days): $5
Children age 15 and under: Free
America the Beautiful Pass accepted
How to Get There
From Carlsbad, NM (35 mi): Take US-62/180 south toward Guadalupe Mountains National Park, turn into the McKittrick Canyon entrance road, continue to the McKittrick Canyon Trailhead, and follow the canyon trail approximately 3.5 miles to reach the Grotto.
Overview
The Grotto is the payoff at the end of a moderate hike up the McKittrick Canyon Trail, about 3.5 miles from the trailhead. It's a natural limestone alcove carved into the canyon wall, shaded beneath maple, oak, and walnut trees — a surprisingly lush pocket of the Chihuahuan Desert that turns gold, orange, and red each autumn. The cool shade makes it a natural turnaround point for day hikers.
Things to Do
Explore the Limestone Alcove
Water and time have hollowed the Grotto's rock walls into small chambers and formations, a cool rest stop after the hike in.
Visit the Hunter Line Shack
Just beyond the alcove, this early-1900s ranching structure is a reminder of the working ranches that occupied the canyon before it became parkland.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles and official tourism pages for the The Grotto, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
