Top 12 things to do and attractions in Carlsbad (2024)

I wanted to love this place but it was honestly more of a sad experience than a positive one. Everything felt abandoned and like it hadn’t been given any TLC in 20 years. The plants and outdoor portion was peaceful and interesting, but the “zoo” part was much more sad than any zoo I’ve ever witnessed. Few animals, extremely tight quarters, unwelcoming exhibits. With some love this could be a cool place, it probably was in its prime.The Succulents of the World greenhouse was awesome though!! Like walking into a sauna full of cacti. Really pretty!

The design of the park is awesome. It does a great job of teaching visitors about the desert as you walk through. However, many items are broken and several dead trees are standing. Overgrown brush makes it hard to see most of the animals. It is very sad to find it in such a rundown state.

This state park is definitely worth a visit. We loved the easy walk on all paved paths. Last entry is allowed at 3:30 and we got there just before that. The staff was super friendly! We didn't get to see the prairie dogs or the bear, I'm assuming because it was later and they were put away or sleeping. Most of the animals are rehabilitated but unable to live in the wild so it was nice to see them here.This was a great stop the day before our caverns trip. I would highly recommend it if you like desert plants and unique animals!

Very nice place for a visit! The scenery was gorgeous and well maintained. The walking paths blended in great with the environment and the animal exhibits were well thought out and fun to look at. Definitely a stop worth making if you're in the area for the caverns or anything else!

Came to Carlsbad/Roswell for a quick family vacation. Took a late afternoon stroll through the zoo & gardens as a last minute decision as it was close to our hotel. So happy we did! Loved seeing the animals and plant species native to the area.

The Living Desert Zoo makes an excellent stop when passing through Carlsbad to visit the caverns. Featuring walkways brimming with native plants and exhibits showcasing desert animals (from mountain lion and bobcat to rattlesnake, javelina, deer, and more), it's an interesting, educational setting for both children and adults, with a large visitors center and gift shop and plenty of parking. Bonus = head there around midday feeding time, to watch the animals snack on watermelon and veggies.

This place was fun and educational! My kids loved the hands on learning in the visitor's center. We loved learning about all the native plants and animals. There were new babies in prairie dog town, I think those were my favorite. My kids loved the reptile house, the javalina, and the roadrunner.

Two Words...Under Funded.You can tell this place has the potential to be a great outdoor museum/zoo. It reminded me of the Desert Museum in Tuscan, Arizona...but without the funding.I'll say this, we did enjoy our visit here, but it's got some things about it that really should be improved for it to be truly wonderful.For starters, it is quite run down. Pictured below is a drinking fountain station full of leaves that seems hasn't been tended to in some time.Also pictured below is the wolf enclosure. It's so overrun with trees and bushes you can hardly see anything.Most of the signs explaining the science/animals are heavily weathered, many are unreadable.Another thing I would mention is there is this random room that you can tell was built for a movie amphitheater, but there is no movie playing (See the below picture)Our favorite parts were the Reptile Hut (pictured below with a snake on the wall), and the Bobcat/Cougar enclosures. Very fun to see those animals.I hope that I will come back in 10 years and this place is vastly improved, because it has all the potential in the world

Our families enjoyed this walking zoo. It's on the smaller side but our family appreciated that the animals here were saved from their natural habitats. We spent around 2-3 hours walking and exploring. Some of the exhibits need renovating but the animals don't seem to mind. I do have to mention the prairie dog exhibit as I've never seen one before and our kids loved it. Kids also loved the javelinas. It did get hot walking but luckily they had some cold drinks to buy at the gift shop at the end. We also loved the plants for sale and spent $ buying a few. I suggest this place to other families if they want a zoo experience but keep in mind that this place needs renovations.

Awesome! It's a little rundown but is still a fantastic experience. We saw a lot of wildlife. My kids loved all the animals. I loved the lilly pond, it was beautiful and serene. The staff and volunteers are also amazing and worth a mention. Great place to explore when visiting the area. If you get a chance to visit, you should go!

I love the idea of this zoo! It's interactive and we enjoyed learning about the desert plants and animals. I do agree with some commenters that it does need a little love and care in some areas, mostly in the beginning of the trail. Some areas look newer. Restrooms were clean. Staff was really nice! Gift shop had reasonable prices!

$5 admission and a nice easy walking path through the park.Bathrooms available in the visitor center and x2 in the park itself.FYI - last entry is at 330p as of January, 2024.

Such a neat zoo, nothing better than highlighting the beauty of native southwestern critters! Lots to see and happy, healthy animals. Not to mention the manager of the gift shop was the sweetest ❤️

Really enjoyed our visit here. Found the variety of desert plants fascinating in a lovely setting with excellent explanations. We particularly appreciated the information about the various nutritional and medicinal properties which previous inhabitants were aware of.The birds and animals provide an extra attraction. Good that park takes in injured and orphaned creatures. Some enclosures so good the animals can't be seen.

This place was freaking awesome, and huge!!! We went to visit while on vacation and loved it. Luckily the weather was beautiful and we were able to see plenty of animals including the elusive black bear they have. We ended up visiting every path and spending longer than we planned on. They also had a great variety of plants in areas and around the grounds.We definitely need to return again.

This place was amazing! I love this place well worth the money! They definitely need and deserve more funding. My only notes are the trail was a bit difficult to follow, we almost missed the mountain lion and bobcat exhibit, and it was hard to see the wolves for the tree growth at the front of the enclosure.When you go make sure to head there early. We came in about 10am and saw most of the animals. We had to wait for the feeding to see the bear and the hooves animals were bedded down on the shade, but still awesome to see. Keep in mind most of these animals are orphans, unreleasable or rescued from captivity. 10/10 recommend going. I will be back!!

Great place with a cool nature walk. I like the fact that they are protecting animals that for various reasons cannot be rehabbed and returned to the wild. Lots of flora identification on the mile long walk. Unfortunately a number of the animals were not out and about on our visit. Fun stop!

This place was awesome. It was clean and walkable. The animals looked well kept. We were here in March of 2023 as a stop on our way to California. Loved it.

Wow, go to up hill zoo.It’s nice view outside and natural everything of New Mexico. My kids love to learning about plants. Wow, beautiful place ever.Tip bring water bottle but there’s have water, rest sit, and restroom.

Nice mountain top location. It’s a good mile walk throughout the zoo.

This was a great place to stop with the family! They have wheel chairs available as well since the walking path is at least a mile outside. They had free books for all ages while we were there as well which was an added bonus.

Very interesting place, couple of Animals suffered from stagefright but the flora is equally interesting and entry is only 5 bucks.

Was nice to see all of the improvements. Only $5 to get in! Great time reading about the local plants. I bought an aloe plant at the gift shop.

1504 Skyline Rd, Carlsbad, NM 88220, USA•http://www.livingdesertnm.org/•(575) 887-5516•