Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park

State Park On The Ocotillo Hills Above Carlsbad Holding Only Native Chihuahuan Desert Species, Most Of Them Animals That Could Not Be Returned To The Wild; A 1.3 Mile Walking Loop Rather Than A Conventional Zoo · Carlsbad, New Mexico

This is a zoo of only local species, which is a much better idea than it sounds. Every animal on the site is native to the Chihuahuan Desert, and most of them are there because they were injured, orphaned or otherwise could not be released - mountain lion, black bear, bison, elk, javelina, bobcat, badger, rattlesnakes and a large collection of raptors including golden eagles. They are shown in a 1.3-mile walking loop across a hillside above Carlsbad, with the desert itself as the backdrop rather than a painted wall, and the botanical half of the collection runs alongside: several hundred species of cactus and succulent, a greenhouse, and planted zones for each sub-habitat of the region. It takes about ninety minutes and it does more to explain the country around Carlsbad Caverns than anything in the caverns themselves, which is the argument for doing it first rather than second. Every plant on the loop is labelled, and you will recognise them for the rest of the trip.

1504 Miehls Drive North, Carlsbad, Carlsbad, New Mexico, 88220, United States

Open daily through the middle of the day and afternoon, with the last admission usually an hour and a half before closing because the loop takes that long to walk. Summer hours start earlier in the morning, which is deliberate - the animals are active at dawn and asleep by midday. It closes on a small number of major holidays. Some aviaries and the nocturnal exhibit have their own limited access. Evening events run on announced dates.

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