Over my spring break of 2023 my (boy)friend David and I traveled to New Mexico. It was such an amazing trip! I have never been and I was just amazed at all the natural beauty that exists there. I have been on a quest to see as many National Parks as possible. So I was of course excited about visiting the two that are in New Mexico- White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Read on to learn more about Carlsbad Caverns NP.
Planning your visit to Carlsbad Caverns NP
We had a reservation for visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park and make sure you get one yourself before you go. Visit recreation.gov because tickets are NOT available at the park. Our Carlsbad Caverns National Park reservation was for a self-guided tour, but there are also ranger-led tours available. The park and visitor center is open from 8-5pm September to May, and 8-7pm May through September. The last cavern entrance is at 2:30 to allow everyone time to walk around the caverns. In addition, entrance tickets are for specific times. Worth noting (especially if you are on a guided tour) is that when driving to Carlsbad Caverns, you turn off the main highway and it is a 7 mile drive to get to the visitor center. It could take up to 45 minutes to get to the visitor center once you pull off the highway. The drive is lovely, and when you arrive at the visitor center parking lot, take what you need because that is where your adventure begins!
It took us about two hours to walk around the caverns. Temperatures were pretty high the day that we were in Carlsbad (and it was only April so I imagine it must get a lot hotter in summer!). However, inside the caves it is about 56°F all year around. I was very glad to have a jacket. And while there is sometimes a café that is open in the cavern, you might want to pack a lunch and definitely bring some water. You may also want a headlamp!
Tickets for Carlsbad Caverns
Tickets for visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park are $15 a person (plus a $1 fee for reserving online) and is good for three days. However, I purchased the National Park pass for $80 (which paid for itself with the places I visited in New Mexico alone) that gives admittance to all National Park sites for a year. Pets are not allowed at Carlsbad Caverns, though they do have an on-site kennel. Check out their website before you visit for information about closings, permits and more.
Hiking at Carlsbad Caverns
Unlike most parks with multitudes of trails to choose from, it’s pretty much a one-way shot in and out of Carlsbad Caverns. However, there are some trails outside of the actual caverns- the desert trails. Another option for visitors is the Bats in Flight program in the summer. A half an hour before sunset in the amphitheater you will see thousands of bats coming out of the caverns and into the bug-filled night. When hiking into the cavern, visitors do have a choice. First, you may walk down the winding path into the heart of the cavern via the Natural Entrance. However, if mobility is an issue, you can also take an elevator straight down into the Big Room. The last elevator going into the cavern is at 2:30, and the last elevator out is at 4:45pm.
Formation of Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is pretty amazing. The park actually protects 119 known caves. Scientists believe that the Big Room began to form more than 20 million years ago. Petroleum deposits under the Guadalupe mountains reacted with groundwater to create sulfuric acid. This ate through the stone to create vast hollow spots underneath the ground. The caverns then started to fill with stalagmites and stalactites about 500,000 years ago. The intricate formations, which are still growing in some spots, are varying in looks and in size. Some look like towering monsters, and others look like delicate needles. I have visited Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, which is also incredible, but this was still very different. The map above details the depth of Carlsbad Caverns, as well as some of the featured things inside the caverns. The deepest known section of the network is over 1,000 feet (or 300 meters) below ground. And there are still sections that haven’t yet been explored!
Cave Etiquette
When you are visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park and before you enter the cavern, a park ranger stops groups to explain all the rules. Do NOT touch the cave formations. Man, that’s a tough one. They are so strange looking, some of them are just next to the path, but if you want the stalagmites/stalactites to be there for centuries to come (and you do!) resist the urge! Rangers also make sure that no one is chewing any gum, and no drinks (besides water), food or tobacco are allowed in the cavern.
Natural Entrance at Carlsbad Caverns
We opted to hike down the Natural Entrance. As we were going into the cave, there were tons of birds flying around, and that was frightening enough for me. The Natural Entrance is awe-inspiring however. Not just the natural beauty, but also the ingenuity in the creation of the path, which has handrails on either side. The path takes you down 800 feet through the 1.25 mile long path with frequent switchbacks.
While you can tell the path is steep, it is not an overly strenuous walk (going down at least- we passed many people walking back out, and they seemed a bit out of breathe). In fact, it is said the hike depth is equivalent to the size of the Empire State building. Walking around the natural entrance really shows you how huge this cave system is. While the ground finale is the Big Room, I was taking so many pictures as we walked to it. It really is a sight to behold! Beyond just the natural wonder, it was very interesting thinking about how and why they made the tunnel paths. At one point we came to Iceberg Rock- a 200,000 ton boulder which caused the trail to take a big detour just to get around it.
Formations in Carlsbad Caverns National Park
As well as the classic stalactites and stalagmites, Carlsbad Caverns also contains thousands of examples of other limestone formations. Columns reach from the ceiling to the floor, soda straws are hollow tubes, and draperies are wavy sheets. Some formations resemble popcorn, and some others swiss cheese.
The self-guided trail in Carlsbad Caverns takes about an hour until you hit the Big Room. Before venturing down the path to the Big Room you can stop to hit the bathroom or venture back up to the top via the elevator. There’s also a snackbar underground, but it was not open when we visited. So…on to the Big Room!
The Big Room
The Big Room is the largest cave in Carlsbad Caverns. The room is 8.2 acres big! It is full of limestone formations (like the intricate, delicate-looking ceiling pictured below), and even some underground lakes.
You can see such things as the Bottomless Pit and the Hall of Giants. I LOVED the Hall of Giants- some of these limestone formations are over 60 feet big, and they surely have inspired some fairy tales- or maybe some nightmares. Just look at these guys! Can’t you just imagine them getting up and talking?
In another section of the Big Room you can see a rope ladder that was used in 1924 to explore the caverns. Definitely gives you some Indiana Jones vibes, doesn’t it?
After taking the 1.25 mile flat tour through the Big Room, the elevator takes people up 754 feet. You could also go back the way you came, through the Natural Entrance. There are white lights scattered about the big room, but I had a headlamp and was pretty glad I did though you would survive without it.
Venturing other places near Carlsbad Caverns
While you’re there, it would probably be worthwhile to go into Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It is just 35 miles south of Carlsbad Caverns. However, since our trip was all about New Mexico, I decided to not do it during this trip. Prior to visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park we visited White Sands National Park. We stayed in an Airbnb in Carlsbad while we were there, and we left Carlsbad and headed to Roswell.
Thanks for checking out my blog post about Carlsbad Caverns! If you haven’t yet, check out my other posts about my trip to New Mexico, including the aforementioned White Sands NP as well as Bandelier National Monument and Los Alamos– the secret city involved with created the atom bomb in the Manhattan Project. I appreciate your comments, and love your ideas for other adventures!
-Catching Katie
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