Southwest Region
CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK
Welcome to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a subterranean marvel located in southeastern New Mexico. Known for its vast underground chambers, stunning limestone formations, rich history, and spectacular bat flights, this park offers visitors an unforgettable journey beneath the Earth’s surface. Above ground, the rugged landscapes of the Chihuahuan Desert provide additional opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, and exploration.
Did You Know?
- Carlsbad Caverns contains more than 120 known caves that were formed primarily by sulfuric acid rather than freshwater erosion.
- The Big Room is so large that approximately six football fields could fit inside it.
- The park is home to thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats that emerge from the cave each evening during the warmer months.
- Despite the often extreme desert temperatures outside, the cavern remains a constant 56°F year-round.
My Personal Experience
I combined my visit to Carlsbad Caverns with nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which is only about thirty minutes away. Two things make Carlsbad Caverns very different from most cave systems: self-guided exploration and bats.
You can explore both the Big Room and the Natural Entrance Trail at your own pace, which creates a much more personal experience than many caves where visitors must remain with a guided tour at all times. The Big Room is the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America, and seeing the cave formations was truly impressive. Walking through the enormous chambers, I felt a bit like one of the early explorers who first ventured deep into the cave before electric lighting and paved trails transformed the visitor experience. I spent several hours underground and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
My visit took place in 2010. Since then, the park has become so popular that the National Park Service implemented a timed-entry system. Make your reservation in advance because same-day tickets may not be available. I also drove Walnut Canyon Road, which provided access to several trailheads. Unfortunately, as of publication of this guide, the road remains indefinitely closed following severe flood damage in 2022.
After exploring the caverns and hiking trails, I highly recommend staying until sunset if you visit between April and October. Head to the Bat Flight Amphitheater, listen to the ranger presentation, and watch thousands of bats emerge from the cave to begin their nightly hunt for insects. Visitors are not permitted to take photographs or record video during the bat flight, which turns out to be a blessing. You can put away your phone, stop worrying about pictures, and simply enjoy the experience. I had never seen anything quite like it before.
Oh, and one final piece of advice: I brought a thirty-gallon trash bag with holes cut out for my head and arms. Wear one if you do not want bat droppings on your clothes.
Basic Facts
Address:
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
3225 National Parks Highway
Carlsbad, NM 88220
Operation Hours and Seasons:
The park is open year-round, but the hours for the visitor center and cave tours vary seasonally.
Cavern entrance hours are from 9:30am – 2:30pm with the last ticket being sold at 2:15pm. The park implemented a timed entry system to enter the caves. Secure your reservations at recreation.gov.
Visitors:
Approximately 440,000 per year (2022)
Entrance Fees:
- Adults (16 and older) – $15.00
- Children (15 and younger) – Free
Website:
nps.gov/cave
Map:
nps.gov/cave/planyourvisit/maps.htm
Additional Information:
For more local information, visit carlsbadchamber.com.
Best Time to Visit
The caverns maintain a constant temperature of 56°F throughout the year.
Bat flight occur between April to October making this the best season for an ultimate park experience.
Spring is one of the best times to visit. Comfortable desert temperatures make hiking enjoyable, and bat activity begins returning as temperatures warm. Summer is peak visitation season. The cool cave temperatures provide a welcome escape from desert heat that frequently exceeds 90°F. Fall offers excellent weather, smaller crowds than summer, and continued opportunities to observe the bat flight program. Winter is the quietest season. Visitors enjoy smaller crowds and comfortable cave conditions, although the famous bat flights are absent.
Recommended Time
1 Day: This is sufficient for most visitors. Explore the Big Room, descend via the Natural Entrance Trail, and stay for the evening bat flight program if visiting during bat season
2-3 Days: Ideal for visitors interested in ranger-guided cave tours, additional hiking, and exploring the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert environment. Perfect also for combining the visit with nearby Guadalupe Mountains and White Sands national parks.
Getting There
The nearest town is Carlsbad, New Mexico. From Carlsbad, take US-62/180 W for about 20 miles to reach the park entrance. The park is also frequently combined with visits to nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas.
Weather
The cave remains a constant 56°F year-round, but surface conditions vary considerably.
- Spring (March to May): 70s to 80s°F (21–32°C). Mild weather makes this one of the best seasons for hiking and exploring.
- Summer (June to August): 90s°F (32–37°C). Conditions can be hot and dry, making the cool cave temperatures especially appealing.
- Fall (September to November): 70s to 80s°F (21–32°C). Comfortable conditions return and visitation levels begin to decline.
- Winter (December to February): 40s to 60s°F (4–16°C). Days are generally mild, although nighttime temperatures occasionally drop below freezing.
Always bring a light jacket for cave exploration regardless of the season.
Hiking
Although famous for its caves, the park also offers several worthwhile surface trails.
Easy:
- Walnut Canyon Area: Historically provided access to several additional short trails and viewpoints. As of publication, Walnut Canyon Road remains closed due to extensive flood damage.
- Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail – 0.5 miles loop: A short interpretive trail showcasing plants and wildlife adapted to the desert environment
Moderate:
- Old Guano Road Trail – 3.5 miles round trip: Follows a historic route once used to transport guano from the cave area. The trail offers expansive desert views and excellent opportunities for solitude.
Strenuous:
- Slaughter Canyon Trail – 5.5 miles round trip: Climbs gradually into rugged desert terrain and provides sweeping views across the Chihuahuan Desert toward the Guadalupe Mountains.
Cave Tours
Carlsbad Caverns offers some of the finest cave experiences in North America:
Easy:
- Big Room Trail – 1.25 mile loop: The park’s signature experience through one of the largest cave chambers in the world.
- Natural Entrance Trail – 1.25 miles one way: A dramatic descent through the historic cave entrance used by early explorers.
Moderate:
- King’s Palace Tour: A 1.5-hour ranger-guided tour through highly decorated chambers, including the King’s Palace, Queen’s Chamber, Papoose Room, and Green Lake Room.
- Left Hand Tunnel Tour: A 2-hour lantern-lit tour that recreates the atmosphere of early cave exploration.
Strenuous:
- Lower Cave Tour: A 3-hour adventure featuring ladders and rope-assisted descents into less-visited sections of the cave.
- Hall of the White Giant Tour: One of the park’s most demanding cave adventures, involving crawling and climbing through narrow passages.
Tour availability changes frequently, and reservations are strongly recommended.
Bat Flight Program
From April through October, visitors can witness one of the park’s most famous natural events.
Thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats emerge from the cave at sunset and spiral into the evening sky in search of food. Rangers provide an educational presentation before the flight begins. Photography and video recording are prohibited during the program to avoid disturbing the bats.
Scenic Drives
Carlsbad Caverns is primarily about cave exploration rather than scenic driving.
Walnut Canyon Desert Drive: Historically the park’s primary scenic drive, providing access to trailheads, overlooks, and desert scenery. As of publication, the road remains closed indefinitely due to severe flood damage sustained in 2022. Visitors should check the National Park Service website for current status updates.
Best Viewpoints
- Big Room Trail: Offers spectacular views of one of the largest cave chambers on Earth.
- Natural Entrance: Provides dramatic perspectives of the cavern opening, Iceberg Rock, and Devil’s Den.
- Walnut Canyon Overlook: Historically provided excellent views of the surrounding desert landscape when accessible.
- Bat Flight Amphitheater: Watch thousands of bats emerge from the cave at sunset.
Wildlife Viewing
Although the bats the only mammals capable of flight receive most of the attention, the park protects a surprisingly diverse desert ecosystem. Visitors may encounter mule deer, coyotes, kit foxes, jackrabbits, roadrunners, desert reptiles, and numerous bird species. The surrounding Chihuahuan Desert supports more biodiversity than many visitors expect. Early morning and evening provide the best opportunities for wildlife viewing above ground. The bat flight program, however, remains the park’s premier wildlife experience.
Photography
Carlsbad Caverns offers unique opportunities for both underground and desert photography.
- Cave Photography: The cave formations provide endless photographic subjects. Long exposures and careful composition work particularly well. Modern cameras perform remarkably well in low light, but visitors should be courteous and avoid excessive flash photography in crowded areas.
- Natural Entrance: One of the most dramatic photography locations in the park, especially during the morning hours. Morning light filtering into the cavern entrance creates dramatic contrasts between the desert landscape above and the darkness below.
- Night Photography: The remote desert location offers excellent dark-sky conditions for photographing the Milky Way and night landscapes.
- Bat Flight Program: Photography of the bat flight is prohibited. While initially disappointing to some visitors, it encourages everyone to focus on the experience itself rather than documenting it.
- Desert Landscapes: The Chihuahuan Desert surrounding the cave offers beautiful opportunities for sunrise, sunset, and wildlife photography.
Do not take pictures of the bats (even without a flash) and it could cause changes in their behavior.
Horseback Riding
Horseback Riding is restricted in the park and only available on the approximately 20-mile section of the Guadalupe Ridge Trail that passes through Carlsbad Caverns National Park. This trail connects Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Lincoln National Forest, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Official regulations and trail information are available at nps.gov/cave/guadalupe-ridge-trail.htm. There are no guided horseback riding operations within the park.
General Aviation
Visitors are traveling through one of the least populated regions of the United States. A rental car is strongly recommended regardless of which airport you use. The airport in Carlsbad, New Mexico is just 22 miles northeast of the park but rental car options are rather limited. Roswell, New Mexico or El Paso, Texas might be better options for renting a car.
Cavern City Air Terminal Airport (KCNM) in Carlsbad, NM:
- 22 miles to the northeast of the park
- Longest runway: 7,854 feet
- 100LL available
Roswell Air Center Airport (KROW) in Roswell, NM:
- 99 miles to the north of the park
- Longest runway: 13,000 feet
- 100LL available
El Paso International Airport (KELP) in El Paso, TX:
- 146miles to the west of the park
- Longest runway: 12,020 feet
- 100LL available
Pilots should carefully consider high density altitude during summer, desert heat, mountainous terrain, military restricted airspace, strong winds and turbulence, and proximity to the Mexican border Despite these challenges, the region offers spectacular flying scenery.
Nearby Attractions
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park: Home to the highest peak in Texas, outstanding hiking, and one of the largest exposed fossil reefs in the world.
- Brantley Lake State Park: A popular recreation area centered around one of the largest lakes in southeastern New Mexico.
- Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park: An excellent introduction to the wildlife and ecosystems of the Chihuahuan Desert.
- Lincoln National Forest: More than one million acres of forested mountains offering hiking, camping, horseback riding, and cooler temperatures.
- Sitting Bull Falls Recreation Area: A surprising desert oasis featuring spring-fed waterfalls, pools, and picnic areas.
- Bottomless Lakes State Park: New Mexico’s oldest state park, featuring small lakes and recreational opportunities near Roswell.
Important Tips
- Reservations: Timed-entry reservations are required to enter the caverns. Reserve well in advance, especially during peak seasons.
- Bring a Jacket: The cave remains at 56°F year-round and can feel surprisingly cool after spending time in the desert.
- Wear Good Footwear: Even the self-guided routes involve significant walking on paved but occasionally damp surfaces.
- Stay for the Bats: If visiting between April and October, plan your day around the evening bat flight program.
- Respect Wildlife: Do not photograph or record the bats during the evening flight program.
- Check Road Conditions: Walnut Canyon Road has experienced significant closures due to flood damage. Verify current conditions before your visit.
- Elevator Availability: If you descend through the Natural Entrance, remember that the return hike is steep. Many visitors prefer to exit via the elevator.
- Watch Your Step: Cave trails are well maintained but can be damp and slippery in places.
- Protect Cave Resources: Never touch cave formations. Oils from human skin can permanently damage delicate features that took thousands of years to form.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park offers visitors the opportunity to explore a truly otherworldly environment beneath the surface of the Earth. The immense chambers, delicate formations, and fascinating geologic history make it one of the world’s premier cave destinations. Add the spectacular evening bat flight and the surrounding desert landscapes, and it becomes easy to understand why Carlsbad Caverns remains one of the most unique and memorable parks in the National Park System.
