Until 1932, visitors to Carlsbad Cavern had to enter the cave via a switchback ramp that dropped down 750 feet. Then in 1932, the NPS built a Visitor Center including two large elevators to bring visitors in and out. Today, you still have the option of hiking in or out or taking the elevator.
Location: Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located south of the city Carlsbad, NM near the border with Texas.
Cost: Entrance fees for adults (16+) are $10; children (under 15) are free. There are additional fees if you take one of the tours.
Time: The Visitors Center is open daily from 8:00 am - 7:00 pm. from Memorial Day weekend - Labor Day. It closes at 5:00 during the rest of the year. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Plan on spending 2-4 hours if you go on a tour (either self-guided or ranger-led).
- The Nightly Bat Flight program begins at 7:30 each evening from Memorial Day until October.
Description: Unfortunately, we arrived too late for the Nightly Bat Flight. When we arrived at the Visitor Center the next morning, we took the King's Palace Tour. We went down 700 feet by elevator to begin the tour, which took 1 1/2 hours. The ranger led us along the paved path through four amazing chambers: the Green Lake Room, the Kings Palace, the Papoose Room and the Queens Chamber (which includes some of the most beautiful formations in the nation). In the Kings Palace, we saw the formation that appeared on the cover of National Geographic a century ago (upside down), bringing Carlsbad Caverns into the national spotlight. On the tour we saw some smoke smudges Jim White made while exploring the cave to mark his way as well as many amazing formations. We also experienced a "Black Out" in which all the lights were extinguished (on purpose) leaving us in complete darkness.
 |
| Green Lake Room |
After the tour, we hiked the mile and a quarter out through the natural entrance - including the Bat Cave. Along the way we saw several famous formations including the Bashful Elephant, the Whales Mouth, the Veiled Statue, and Iceberg Rock.
 |
| Bashful Elephant |
 |
| Veiled Statue |
 |
| Whale's Mouth |
 |
| Bat Cave |
 |
| bats |
Things You Should Know: - You can enter and exit the cave either by elevator or hiking. Entrance to the cave by elevator must be prior to 5:00 pm during the summer (3:30 the rest of the year).
- You can either take a guided tour led by a ranger, or take a self-guided tour. The two self-guided tours include the hike down from the surface and the Big Room (which at almost 4,000 feet is the largest room in the cave system).
- If you plan on taking a guided tour, it is strongly recommended to make a reservation ahead of time (48+ hours in advance). Tickets for guided tours must be picked up 30 minutes before the tour begins.
- Pets are not allowed on park trails, off road, at bat flight, in the visitor center or in the cave.
- Even though there is lighting, bring your own flashlight so that you can examine the formations better.
- The Nightly Bat Flight program is free, but is offered on a first-come first serve basis at the amphitheater. No electronic devices of any kind (including cameras) are to be used during the bat flight.
- Other Night Sky events are offered at various times from June through October (particularly Saturday nights).
- Two other caves located within the National Park are open to the public: Spider Cave and Slaughter Canyon Cave. Both are undeveloped except for designated paths for guided adventure caving tours.
Nearby: Brokeoff Mountains Wilderness Study Area, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Living Desert State Park, Hueco Tanks State Park
No comments:
Post a Comment