Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a limestone show cave with the fifth-largest chamber in North America. Located in southern New Mexico, its Big Room is 4,000 feet long (1200 m) and 255 feet tall (78 m). Best of all, you can explore Carlsbad Caverns at your own pace or take a guided tour. If the weather is blazing, visitors can head underground to enjoy nature’s air conditioning. The cave can be explored in half a day too. Here are the top things to do at Carlsbad, NM.
Why Visit Carlsbad Caverns
If you are on an extended road trip, Carlsbad Caverns makes an interesting stop. Its weather is consistent and cool in the summer.
With its proximity to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas, it is convenient to visit both sites on the same trip. Carlsbad Caverns, which offers an elevator and a Big Room, is an excellent option for those new to cave tours. It is one of the top things to do at Carlsbad, NM.
Carlsbad Caverns at a Glance
| Year Established: 1930 |
| Located: Southern New Mexico |
| Size: Below: over 30 miles of surveyed passageways Above: 46,000 acres |
| Top Features: Cave Tours and Bat Programs |
Top Things to Do at Carlsbad NM and Carlsbad Caverns
Tour the Visitor Center
See the Caverns on a Tour
Take a Hike
Check out the bats during the summer
Go to a Night Sky Program
Earn a Junior Ranger Badge
Learn about White Nose Syndrome
Visit the Nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas
Tour the Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center
After arriving at Carlsbad Caverns, visitors head to the Visitor Center. It offers park maps, a 16-minute park film, Hidden World and a concession area. This is one of the top things to do at Carlsbad, NM.
The Visitor Center features exhibits to help visitors learn more about how the cave was formed. Visitors will also learn about the park’s animals, including the Brazilian free-tailed bats.
The visitor center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on major holidays. Tours require an additional ticket and reservation for everyone.
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How to See Carlsbad Caverns
Visitors must secure online reservations (in addition to the cave entrance fee) in advance to see Carlsbad Caverns. They can make reservations online or over the phone. Reservations are for a timed-entry ticket for a particular day. Everyone in your party entering the cave will need a reservation ($1 per person).
Note: Reservations are not available at the park.
Self-Guided Tours
Visitors can explore Carlsbad Caverns on their own. To enter the cave, cave goers can hike down the Natural Entrance Trail or take the elevators directly into the Big Room Trail. This is one of the top things to do at Carlsbad NM.
Natural Entrance Trail
This 1.25-mile trail descends 750 feet through a series of steep switchbacks. It meets the Big Room Trail near the elevators.
Big Room Trail
See the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America with this 1.25-mile trail that is mostly flat, and some of it is wheelchair accessible.
The last entrance into the cave, both the natural entrance and the elevators, is at 2:30 p.m. All visitors must exit the cave by 4:30 p.m.
Guided Tours of Carlsbad Caverns
If you prefer a guided tour of Carlsbad Caverns, it offers several. Note, guided tours are suspended until further notice.
King’s Palace Tour
Take a 90-minute guided tour through four highly decorated rooms. This tour travels one mile. Children must be at least 6 years old.
Guided tours require an additional ticket. Adult tours are $10 and children’s tours are $5. Advance reservations are required by calling 877-444-6777 or visiting Recreation.gov.
The last entrance into the cave, both the natural entrance and the elevators, is at 2:30 p.m. All visitors must exit the cave by 4:30 p.m.
Lower Cave Tour
For adventurous families with kids 12 and older, tour-goers will see The Rookery, with countless nests of cave pearls, and the Colonel Boles Formation. This tour descends sixty feet of ladders and a knotted rope to get into the cave. Hiking boots with ankle support are required, and helmets and gloves are provided. This tour takes 3 hours.
Adult admission is $30 and $15 for children. Advance reservations are required by calling 877-444-6777 or visiting Recreation.gov.
Slaughter Canyon Tour
This tour is over five hours long. Participants must caravan in their own car to the entrance, and special precautions are in place to prevent White Nose Fungus. Must be 10 years old.
Adult admission is $30 and $15 for kids. Advance reservations are required by calling 877-444-6777 or visiting Recreation.gov.
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Hiking Trails at Carlsbad Caverns
You can see the Chihuahuan Desert with a hike during your visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. This is one of the top things to do at Carlsbad NM.
Walnut Canyon Overlook–A 180-yard trail to an overlook, suitable for most travelers.
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail–A .5-mile level trail with desert plants.
Slaughter Canyon Cave Trail–A .5-mile trail with a 500-foot elevation gain.
Night Hike—Take a guided 1.5-mile (2.4 km) hike through the Chihuahuan Desert to see how the desert comes alive at night. The minimum age is 8, and long pants and closed-toe shoes are required. All night programs are first-come, first-served.
Night Hikes are held on several dates during the summer and depend on the weather. Check the NPS schedule for current availability. Additional trails are available.
Bat Flight Programs
For those who visit Carlsbad Caverns from late May through October, the Cave features a Bat Flight Program. In addition to learning about the Brazilian Free-Tail Bats, visitors will see the bats leave the cave. It is one of the top things to do at Carlsbad NM.
The colony fluctuates, and the bat population is between 200,000 and 500,000. The Bat Flight Program starts at 6 p.m., and the bat emergence time is based on the sunset.
Located at the Natural Entrance, it’s a five-minute walk from the visitor center. It’s a free ranger program, and reservations are not required. Electronic devices, including cameras, phones, and tablets, are not allowed, and pets are not allowed. Wheelchair seating is available, and all seating is first-come, first-served.
Night Sky Viewing
During the summer, park rangers guide night sky and stargazing programs. The night ranger programs start after the Bat Flight Programs.
The rangers do not have telescopes out, though visitors are encouraged to bring binoculars and camp chairs. Inquire at the Visitor Center for the next Night Sky Viewing.
Earn a Junior Ranger Badge
The Junior Ranger Program is the go-to program for families to learn more about a National Park Service site. It’s free and takes about two hours to complete. My kids love the badges the Rangers present them after they complete their booklet.
First, pick up a Junior Ranger booklet when visiting Carlsbad Caverns with kids. Find several different booklets for kids to earn their Junior Ranger Badges based on age.
Babies (with adult assistance) and kids up to 6 can earn a Junior Ranger badge.
Kids 7 to 12 get a booklet with activities to learn more about the parks.
Kids 13+ (and adults) can earn a badge while exploring the cave.
Junior Bat Biologist is a separate Junior Ranger Badge that kids can earn. Learn more about the cave along with the bats.
Learn About Bats and White-Nose Syndrome
You can not wear any clothing, including shoes, that has been in another cave due to White-Nose Syndrome. Additionally, camera and camera equipment will have to be disinfected if they have been in another cave.
If you visit Carlsbad Caverns two days in a row, you will be required to wear fresh clothes for your second visit. Otherwise, you will have to thoroughly wash the clothes that you wore into the cave.
White-Nose Syndrome kills hibernating bat colonies across the U.S. and Canada. Since its discovery in 2006, it has killed 6 million bats as a fungus that thrives in low temperatures and high humidity.
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Take a tour to learn more or to see a different portion of the cave. Photo Credit: NPS/Peter Jones
When to Visit Carlsbad Caverns
The best part of visiting caves is the weather. It never rains. However, the cave temperature is 56°F (13°C) year-round. So be prepared for cool temperatures with a fleece layer.
If you are interested in attending the Bat Flight Programs, visit Carlsbad Caverns from Memorial Day weekend through October.
Where’s Carlsbad Caverns
Located 20 miles southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico, the visitor center’s address is 727 Carlsbad Caverns Highway. It’s seven miles from the entrance sign to the visitor center. You’ll find lots of parking, including RV parking.
Adult admission (16+) is $15 per person and free for kids 15 and under.
See the Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Since Carlsbad Caverns is located in the Guadalupe Mountains in southern New Mexico, you should visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas.
The Guadalupe Mountains are the high point of Texas at 8,751 ft. It features a developed trail for high pointers to reach the summit and mark another peak off their list.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park offers dark skies and quiet hiking. Guadalupe Peak boasts a rugged mountain backdrop and over 80 miles of hiking trails, some accessible and over half open to horseback riding.
Located at 400 Pine Canyon, Salt Flat, just south of the New Mexico border and 110 miles east of El Paso. Open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The Big Springs Visitor Center is open Monday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $7 a person for 16+ for a seven-day pass.
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