Top 9 Things to do at Carlsbad Caverns with Kids

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is limestone show cave and features the fifth largest chamber in North America. Its Big Room, is 4,000 feet long (1200 m) and 255 feet tall (78 m). If the weather is blazing out, then visitors can head underground to enjoy nature’s air condition in southern New Mexico. Best of all, you can explore Carlsbad Caverns at your-own-pace or take a guided tour. Here are the top things to do at Carlsbad Caverns with kids.

Top Things to do at Carlsbad Caverns with Kids

With close proxity to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas, it’s convenient to see both sites on the same trip. Carlsbad Caverns is an excellent option for those new to cave tours since it offers an elevator along with its Big Room.

• Tour the Visitor Center 

• See the Caverns

• Take a Hike

• Check out the bats during the summer

• Earn a Junior Ranger Badge

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Carlsbad Caverns at a Glance

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.

The Visitor Center features exhibits to learn more about how the cave was formed. Visitors will also learn about the animals of the park, including the Brazilian free-tailed bats.

The visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays. Tours require an additional ticket and reservation for everyone.

How to See Carlsbad Cavern

Visitors must secure online reservations (this is additional to the cave entrance fee) in advance to see Carlsbad Caverns. Visitor can get reservations  online or over-the-phone. Reservations will be for a timed-entry ticket for a particular day. Everyone in is 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.

Natural Entrance Trail—Descend 750 feet through a series of steep switchbacks on this 1.25-mile trail. The Natural Entrance Trail meets the Big Room Trail, close to the elevators.

Big Room Trail—See the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America with this 1.25-mile trail that mostly flat, and some of it is wheelchair accessible.

Last entrance into the cave is at 2:30 for both the natural entrance and the elevators. All visitors need to out of the cave by 4:30 p.m.

Guided Tours of Carlsbad Caverns

If you prefer a guided tour of Carlsbad Caverns, it offers several.

King’s Palace Tour—Take a 90-minute guided tour through four highly decorated rooms. This tour travels one mile. Kids need to be at least 4-years-old.

Guided tours require an additional ticket. Adult tours are $8 and $4 for children. Advance reservations are required. Reservations are recommended by calling 877-444-6777 or visiting Recreation.gov.

Last entrance into the cave is at 2:30 for both the natural entrance and the elevators. All visitors need to out of the cave by 4:30 p.m.

The following tours are temporarily unavailable.

Left Hand Tunnel Tour—Take a two-hour guided tour using a candle light lantern on unpaved trails in an undeveloped portion of the caverns. Kids need to be at least 6-years-old and everyone must wear closed-toed shoes. Tour temporarily unavailable.

For adventurous families with kids 12 and older, consider the Lower Cave Tour or Hall of White Giant Tour. Both tours require hiking boots.

Slaughter Canyon Tour participants must canavan in their own car to the entrance and special precauations are in place to prevent White Nose Fungus.

Hiking Trails at Carlsbad Caverns 

See the Chihuahuan Desert with a hike during your visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Walnut Canyon Overlook–A 180-yard trail to an overlooks, suitable for most travelers.

Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail–A .5-mile level trail with desert plants,

Additional trails are available.

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. Minimum age is 8-years-old and long pants and closed-toe shoes are required. All night programs are first-come, first-serve.

Night Hikes are held on several dates during the summer and dependent on weather. Check the NPS schedule for the current availabilty.

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Bat Flight Programs

For those who are visiting Carlsbad Caverns from late May through October, Carlsbad Caverns features a Bat Flight Program. In addtion to learning  about the Brazilian Free-Tail Bats, vistors will see the bats leave the cave.

The colony fluctuates and the bat population is between 200,00 to 500,00 bats. The Bat Flight Programs 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. No electronic devices are allowed, including cameras, phones and tablets. Pets are not allowed as well. Wheel chair seating is available and all seating is first-come, first-serve.

Night Sky Viewing 

During the summer, park rangers guide host night sky and star gazing 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 that the Rangers present them after completing their booklet.

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 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.

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When to Visit Carlsbad Caverns

The best part of visiting caves is the weather. It never rains. Though be prepared for cool temperatures with a fleece layer. The cave temperature is 56F (13C) year round.

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 from southwest 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. Find lots of parking including RV parking.

Adult admission (16+) is $15 per person and free for kids 15 and under.

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Bats and White-Nose Syndrome

You can not wear any clothing, this includes shoes, that has been in another cave due to White-Nose Syndrome. And camera and camera equipment will have to be disinfected if its been in another cave.

If you are visiting Carlsbad Caverns two days in a row, you will be required to wear fresh clothes for your second visit. Or you will have to throughly wash the clothes that you wore into the cave.

White-Nose Syndrome kills hibernating bat colonies across the U.S. and Canada. A fungus that thrives in low temperatures and high humidity that’s killed 6 million bats since it’s discovery in 2006.

See the Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Since Carlsbad Caverns is located in the Guadalupe Mountains in southern New Mexico, visit the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas.

Guadalupe Mountains is 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 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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