Carlsbad Caverns

Overview

Carlsbad Caverns National Park hides one of the world's most spectacular cave systems beneath the scrubby hills of the Chihuahuan Desert in southeastern New Mexico. The Big Room, the main attraction, is a single underground chamber so large that it could contain six football fields, with a ceiling 255 feet high and formations that have been growing drop by drop for hundreds of thousands of years. Stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and delicate soda straw formations crowd the chamber in arrangements that feel almost deliberately artistic. The Natural Entrance trail is the park's signature experience: a steep, switchbacking descent of 750 feet through the gaping mouth of the cave, passing through twilight zones where the temperature drops and cave swallows dart overhead. The descent takes about an hour and ends at the Big Room, where a 1.25-mile paved loop trail winds past the most impressive formations. For those who prefer, an elevator drops directly to the Big Room from the visitor center. Every summer evening from May through October, hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the cave mouth at dusk in a swirling column visible from the amphitheater above. The bat flight program, led by a ranger, is free and unforgettable. Beyond the main cave, the park contains over 100 additional caves, including Slaughter Canyon Cave and Spider Cave, which require separate ranger-led permits.

Things to Do

• Walk the Natural Entrance trail into the cavern
• Explore the Big Room on the paved loop trail
• Watch the bat flight program at sunset
• Tour Slaughter Canyon Cave by lantern light
• Hike the Rattlesnake Springs nature trail
• Join a ranger-led Spider Cave crawling tour
• Drive the Walnut Canyon Desert Drive

Wildlife

Keep an eye out for these animals during your visit:

Weather & Best Time to Visit

Hot desert summers with highs above 100°F on the surface. Inside the cave, it is a constant 56°F year-round. Spring and fall are most comfortable for above-ground trails.