Carlsbad Caverns National Park in a Day

If you like this article, please share. Thanks!

Well, it had been thirteen years since I last visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park as part of my year long road trip around the USA.  My first visit was in haste because I wasn’t sure I was allowed to leave my dog Petey in VANilla and didn’t want to break the rules on Federal property.

My second visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park came after spending three days in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  Without my crazy dog Annie in tow, I had a more leisurely visit.

I stopped in the Visitors Center in the late afternoon as the tours were ending to find out about the bats and the following day tour options.  I learned in late April, I didn’t need a reservation for bat viewing or a cave tour if I came first thing in the morning.  That said, I should have purchased the tickets the prior afternoon when there was hardly a line!

The Bats of Carlsbad Caverns

The bat viewing program at Carlsbad Cavern is free and takes place nightly from Memorial Day weekend through October.  The bats typically return from migration in mid-to-late April, so there is a chance to see them sooner if the weather is cooperating.

A couple of facts to improve your viewing chances are:

1.  They can go three days without leaving the cave to feed, so if you are visiting during a questionable time, ask a ranger when they were seen last.
2. The bats don’t typically hunt for bugs when it is windy, so save yourself some time from being skunked if the wind is up.

I wish I were armed with those two tips when I went to the bat viewing at Carlsbad Caverns. Despite it being late April and well before Memorial Day in May, the rangers held the bat viewing program.

Visitors walk five minutes from the Visitor Center to the bat flight amphitheater where the rangers hold a question and answer session about bats while waiting for them leave the cave after dusk.  Leave your cell phones and pets at home.  They are not allowed.  And control small children as the bats are sensitive to noise and will not fly out if it is noisy.

Bat Facts

With a screaming kid and high winds, we were skunked, but it didn’t stop us from seeing swallows and learning many interesting things about bats including:

1. There are approximately 500,000 bats in the colony at Carlsbad Caverns
2. The peak of their population is in August when they have their babies
3. They can fly up to 60 miles away and as high as 10,000 feet while hunting
4. One bat may consume 1,000 insects a single hour!! Think of how many mosquitoes there would be without bats!

Morning Viewing

Anyway, if you are an early bird rather than a night owl, you may watch the bats on your own in the morning when they return between 4 and 6 am.  They don’t all return at once like they do when they exit the cave, but they dive from hundreds of feet and reach speeds of 25 mph!

Living in Texas, I suppose my best chance of seeing a mass exodus of bats is under the 6^th street bridge in Austin which is home to a colony numbering 1.5 million. Until then my next nature adventure will be trying to spot the synchronous fireflies in Tennessee so stay tuned.

History of Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located on 46,766 acres of the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico, is known for its namesake cave, Carlsbad Cavern.  Believe it or not, 120 limestone caves have been discovered in the fossil reef from an inland ocean, and Carlsbad Cavern is just one of them.

It is thought to be discovered by sixteen-year-old, Jim White, who settled in the area with his family in 1898 when New Mexico was still a territory, not a state!  He was instrumental in guiding photographer Ray Davis through the cave whose photographs in the New York Times sparked interest in 1923.  He also led surveyor Robert Holly of the General Land Office, who recommended the cave be a national monument.

The entrance to the cave was once with a guano bucket, as guano mining began in 1903.  It was changed to a wooden ladder in 1925.  Today’s visitors to Carlsbad Caverns get to choose between a paved path or an elevator!

The site was designated a National Park in 1930 and today includes a seven mile entrance road with wayside exhibits, a scenic drive for high clearance vehicles, 50 miles of backcountry trails without reliable water, a picnic area, a visitors center, and of course a few featured caves.

The Caves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park

The main caves include Carlsbad Cavern, Lechuguilla Cave and Slaughter Canyon Cave.

Lechuguilla Cave, limited to research and exploration only, is 140 miles long. 

Slaughter Canyon Cave, also known as the Lower Cave, is open for ranger guided tours at 8:30 am Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  This is a rugged 3- hour tour with a group size limited to twelve.  Reservations are required.  Call 877-444-6777 or visit Recreation.gov.

The tour requires descending sixty feet via a ladder and walking backwards while holding onto a knotted rope.  Correct hiking shoes are required, only small fanny packs are permitted, and any other gear will be provided.   

The highlights include the Rookery with countless nests of cave pearls and the Colonel Boles Formation which features a high diversity of cave formations.

Last but certainly not least is Carlsbad Cavern which features both self-guided and ranger guided tours in the Kings Palace and the Big Room, respectively.

Kings Palace

The 1.5-hour ranger guided tour takes place in the Kings Palace which features four highly decorated chambers including formations such as draperies, columns, and soda straws.  The one mile tour follows a paved path 830 feet below the desert surface and requires walking up a steep hill at the end.  Beware, rangers often conduct a blackout to show the natural darkness of the cave.

All the ranger guided tours require an additional fee, and it is best to book in advance during high season.  Though the Kings Palace tour was available for walk ups on a week day in late April.

Wishing to explore Carlsbad Cavern at my own pace.  I did a self-guided tour.  Self-guided tours access the Big Room in Carlsbad Cavern by elevator or by the Natural Entrance.

The Big Room

The Big Room Trail which is accessed by elevator is 1.25 miles and takes about 1.5 hours to complete.  If you are pressed for time, it includes a short cut which reduces the time and walking distance to half.

The Natural Entrance Trail is also 1.25 miles and descends steeply, the equivalent of a 75-story building, via paved path.  For those that want some exercise or are interested in how the early explorers entered the cave, this is a good option.  The beginning lacks the formations found in the Big Room, so you won’t be missing much by taking the most popular tour via the Big Room Trail.

Both the Big Room Trail and the Natural Entrance Trail feature many sign boards.  If you don’t want to stop and read, you may rent an audio tour guide for $5 at the gift shop, but it basically repeats what the signs say.

The formations and grandeur of the Big Room are something to write home about! It features stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, soda straws, pearls, reflective pools, and more. Many of the formations have names like the Chandelier, the Hall of Giants, the Rock of Ages, and the Crystal Spring Dome.  You can probably come up with some of your own names too! It’s really amazing to think about how long it has taken for all the beautiful formations to develop.  Please respect nature and don’t touch these fragile features!

Summary

If you are trying to decide between the Kings Palace (ranger guided) and the Big Room (self guided), the Big Room is grander, but the formations are closer in the Kings Palace.

Overall, I highly recommend a visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  The surface terrain isn’t terribly enticing, so no need to plan for hours of hiking, but be sure to plan for a few hours in a cave. And while it may be warm outside, bring a sweater. The temperature inside the cave is 56 degrees!

Where to Stay

If staying overnight, there are plenty of accommodations and everything you need in the City of Carlsbad, New Mexico, 20 miles away.  For a closer overnight with limited amenities, check out Whites City at the entrance of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  ETB

Pin it For Later

If you like this article, please share. Thanks!