Carlsbad Caverns - The Basics

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in the Southeast portion of New Mexico, 20 miles from the town of Carlsbad.  The park has over 117 caves made in the limestone which was once an ocean reef.  The caverns were formed in this area when waters rich in hydrogen sulfide mixed with rainwater to create sulfuric acid.  The acid ate away the limestone and created the chambers that you are able to visit today.  About four million years ago this process stopped and the cave started making formations as surface water started working its way into the cave.  The formations that we see today is a result of the surface water bring minerals down and depositing them in the area.

Carlsbad Cavern is the cave that most people visit and is developed for the large number of visitors the park hosts each year. The Carlsbad Cavern has 30 miles of passages surveyed and has been developed extensively for visitors.  The great room that you visit is 8.2 acres in size and is the largest cave chamber publicly accessible in North America.

The drive from the highway to the visitor center provides an exciting view of the desert and snakes its way up the canyon walls to some spectacular views.  The visitor center sits high up overlooking the valley below and provides great views along the canyon's edge to the south.

The visitor center is large and well developed to provide both educational exhibits, a large gift shop, classrooms, and a large cafeteria where you can get a variety of food options from a full meal to a snack.  Upon arrival, you want to go and get your ticket to go into the cave.  There are a couple of options for going into the cave.  The most common route is to take a short path to the entrance of the cave and then begin walking down the paved path into the cavern.  As you continue down the path and some stairs you start to notice the light from the entrance of the cave fade away and your subterranean journey becomes very real.  The other way to get down is to take the elevator down, but unless you like climbing up and out or the cave like I do at times, you will miss an important part of the cave.  The trail down is 1.25 miles in length and you take it at your own pace.

When you make it to the end of the trail heading down, the exploration really beings.  You will be able to follow a number of pathways that will take you to a variety of formations that will show the diversity of the cave.  You will see mighty stalagmites growing from the floor, stalactites that have been hanging onto the ceiling slowly growing downward with each drip of water.  There are soda straws that are thin tubes that connect on both ends and massive columns that have formed of the years.  Another favorite is the large curtain formations that are sometimes called cave bacon because they are very thin and have great color to them when lit from behind.  The big room trail is 1.5 miles in length and it is recommended that you allow 1.5 hours to complete the loop.  There is a short cut on the loop trail that will reduce the length to 0.6 miles and a recommended time allowance of 45 minutes.

Once you have completed the loop trail you end up by the restrooms and the elevator shaft.  There may be a line during the busiest seasons and you will need to wait for the elevator to take you back up to the surface to complete your exploration.

There are some other cave tours that are available but only as ranger-guided tours.  Watch here for more information about the ranger-guided tours to other portions of the cave in future posts.

Carlsbad Caverns is a great place to go in the summer because the cave is a constant temperature of about 56 degrees, but the surface temps with being in the high 90's.  It is a popular destination during spring breaks as the desert is usually snow free and sunny.

The Details:
Park Entry Fee: Yes - $15.00 per person (Children under 15 years of age are free)
Tour Fees: Yes - cost varies based on tour
Visitor Center:✯✯✯✯✯
Facilities: ✯✯✯✯✯
Helpful Rangers: ✯✯✯✯✯
Gift Shop: ✯✯✯✯✯
On-Site Food: ✯✯✯✯

Where to Stay:
Hotel rooms in the Carlsbad area can be very expensive depending on when you are planning on going.   I just searched for a room for the last week of March (Spring Break 2019) and they are wanting $378 for a room with two queen beds.  I know that I have used points when I have stayed here before on Spring Break because of the high prices.

Hampton Inn and Suites - Carlsbad
This is the best rated hotel option in Carlsbad on Yelp but I have not stayed here.

Fairfield Inn and Suites - Carlsbad
I have stayed here twice and it is your average Fairfield Inn.

KOA, Carlsbad, NM
If you are camping this is not a bad place to do it.  The tent site area has grass, firepits and picnic tables with individual sites and parking.  We stayed here on a trip to Carlsbad with the troop and spent three nights here.  There is a nice recreation room and the showers were up to date and clean.  We were camping in December so we were thankful to have access to the rec room.  The staff were friendly and helpful.

Places to Eat:
No Whiner Diner - see my review on Yelp
La Juanita Mexican Cuisine and Grill
The Church Street Grill - see my review on Yelp