Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Introduction

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico, is renowned for its extensive cave system and rich history.  The history of Carlsbad Caverns National Park dates back millions of years, but its human history began in the late 19th century. The caverns were first explored by Jim White, a local cowboy, in 1898. White was captivated by the large bat flights emerging from the cave and decided to investigate further. His explorations revealed the vast underground chambers that would later become famous. On October 25, 1923, President Calvin Coolidge signed a proclamation creating Carlsbad Cave National Monument. This designation was later upgraded to a national park by Congress on May 14, 1930. The park was also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 due to its unique geological formations and significant natural beauty. In 2023 Carlsbad Caverns National Park recorded around 300,000 visitors.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park covers an area of approximately 46,766 acres (18,926 hectares). The park's terrain includes the Chihuahuan Desert, Guadalupe Mountains, and the Permian Basin. The elevation within the park ranges from 3,596 feet to 6,368 feet (1,096 m to 1,941 m) above sea level. The park's most famous feature, the Big Room, is a massive limestone chamber that is almost 4,000 feet (1,220 m) long, 625 feet (191 m) wide, and 255 feet (78 m) high at its highest point.

For more information on the park, go to Wikipedia.

Exploring the Caverns

Timed Entry

Visitors must make a timed entry reservation in advance. Reservations can be made up to 30 days before your visit and up to 5 AM MT on the day of your visit. It’s important to note that reservations are required for both adults and children, even though children 15 and under enter for free. The reservation system allows you to select a specific entry time. You have a 60-minute window to enter the cave starting from your selected time. For example, if you choose an 8:30 AM reservation, you must enter the cave between 8:30 AM and 9:30 AM.  Reservations can be made at recreation.gov

Cavern Tickets

Tickets can be purchased at the visitor center.  You have two options for exploring the caverns.  The self-guided and Ranger-guided tours.  

Self-Guided Tour allows you two options to reach the main galleries.  The elevator takes you directly to the Big Room Trail at the bottom.  

Our personal favorite is taking the Natural Entrance Trail.  It is a downhill trail for 1.25 miles (2 km).  It is steep in place and there are also stairs. This is the original entrance to the caverns.  It allows you to see formations that you cannot see by taking the elevator.

Ranger-guided Tour tickets can be purchased at recreation.gov  We highly recommend that you purchase tickets early.  They sell out fast.

Hiking

Carlsbad Caverns National Park has 30 miles (48 km) of trails.  It gets very hot in the park, especially in summer.  Remember to bring a lot of water. Do not expect any on the trails.  A link to the trails can be found at the NPS site.

Below are our three favorites.  

Slaughter Canyon trail is a 5.3 mile (8.6 km) roundtrip hike with an elevation gain of 1,850 feet (564 m).  The trail has impressive features like the Christmas Tree and the Monarch.  It is not and easy hike, but the views are well worth it.  Trailhead is located at the Slaughter Canyon parking area.  Many hikers backpack this trail as well.

Rattlesnake Canyon is moderately challenging.  It is 3 miles (4.8 km) with an elevation gain of 600 feet (183 m).  We have not seen rattlesnakes but they are there.  The hike provides stunning views of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Juniper Ridge Trail is a 3.5 mile (5 km) hike with 800 feet (240 m) of elevation gain.  Expect great views of the surrounding area.  Trailhead is located on the scenic Desert Loop Road.

Camping and Food

There are no campgrounds in Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  However, the park is surrounded by BLM land which has open RV and tent camping.

The Carlsbad Caverns Trading Company has a restaurant at the visitor center and at the base of the elevator.  The snack bar is only open on Friday's, Saturday's and Sunday's.