Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

To be completely honest, I was not that excited to see Carlsbad Caverns. Don’t get me wrong – I love a cave. I’ve always wanted a cool cave lair. (Obviously, the entrance would be a slide). But I’ve been to a few caves in my day and figured they all followed a similar formula. You join a group of slow moving tourists and a guide walks you through a few of the rooms. The guide explains how stalactites and stalagmites are formed. Then they show you a large room with an organ in it where church masses are for some reason held. Finally, they send you on your merry way.

Well… let’s just say that Carlsbad was different. For starters, you can self-tour. This was a huge for me because I hate a tour. Ok, hate’s a bit strong, but more often than not I find that I’m just fine on my own. This was also by far the biggest cave I’ve ever been in. (Aaaand there was no organ room. Full of surprises.)

Carlsbad Caverns

You start by walking down a bunch of switchbacks into the mouth of the cave. Then, you follow the path for about a mile and a half until you get to the big room. The sights you see on the journey down are astonishing, so it’s genuinely shocking to wind up in the big room, which is roughly the size of 14 football fields. To put the football field thing in perspective, wandering through the big room is about another mile and a half.

Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns

Since so many people self-tour Carlsbad Caverns, there’s lots of signage. These signs point out significant spots in the cave, as well as the scientific process by which the cave and all its wonders were formed.

And if you can’t walk long (or slippery) distances, there’s an elevator that can take you to and from the big room.

The Bat Flight Program

Perhaps the coolest thing about Carlsbad Caverns is the bat flight program. This free program takes place from about April to October (though you should check the website before setting out to see it, as dates change from year to year). Basically, you sit down in an outdoor amphitheater and watch thousands of bats burst out of the natural entrance to Carlsbad Caverns (usually at around 7:45pm). It’s cool as hell.

Since the vibrations can upset the bats, guests are not permitted to use cameras, phones, or other electronics during the flight. So unfortunately, I can’t share any pictures or videos of this miraculous event. Trust me, though, when I say it was one of the most magical things I’ve ever witnessed.

Are you planning a trip to New Mexico? Make sure to stop at Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Monument! I promise you won’t regret it.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *