Why you should visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Our verdict after waiting so long to see it? Magnificent. 

It's like walking down into the center of the earth and being met with a cross between a Dr. Seuss movie and the surface of another planet. And when you finally reach the Big Room (which took us about an hour of leisurely walking and lots of stops), you've got 6-and-a-half football field lengths of cave to explore – at a height of over 200 feet.

The limestone formations you encounter range from looking like 75-foot tall birthday cakes and Jabba the Hut, to "waterfalls" of Silly Putty, and ceilings jammed with spikes you might see in a horror film.

For these reasons and many more, you really should consider going out of your way to visit this national treasure.  

Brief History

In 1898, 16-year-old Jim White was rounding up cattle one evening when he spotted what he thought was smoke on the horizon from a brush fire. When he got closer, he realized the "smoke" was actually a mass exodus of what turned out to be Brazilian free-tailed bats coming out of the mouth of a cave. Jim figured that a cave that held that many bats was probably pretty darn big. So he made a ladder out of fence wire and cut tree limbs and made his way in.

Fast forward a few decades and, after years of research, the park was created as Carlsbad Caverns National Monument in 1923, which became Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 1930. Jim, by the way, was a significant participant in that research, and he tells his story in the book, Jim White's Story of Carlsbad Caverns. 

In attempt to modernize the park in the 1950s, the National Park Service installed bathrooms and a controversial Underground Lunchroom (shown below in the 1960s) at the bottom of the caverns. It also installed an elevator, which takes visitors 750 below the ground (about the height of the Hoover Dam), at 700 feet per minute.

Today, the Underground Lunchroom has been replaced by a small gift shop, which offers a limited number of beverages and snacks. And the elevator is available for anyone who prefers not to walk in or out of the natural cave entrance.

Our Favorite Parts of the Caverns

Without a doubt, entering through the natural entrance is the best route, if you are able to do so. (Don't worry: you can take the elevator back to the surface–you don't have to walk back up the path.) Walking from the mouth of the natural entrance down to the Big Room will take you 45 minutes to an hour, but it's all on a paved path. We recommend that you walk slowly, savor the silence, enjoy the distant dripping sounds of water, and marvel at the thousands and thousands of limestone and other formations.

The Big Room is astounding and you'll want to plan at least an hour to enjoy it once you're down there. It's nearly 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide, and 255 feet high, and there is so much to see – no photo can do it justice.

Had we been there for sunset, the Bat Flight would have been a favorite, but sadly we did not have the chance to see it. Rich enjoyed this sight on a previous trip. The Bat Flight Program happens every night from Memorial Day weekend through October. No reservations are required, and the program includes an evening ranger talk about bats prior to their flight. Get more details here.

A few tips if you visit

Once you enter the park entrance, it's a windy road up – which means it's a windy road back down. When you reach the parking lot, you'll find a good amount of RV parking.

Don't skip the Visitor Center. It's got a lot of historical facts and cultural artifacts to explore. It's worth spending the time.

Purchase and write a postcard to a friend or family member from the bottom of the cave! We thought this was quite novel. A park ranger stamps your postcard and put in in the next mail pickup.

Try to plan a visit between late May and October, so you can see the Bat Flight. We did not get the chance to see this, but plan to on our next visit.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park also preserves biologically diverse desert lands above ground, as well as a portion of an exposed fossil reef. There are several hiking trails if you are so inclined.

If you plan on heading southwest after your visit, show up with with a full tank of gas. You can fill up in Whites City, just a mile or so east of the park. But if you head southwest toward El Paso after you leave the park, it is 152 miles to the nearest gas station.