Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Last Updated: 3/28/2024
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
We visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located in New Mexico, on a warm, sunny day in June. Want to know the nice thing about a cave…they are always cool! Carlsbad Caverns National Park is hidden beneath the surface of the Chihuahuan Desert.
It was formed when sulfuric acid dissolved limestone leaving behind more than 119 caverns ranging in size. We arrived at the park around lunch time, so we had a picnic close to the parking lot before heading into the visitor center.
What a beautiful view for a Picnic! To stay on budget when we travel, we usually pack our lunches.
First stop on our Carlsbad Caverns itinerary was the Visitor Center. In the visitor center you can find hands-on exhibits, a 16-minute park film, gift shop, and bookstore. Also located in the visitor center is where you would pay your park entrance fee ($15/ages 16 and up).
A little Visitor Center fun before we entered the cave.
There are two options for guided cave tours, at this time, that range in price from $8-$20 (ages 16 and up). Child ticket prices range from $4 to $10. The really cool thing about Carlsbad Caverns is that you can explore the cave on your own. We loved this idea and spent about 3 hours down in the cave. We entered the cave through the Natural Entrance Trail. At this time (beginning of 2024), you must still reserve an entry time to explore the cave. It costs $1 per ticket.
The Natural Entrance Trail is 1.25 miles of descending switchbacks and passageways that take you to the start of the Big Room Trail. There is also an elevator in the visitor center that you can take down to the start of the Big Room Trail. We opted to use the elevator on our way out of the cave.
Addy looking down into the entrance of the cave as we made our way down the Natural Entrance Trail.
There is an underground rest area that is located at the base of the elevators. You will find restrooms, water fountains, and what still remains of the Underground Lunchroom. They stopped serving hot meals some time ago, because serving hot meals in the lunchroom was changing the ecological balance in the cave. But you can still get a small selection of pre-made cold food options.
We took a break at one of the lantern lit tables, enjoyed some cold water, and imagined what it would have been like back in 1928 to say you had lunch 750ft underground! After the short break it was off to explore the Big Room. The Big Room is the largest cave chamber in the United States. The 1.25 mile trail takes you around the outer edge of the chamber.
Enjoying a water break at a lantern lit table in the underground rest area.
Rock of Ages in the Big Room
After we finished exploring the magnificent Big Room, which Will Rogers once called the “Grand Canyon with a roof on it”, we hopped on the elevator that took us back up to the visitor center. Our kids thought the 1-minute elevator ride up from 750 ft underground was a cool addition.
And that brought us to the end of our afternoon at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. After spending a little more time in the Visitor Center, we headed back to the Carlsbad KOA . We love cave exploration! And this one is at the top of our list. Leave a comment below and let us know your favorite cave to explore!
We will definitely try and visit this national park again when we can spend a little more time exploring. Maybe even try one of the guided cave tours. And if you are looking for other fun things to do in New Mexico, you should definitely check out Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. Thanks for following along on our adventure!