Carlsbad Cavern
Ready to explore some of the most fascinating caves in the western United States? Visit the Carlsbad Cavern national Park located in the Guadeloupe Mountains of New Mexico. The park includes 83 separate caves within Carlsbad cavern, one with the world’s largest underground chambers and countless natural formations. Carlsbad Caverns National Park was first designated a National Monument on 25 Oct 1923. Carlsbad Caverns was designated again as a National Park on 14 May 1930. The Caverns was also designated a World Heritage Site on 06 Dec 1995. The park was established to preserve Cavern Carlsbad and several other caves. The story of the creation of Carlsbad Cavern begins 250 million years ago with the creation of a400 mile long reef in an Inland Sea that covered this region.
The park entrance is located on US Highway 62/180 approximately 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Carlsbad Cavern is a home for about 1 million Mexican Free tail bats. During the day they crowd together on the ceiling of Bat Cave, a passageway near the natural entrance of Carlsbad Cavern. It is a must for all visitors to tour the main section of the cave sitting on 8.2-acre, that is the big room self guided tour. The Natural Entrance self-guided tour is another splendid experience, but a little rough due to steep ness of the trail.
You will find several options for touring Carlsbad Caverns.
- Ranger-Guided Carlsbad Caverns Tours
- Self-Guided Big Room Tour Natural Entrance Self-Guided Route
- Bat Flight Programs