Unless you’re a serious hiker or VERY interested in caves / geology, you’ll be through in
2-3 hours
. Unless you’re doing a Carlsbad Caverns guided tour, the Big Room self guided tour (and the optional hike down / up) are the only areas that are open to the public.
How long do you need at Carlsbad Caverns?
Most visitors will only need
3-4 hours
for a self-guided tour through the caverns. Photographers and geology enthusiasts may want more time, but I would guess 5-6 hours would be more than enough time for 99% of visitors.
How long is the self guided tour at Carlsbad Caverns?
The entire self-guided tour is
1.25 miles roundtrip
, but you can shorten it to 0.6 miles if you don’t complete the second loop. Tickets are required for the Big Room, so you’ll need to stop in at the Visitor Center Ticket Desk when you arrive at the park.
Can you do Carlsbad Caverns a day?
Park Hours
Unlike many national parks, which are open 24 hours a day, Carlsbad Caverns has set hours of operation.
The visitor center is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm
. You are permitted to hike into the cave starting at 8:30 am. The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Is Carlsbad Caverns worth visiting?
Carlsbad Caverns is a breathtaking place — and likely somewhere you will talk about for many years
. This cave will blow you away with its gigantic rooms covered in spectacular rock formations. Out of all the caves in the NPS system, this one is by far my favorite! There are some fantastic things to do here.
What is the best time to visit Carlsbad Caverns?
The best time of year to visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park is
winter, spring or fall
. Summers tend to be sweltering hot, with temperatures around 100+ degrees being the norm, and later in the summer, afternoon rains downpour across the desert.
Why is Carlsbad Caverns closed?
As of 12:30 p.m. (MT) Carlsbad Caverns National Park is closing due to
potential road flooding
. As rains increase, so does the potential for safety issues for drivers. The decision was made to close the park completely and ask all visitors and employees to evacuate.
How do people dress in Carlsbad Caverns?
A light jacket or long-sleeved shirt is recommended
. The trails and cavern features are electrically lit, but bring a flashlight if you’d like. Some areas of the Big Room and Natural Entrance trails are wet from natural water drips and steep.
Can you get into Carlsbad Caverns without a reservation?
Reservations Required to Enter
Carlsbad Cavern. Reservations must be purchased online or by calling 877-444-6777. No reservations available at the park. Reservations are only for selecting the entry time.
Do you have to wear a mask in Carlsbad Caverns?
Alert 1 , Severity ,closure ,,COVID-19 Face Mask NoticeConsistent with CDC community level guidance,
face masks are currently optional for visitors to Carlsbad Caverns National Park inside all park buildings and the cavern
.
How much does it cost to go through Carlsbad Caverns?
| Ticket/Fee Type Rates | Adult (ages 16+) $1.00 | Child (ages 15 and under) $1.00 | Cancellation Fee $1.00 per ticket |
|---|
How deep is the bottomless pit in Carlsbad Caverns?
Pit in Carlsbad Caverns that looks “bottomless” but is actually
140-feet
deep.
What time do the bats fly at Carlsbad Caverns?
What time do the bats come out of Carlsbad Caverns? The bats typically leave at 28 minutes past sunset, known as civil twilight. Depending on a number of factors. The bats typically return to the cave entrance
between 4 and 6 AM
, with the peak number of bats entering at dawn.
How far is the walk down into Carlsbad Caverns?
The
1.25 mile (2 km)
Natural Entrance Trail is extremely steep. Depending on if you decide to hike up or down, you gain or lose about 750 feet (229 m)—equivalent to walking up or down a 75-story building. The hike takes about one hour (on average) to complete.
Can you drive through Carlsbad Caverns?
This is a 9 mile gravel road that makes a loop through Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is shown on the map at the NPS website, and mentioned in guidebooks such as National Geographic’s Guide to the National Parks.
What is Carlsbad Caverns known for?
Carlsbad Caverns is one of the best preserved and most accessible cave complexes in the world available for scientific study and public access. The park’s primary caves, Carlsbad and Lechuguilla, are especially well known for
the diversity and beauty of their decorative rock formations
.
How do you get to Carlsbad Caverns tour?
Make tour reservations by calling 877-444-6777 or visiting www.recreation.gov
. All tour tickets must be picked up at the visitor center at least 30 minutes prior to the tour. A cavern entrance ticket must also be purchased.
Can you take a backpack in Carlsbad Caverns?
All cavern tours require that you wear shirts and shoes.
Metal framed backpacks or backpacks that extend above the shoulders or of a length that extends below the hips are prohibited
(e.g. trekking backpacks). Walking sticks and canes are permitted on cave tours if medically necessary.
Where do you fly into to go to Carlsbad Caverns?
Getting There
The closest major airport to Carlsbad is
El Paso International Airport
at 145 miles west of the park. The next closest airports are Lubbock Texas International at 178 miles northeast of the park, and Albuquerque International Airport is about 275 miles north of the park.
What is the average temperature inside the Carlsbad Caverns?
Temperature and relative humidity reach fairly stable conditions a short distance into the cave. The average temperature throughout the cave is also
68°F (20oC)
and the relative humidity remains close to a constant 100%.
Is there an elevator in Carlsbad Caverns?
Carlsbad Caverns’ primary elevators take visitors about 750 feet below the surface to enjoy the cave system
, and have traveled almost 30,000 miles since they were rebuilt in July 2018. That’s almost as far as traveling from Carlsbad to Japan five times.
Is Carlsbad Caverns safe?
The park is considered safe for visitors
, per a Friday news release. Park staff plan to monitor the hours employees spend in the Caverns, while providing training as to the possible effects of exposure and making modifications to the visitor center to mitigate the risk.
Can you watch the bats leave Carlsbad Caverns?
If you are here before late May, you are welcome to watch the bats exit the cavern nightly at the outdoor Bat Flight Amphitheater from the time they return from migration (usually mid-to-late April) until the Bat Flight Program begins Memorial Day weekend. Programs may be cancelled in the event of lightning.
How deep is the Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns?
| Carlsbad Caverns National Park | Reference no. 721 | State Party United States | Region North America |
|---|
Do you need hiking shoes for Carlsbad Caverns?
For some ranger-guided tours,
hiking boots or hiking shoes with good aggressive tread are required
. The cavern is dimly lit. You are welcome to bring a flashlight or headlamp, but it is not necessary. All visitors who enter the cavern are required to walk on bio-cleaning mats after exiting.
How many bats live in Carlsbad Caverns?
Between 200,000 and 500,000
bats call the cave home over the summer, swelling to over one million during migration.
