Carlsbad Caverns
A huge limestone cave system under the Chihuahuan Desert, plus a nightly summer bat flight
- Hours
- Cavern entry 9:30 am to 2:30 pm daily
- Entry
- Free entry
- Reservations
- Required in season
- Size
- 46,766 acres
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Carlsbad Caverns sits in the Guadalupe Mountains, an ancient marine reef that formed in an inland sea about 265 million years ago. Most caves are carved by water flowing in from above, but these were dissolved from below by sulfuric acid rising from oil and gas deposits. The result is more than 119 known caves, packed with stalactites, stalagmites, draperies and soda straws. It became a national park in 1930 and a World Heritage Site in 1995.
Most visitors walk down through the Natural Entrance or take an elevator about 750 feet down to the Big Room, a chamber big enough to hold several football fields. The trails are paved and lit, so you can explore at your own pace. On summer evenings a colony of Brazilian free-tailed bats pours out of the entrance to hunt insects before migrating to Mexico for the winter. The park also protects a slice of Chihuahuan Desert with hiking trails above ground.
The park and surrounding area
- Park boundary
- Other parks
- Major highway
- Road
- Rivers and lakes
- Town
Plan your trip
- Best time to go
- Late spring through early fall is best for the bat flights (peaking in August and September), while the cave itself stays 56 degrees and is good any time of year.
- How long to stay
- One day covers the cavern; stay the evening for the bat flight.
- Getting there
- El Paso (ELP) is about 2.5 hours away and Midland (MAF) about 2.5 to 3 hours; Carlsbad's small regional airport (CNM) is about 30 minutes from the park.
- Wildlife
- Look for Brazilian free-tailed bats, cave swallows, mule deer, javelina, roadrunners and, at Rattlesnake Springs, many migrating birds.
Plan and book
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Where to stay
- Hotels in Carlsbad (opens in a new tab)New Mexico
- Hotels in White's City (opens in a new tab)New Mexico
- No lodging inside the park. The towns above are the closest bases.
Tours and activities
- Guided tours on Viator (opens in a new tab)Day trips, wildlife, photography
- Tours on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Compare options and reviews
- Campsites on Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)Official federal booking site
What to pack for Carlsbad Caverns
- Light fleece or jacketThe cave is a steady 56 degrees, which feels chilly after the desert heat.
- Grippy walking shoesThe Natural Entrance Trail is steep and often damp.
- Trekking polesThey take strain off your knees on the 750-foot descent.
- Insulated water bottleSummer days on the surface are very hot and dry.
- Sun hatThere is little shade on desert trails and at the bat amphitheater before sunset.
A first day, start to finish
- Walk down the Natural Entrance Trail
- Loop the Big Room
- Lunch at the visitor center
- Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail
- Evening Bat Flight Program
Don't miss
- Natural Entrance TrailA steep 1.25-mile switchback descent of about 750 feet from the huge cave mouth into the depths, roughly an hour on foot.
- Big RoomA mostly flat 1.25-mile trail (0.6-mile shortcut) around the largest single cave chamber in North America, reached by elevator or the Natural Entrance.
- King's Palace TourA 90-minute ranger-guided walk through ornate chambers deeper in the cave; tickets are limited and it runs only when staffing allows.
- Bat Flight ProgramFree evening ranger talk at the cave amphitheater, then hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out at dusk, April through October.
- Rattlesnake SpringsA shady, tree-lined picnic area and birding spot in a separate section of the park, about 20 minutes from the visitor center.
Know before you go
Do
- Book your $1 timed-entry ticket before you go, especially for weekends and holidays.
- Bring a light jacket, since the cave stays about 56 degrees with high humidity all year.
- Wear shoes with good grip for the steep, damp Natural Entrance Trail.
Don't
- Bring phones or cameras out at the Bat Flight Program, where all electronics are banned.
- Touch formations or leave the paved trail inside the cave.
- Arrive after 2:30 pm expecting to get into the cavern.
The visitor center is open 9 am to 5 pm daily. Cavern entry by elevator or the Natural Entrance runs 9:30 am to 2:30 pm (hikers must start down by 2:30 pm), and everyone must be out by 4:45 pm. The park closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Hike down the Natural Entrance to the Big Room, then ride the elevator back up to save your legs.Trekker's tip