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 A View of Natures
Artistic Wonder

Is nature an Artist? After a visit to the Carlsbad Caverns you will have no doubt that nature is one of the greatest sculptures of all times.

As you drive to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, the scenery does not provide you with any clue to the magnificent wonder you are about to view. Your encounter with Carlsbad Caverns National Park begins in the Chihuahuan Desert of the Guadalupe Mountains, along surroundings of rugged mountains and broad plains. As you enter the park, you encounter a beautiful scenic mountain drive but this to does not prepare you for the wondrous view you are about to encounter. As you descend the elevator shaft down 755ft, you encounter another world of wondrous beauty like you have never seen before. You wonder who is the artist who created such beauty and then you realize the ingenuity of nature herself. Away from the sunlight, away from the flowering cactus, away from the songs of the desert birds and the howl of the coyote, lies the celebrated underground world of Carlsbad Cavern. It is an incomparable realm of gigantic subterranean chambers, fantastic cave formations and extraordinary features. The first adventurers entering Carlsbad Cavern had no idea what to expect as they walked, crawled and climbed down into the darkness. Today many of the wonders of Carlsbad Cavern are well known, yet the experience of exploring its chambers is every bit as exciting.

More than 1,000 years ago prehistoric Native Americans ventured into Carlsbad Cavern seeking shelter and left behind  some mysterious drawings on cave walls near the natural entrance. Much later, in the 1800s, settlers discovered the cavern, via the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of bats rising up out of the natural entrance. A cowboy named Jim White, became fascinated by the cave and spent hour after hour exploring it. Pictures taken by Ray V. Davis, who accompanied White on a cave trip, were displayed in the town of Carlsbad in 1915 and they created a sensation with people clamoring to see the marvelous cave.

Word of the cave spread and  in 1923 the U.S. Department of the Interior sent inspectors Robert Holley to investigate and see whether Carlsbad Cavern was truly an outstanding natural scenic wonder.  Holly wrote in his final report: "...I am wholly conscious of the feebleness of my efforts to convey in the deep conflicting emotions, the feeling of fear and awe, and the desire for an inspired understanding of the Devine Creator's work which presents to the human eye such a complex aggregate of natural wonders...." Later that year Carlsbad Cavern was proclaimed a national monument. Today Carlsbad Cavern is one of the most celebrated cave's in the world with exploration continuing  and new discoveries being made.

The decoration of Carlsbad Cavern with stalactites, stalagmites and an incredible variety of other formations began more than 500,000 years ago after much of the cavern had been carved out. It occurred slowly, drop by drop, like an artist, painting stroke by stroke. The creation of each formation depended on water that dripped or seeped down into the limestone bedrock and into the cave. As a raindrop fell to the ground and percolated downward, it absorbed carbon dioxide gas from the air and soil, and a weak acid was formed. As it continued to move downward the drop dissolved a little limestone, absorbing a bit of the basic ingredient needed to build most cave formations--the mineral calcite.

Once the drop finally emerged in the cave, the tiny mineral turned into a crystal of calcite. Billions and billions of drops later, thousands of cave formations had taken shape. And, oh, the shapes they took! Where water dripped slowly from the ceiling, soda straws and larger stalactites appeared. Water falling on the floor created stalagmites. Sometimes a stalactite and stalagmite joined, forming a column. Draperies were hung where water ran down a slanted ceiling. Water flowing over the surface of a wall or floor deposited layers of calcite called flowstone. Cave pearls, lily pads and rimstone dams appeared where pools of water or streams occurred in the cave. Like oyster pearls, cave pearls were made as layer upon layer of calcite built up around a grain of sand or other tiny object. Lily pads formed on the surface of pools, while dams formed where water flowed slowly on the floor. Another type of cave formation that decorated cave walls and even other formations was popcorn, which may have formed when water evaporated and left behind calcite deposits. Helictites formations developed, their twisting shapes governed by crystal shapes, impurities and the force of water under pressure. Delicate and needle-like formations, composed of aragonite also developed.

So park your car, enter the visitors center and begin your exploration of the artistic works of the artist "Mother Nature".

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eXploring the cave

Your first stop for any cave tour is the visitor center information desk, where rangers can answer tour questions and you may purchase tickets. The basic entry fee allows access to either, or both self guiding tour routes. Rangers at the information desk can provide current information on special ranger activities, and they can tell you about wild cave tours that may be available, staff permitting.

All trails in the cave are paved and adequately lighted. Visitors should wear comfortable, closed toe shoes with rubber soles for maximum safety and traction. The cave temperature varies little from the annual 56° F average, making a sweater or light jacket appropriate year round. Visitors may also wish to bring a camera and a flashlight. Strollers are Not Allowed in any underground cave areas, but infant backpacks are permitted. A pre-tour restroom stop is advisable because restrooms are only available in the visitor center and underground rest area. All tours are preceded by a mandatory cavern orientation briefing to promote resource protection and cavern safety. Visitors on all tours exit the cave by elevator.

Rangers are available throughout the cave to assist visitors with information, answer questions and protect park resources. On both self guiding tours, "Cavern Guide" message players provide visitors with interesting, in-depth information about ecology, history and cave information

The basic tour through Carlsbad Cavern is the Big Room Route, a one mile, self guiding, underground stroll around the perimeter of the largest room in the cave, the Big Room. Taking approximately one hour, this circular route passes many large and famous features including Bottomless Pit, Giant Dome, Rock of Ages and Painted Grotto. Highly decorated and immense, the 14 acre Big Room is a "must see" tour for all visitors to the park. Access to the Big Room is provided by elevators located in the visitor center. The relatively level and well lighted trails make this the ideal tour for visitors with limited time or walking difficulties. The Big Room is accessible to wheelchairs, with a special map available at the visitor center information desk.

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Kings Palace Guided Tour

A third option is the Kings Palace Tour, a 1.5 hour ranger guided tour through four highly decorated scenic chambers. Departing from the underground rest area, the Kings Palace Tour descends to the deepest portion of the cavern open to the public, 830 feet beneath the desert surface. Although not as difficult as the Natural Entrance route, the one mile tour does require descending and later climbing an eight story hill. Look forward to viewing a variety of speleothems or cave decorations including helectites, draperies, columns and soda straws. Rangers frequently conduct black-out programs during this tour, briefly turning off all artificial lights to reveal the permanent inky blackness of the natural cave environment. Reservations required for the Kings Palace Tour may be obtained at the information desk. A separate fee is charged for this tour.

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Slaughter Canyon Cave

Slaughter Canyon Cave is 23 miles from the park visitor center. The turnoff for Slaughter Canyon is located 5 miles south of Whites City on Highway 62/180. Follow the signs from there to the Slaughter Canyon trailhead. Allow 45 minutes for the steep and strenuous half mile hike to the cave entrance. Attempt this hike only if you are in good physical condition. Carry water - the desert is dry and often has extreme weather. Stay on the trail at all times and wear sturdy boots or shoes. Transportation to the cave is not provided.

Ranger led tours of Slaughter Canyon Cave take you into an underground wilderness without electricity, paved walkways or modern conveniences. In this wild cave, darkness is broken only by the light of lanterns carried by rangers and flashlights carried by tour members. Highlights of the two hour, 1.25 mile tour are the 89 foot high Monarch, one of the world's tallest columns; the sparkling, crystal-decorated Christmas Tree column; and the Chinese Wall, a delicate, ankle-high Rimestone dam. Old bat guano mining excavations can be seen. Tours are given daily in the summer and on weekends the rest of the year. A fee is charged. Reservations must be made at the visitor center or by calling the park. You have to hike a strenuous half mile trail to the cave entrance, where the tour begins. Sturdy walking shoes, flashlights and water are required.

The cavern is open daily except of Christmas Day and operates on summer and non-summer hourly schedules. The summer season runs from Memorial Day weekend through the third Sunday in August. For current hours and information, call the park before your visit at 505-785-2232 extension 0, or extension 429 for cave tour reservations.

Driving from the Carlsbad Visitor Center to Slaughter Canyon takes about 45 minutes (23 miles).

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Spider Cave

On this strenuous caving tour you can expect tight crawlways, canyon-like passages and many bizarre formations. Bring your own gloves, knee pads and four new AA batteries per person. The tour departs from the visitor center for a half mile hike to the cave. Bring water for the hike.

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Hall of the White Giant

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Left Hand Tunnel

On this tour your guide will highlight cavern history, formations, cave pools and Permian Age fossils. Lanterns are provided.

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Lower Cave

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Other Attractions in the Park

Scenic Drive

The 9.5 mile Walnut Canyon Desert Drive is a gravel, one-way loop through dramatic desert mountain scenery. Passenger cars can travel the road easily, but the narrow, twisting route is not recommended for trailers or motor homes. A guide booklet is available at the visitor center.

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The daily pre-dawn return of the bats is different from the evening exit flights but are just as impressive. Early risers can see the bats as they re-enter Carlsbad Cavern with spectacular dives from heights of hundreds of feet. Individual bats diving in from every direction may reach speeds of 25 mph / 40 km/h or more.

Flash photography is not permitted at the program, nor are flash cameras. The flash disturbs the bats exiting and re-entering an important maternity roost. Spaces to accommodate people using wheelchairs are located at the entrance to the amphitheater. Pets are not allowed in the amphitheater area.

information & Directions

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