Carlsbad Caverns National Park — Attraction in Four Corners States

We had not visited in many years and were excited to go tgrough the caverns again. It was as awesome as I remember. First a few notes

Do make a timed reservations on line. If the Kings Palace and Lower Cave are not available, show up when the Visitor Center opens. They often have some tickets available. Not dog Friendly, but they have an on-site kennel. Wear good shoes and maybe take a light jacket as the cave is 56° year round. No food and only unflavored water may be taken into the cave.

At your given time, you walk down to a covered gathering area where a Ranger will break you up into groups and go over all the rules and regulations.

You may take the elevator down. A section of the big room is even suitable for wheelchairs. We chose to walk down through the natural entrance. It's a steep 750ft descent to the bottom. there are lots of stone seats and benches where you can stop and rest, though. It's an amazing feeling when you start to walk down. The cave swallows can be noisy, and you can smell the bat guano as the air cools, and the light dims into darkness. Headlamps and flashlights are not needed, but you may choose to take them to check out some of the nooks and crannies. We really took our time as we wanted to enjoy every moment. there are many informational signs pointing out many of the features and giving some history. Once you get to the big room, you can choose to walk over to the restrooms, lunch area, and gift shops, or continue around the 1.3 mile loop. We chose to stop for sandwiches before continuing. The lunchroom had salad, yogurt, add several sandwich options, along with chips and cookies, and so does that could only be consumed in the lunchroom. There was also some round stands with a few t shirts and souvenirs. After lunch we toured the Big Room. It’s massive. Stalactites and stalagmites everywhere, lit up just enough to make it feel magical without being overdone. Some of the formations are huge and they are so varied. it's just fantastic. You’ll definitely want to take your time. You can take the elevator back up unless you’re feeling adventurous. I was that day. My husband took the elevator and I decided to walk back up the natural entrance. You only lived once and I wanted to say, I had done it one time. Im in my 60's and made it in 35 minutes, but it is one heck of a climb.

In the visitor center, there are two separate gift shops. The larger of the two also has a lunchroom with hot and cold food. The day we were there, you could get hot food until 3pm and grab and go food until 5pm.

If you think the adventure is over, it's not. Either plan ahead and come the night before, or plan to stay the day of your trip to see the amazing bat flight, at the amphitheater, at by the natural entrance. Check out the Visitor Center for the approximate time of the ranger program for the night you choose to visit. It does vary daily. Leave all your electronic devices in the car or turn them off completely. No phones or cameras are allowed during the bat flight. It is one more incredible experience to watch them, swirl up out of the cave and head out for the night.

To help fill in the time in between coming up from the caverns and the bat flight, we drove out to a couple of little trails and scenic overlooks.

It's a definite check off anyone's...

Whooooah Mama!! We've been to a few caves, but this one...a World Heritage site and a National Park. I was in awe of this place. Entry fees are CHEAP considering what you get. Make sure you make reservations before going because they do sell out a lot and they WILL deny you if you just show up without a reservation and they have no spots for you (so you can't play dumb and say you "didn't know.") They open reservations ONE MONTH before, so put it in your phone as a reminder). The check-in process is easy and quick. My advice is to get there as early as you can to avoid any bottlenecks in any of the processes. That way there is plenty of parking and no cars driving DOWN when you are driving UP (it's a 6 mile drive from the main highway to the caverns...and can get a little narrow and winding). Give yourself plenty of time to get up there (our reservation was for 9:30-10:30...we left at 8:15 from Carlsbad proper and did not feel rushed). There are things to do (they call them "exhibits") as you drive up the mountain and some of them even have trails to hike. Remember you will be hiking 4ish miles at Carlsbad if you walk the natural entry (but feels like more because there is very little flat path). The check-in process was easy and quick. Highly advise the natural entry as you miss a lot if you just take the elevator down to the Big Room. Yet, I don't advise the natural entry if you have bad kneecaps or a bad back (I'm in Orthopedic surgery so I know the load it places on both!). Some of the switchbacks are a bit steep but some are not. My wife is scared of heights but the darkness and beauty and expanse of the cave gave her a lot of courage. She had no issues. The cave is BEAUTIFUL. Man could not create this in a million years. Breathtaking. I have been to a few caves in my life but could not prepare myself for this awesome experience. Sad that the restaurant in the cave was closed (due to short staffing). In a WORLD HERITAGE site no less... They are making expansion to their elevators (I think they're adding a fifth elevator). There were only two working but we only waited maybe 5 minutes for the elevator back up. Maybe if you went later you would probably have to wait a lot longer but again, that is another big plus of going early! Gift shop has a lot of things. Be prepared to know that if you want to mail a postcard stand Carlsbad caverns, you need to buy the postcard and a stamp from the gift shop, and then mail it over at the information desk where the park rangers are. And I highly recommend some real hiking boots. I saw a lot of Hokas and Adidas and know there are gonna be some hurting feet! My Columbia Landroamers didn't slip once and my feet don't hurt at all 5 hours later. Note that you can take water but that's it other than a flashlight (but you don't need them... lots of kids had them in their hands and were shining them everywhere BUT on the trail.... which was pretty annoying). This is an AWESOME park but give yourself plenty of time and take plenty of pictures as these are lifelong...

Carlsbad Caverns: The Underground Beyoncé Concert You Didn’t Know You Needed

Listen—if you’ve ever wanted to feel like a tiny, insignificant speck in the most fabulous underground cathedral ever crafted by the patient hands of time and dripping water, Carlsbad Caverns is your moment. And oh honey, she delivers.

You start above ground thinking, “Cool, a desert park, maybe some rocks, whatever.” But then BOOM—there’s an elevator that plummets 750 feet straight into the Earth like you’re heading to the VIP level of nature’s goth nightclub. Or, for the brave and/or mildly insane, you can hike the natural entrance, which is basically a real-life version of descending into the Mines of Moria—minus the orcs and plus more handrails and rangers with walkie-talkies.

And what do you find at the bottom? A literal wonderland. The “Big Room” is so enormous it could host a Super Bowl, a Taylor Swift concert, and still have room for your mom’s book club. Stalactites, stalagmites, formations that look like chandeliers, jellyfish, and possibly your weird dreams—all perfectly lit with moody spotlighting that screams “Mother Nature has a flair for drama.”

And let’s talk amenities. Bathrooms in the depths of the Earth? Check. Paved trails? Of course. A gift shop that sells rocks and snacks and also—a MAP OF BANDOLIER?! I cannot stress enough how deeply funny and petty this is. Carlsbad: “Oh sweetie, you’re lost? Here’s a map. For another park. You’re welcome.” Meanwhile, Bandelier out here ghosting tourists and pretending signage is optional.

Now, the cherry on top? The bat flight. Every night at sunset, thousands of bats spiral out of the cave like they’ve got tiny leather jackets and somewhere to be. It’s majestic. It’s eerie. It’s pure Halloween energy, and it’s free with admission. You sit in a quiet amphitheater as the ranger whispers facts, and then suddenly—whoosh—bat tornado. Truly one of the coolest things you’ll ever see without CGI.

And now let me address the monsters—yes, the unhinged goblins—who didn’t give Carlsbad Caverns five stars. What did you want? A Starbucks at the bottom? Wi-Fi in the bat cave? A gift shop where the stalagmites sing you Disney tunes? Grow up. This place is a natural cathedral carved over millions of years, and if you gave it four stars because your phone didn’t get reception 800 feet underground, you should be banned from Yelp and possibly escorted out of nature altogether.

Final score: Solid 17 out of 5 stars. If you don’t come away awestruck, chilled, and at least a little humbled by the power of dripping water and time, that’s a you problem. Carlsbad Caverns doesn’t need your approval—it has a bat army and a Bandelier...