The grandeur and size of Carlsbad Caverns make your brain think differently. Still, it can be difficult, upon entering the cave, to allow yourself to lose sight of that entrance. Who knows what’s down there?
The Carlsbad Caverns are in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico. These are natural wonders are an entire underground world. You won’t believe you get to explore them almost entirely alone.
Camping Near Carlsbad Caverns
My visit was during my two-year road trip as a nomad, where I traveled solo around the country.
I spent two days at the caves after sleeping in my van almost directly across the street. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land where anyone can camp overnight for free.
Besides the caverns, there’s not much except the Guadalupe Mountains. This isn’t a populated area of the country, but it’s lovely for hiking and solitude.
What its Like Entering Carlsbad Caverns
Nothing online really prepares you for the caves. I’ve been in dozens of caves. This one is massive, aside from Mammoth Cave in Virginia – which is much, much bigger.
As you approach the massive gaping hole that is the natural entrance, you begin to realize what you’re in for. The mouth of the cave appears to be the size of the front of a schoolbus. As you descend the sloping path into the cave it becomes larger until you’re inside.
Unless you’ve been inside a cave of its size, it’s hard to imagine they can be this large. This is why you should go. Our brains need to see things that are impossible to understand.
Once you enter the cave, you can see people hesitating to lose sight of the gaping mouth. Others, myself included, linger there. If I had never been in a cave before, I don’t know how far I would have gone inside Carlsbad Caverns alone. My experience helped me venture further.
There aren’t many rangers or guides along the path into the cave as on other tours. This cave is too big for that. Here, the paths keep you from wandering. You really can’t touch any of the structures. While I was down there, I saw only three National Parks rangers.
Carlsbad Cavern History
Aside from the caves, the park has two historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. These are Rattlesnake Springs and the Cavern Historic District. These are areas immediately surrounding the caves. The park museum above the caverns holds almost one million artifacts. These artifacts record the history of the districts and the caves. And what a history it is.
You’ll learn in the museum that most caves were formed by rainwater dissolving limestone over long periods. The water seeps into sinkholes and carves out complex cave systems over thousands of years. Like the Carlsbad Caverns, these caves are filled with artistic displays of stalagmites and stalactites. They feature curtains, drapery, and straw and column structures.
The Carlsbad caverns, however, aren’t entirely like other caves. Their structures are a bit different.
Acid Origin of Carlsbad Caverns makes it Unique
Sulfuric acid form complex systems in the Guadalupe Mountains formed these caverns. The acids dissolved the limestone and left massive gypsum deposits, clay, and silt. Because of this, the structures in Carlsbad Caverns have a unique coral look. I haven’t seen other caves like them.
The Carlsbad Cavern is the show cave. The cavern system has more than 119 caves of all shapes and sizes. Carlsbad Cavern is just one of many. The longest cave is said to run more than 140 miles. It’s hard to imagine that underground, isn’t it?
What’s Inside the Carlsbad Caverns
There are signs about the type of structures you see and how they came to be along the path. This goes for what seems like miles. Truly, it is less than two on the general tour.
The temperature in the caverns holds steady at 56 degrees Fahrenheit, but it’s humid too. This will feel different than the incredibly dry air outside.
The Big Room Inside Carlsbad Caverns
The Big Room is North America’s largest single cave chamber by volume and the world’s thirty-first largest. You walk through narrow passages that nearly graze your head and elbows and then enter the ” Big Room chamber.” It is 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide, and 255 feet high.
You’ll go below the Earth about 75 stories in these caves.
Deeper in, and you enter the underworld darkness of the cave. It smells musty and organic in a way other caves don’t. This tells you you’re entering a living cave. There are bats here by the thousands. At least 300,000. In the summer, at sunset, they fly out of the cave’s mouth simultaneously. People wait outside to see it happen. They’re in the cave as you walk through, but they stay hidden.
There are other animals, too, besides us people. Besides the bats, the caves are home to ringtail cats, moths, crickets, spiders and beetles. There are even some birds, and who knows what else. Truly, who knows?
How long does it take to walk through the Carlsbad Caverns
Come prepared for a workout. It takes about 2.5 hours to walk down the paved, gently sloping walkways through the cave. They are relentless and go for miles, so your shins will know they’ve been put to work.
What impressed me most about the caves was their sheer size and endlessness. Each “room” is just so BIG. It’s too big to comprehend.
Fun Fact: At the bottom of the cavern, there is an underground lunchroom.
At the end of the path, you can turn around. You can walk back up another 2.5 hours or take the elevator. I don’t need to tell you which path is the most chosen. Even I chose the elevator.
Find Carlsbad Caverns National Park at 3225 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220.
Read more stories about national parks here.
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