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1. Big Room Self-Guided Tour
The name of this room in the cave is an understatement! Explore this massive, grandiose, humongous, majestic, and breathtaking section of the caverns to appreciate the immensity of the formations that this national park protects.
What You Need to Know
The Big Room isn’t your average self-guided tour! If you only have time for one thing at Carlsbad, make it this one. Reserve your Timed Entry Tickets prior to arrival to avoid disappointment!
You’ll wander along a trail through this massive area, with stunning cave formations and decorations that fill every nook and cranny. The immensity of the cave is difficult to process and will leave you speechless.
The trail through the Big Room is self-guided, so you can travel at your own pace and take your time reading the interpretive panels. You’ll find park rangers along the path that are patrolling the area (so don’t break any rules!) and can answer your questions.
The entire self-guided tour is a 1.25 mile 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. Pets are not permitted in the cave, but the park provides kennel service for a fee.
Getting Here
From Whites City, drive 7 miles west on Highway 7 {to the end of the road}, passing the park entrance sign and heading up the hill. Park at the Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center. Check in at the ticket desk and then proceed to the elevators or the Natural Entrance Trail from there.
2. Natural Entrance Trail
If you were the one who discovered Carlsbad Caverns, this gaping hole is the way you would have entered the unknown cave! Descend deeper…deeper…deeper as you embark on an adventure of your own in this immense underground world.
What You Need to Know
To be clear, elevators will take you into and out of the cave. But the best way to truly appreciate the size and beauty of Carlsbad Caverns is to enter by foot via the Natural Entrance Trail.
If you have the time and ability to hike, don’t miss this trail! You’ll travel 1.25 miles down to the Big Room and the central area of the cave. The hike descends 750 feet in elevation, and some areas are steep and slippery, so take your time. Plan on at least an hour to hike down this trail, (and don’t forget to reserve your Timed Entry Tickets before arrival at the park!)
Because of the elevation change, most people decide to hike down the Natural Entrance Trail, tour the Big Room, or join a ranger-led tour, and then take the elevators back out of the cave. That way, it’s all downhill!
If you plan to hike this trail, stop by the ticket desk before you begin. A ranger is stationed at the beginning of the Natural Entrance Trail to check tickets and give further instructions.
Pets are not permitted in the cave, but the park provides kennel service for a fee.
Getting Here
The Natural Entrance Trail begins behind the Visitor Center. Walk into the museum behind the ticket desk and find the doors that lead outside on the far side of the room. Exit these doors and walk down the path to the ranger waiting in the covered structure. This is the beginning of the trail.
3. Ranger-Guided Tour
Ready for a grand adventure? Explore the cave with someone who lives and breathes all things Carlsbad Caverns! Join a park ranger as they guide you through the less-visited areas of the cave and share more about the history and geology of the park.
What You Need to Know
The park offers several ranger-led tours through the cave, with varying difficulty, duration, and age limits. Be advised that children under the age of 4 are not permitted on any of the ranger-led tours.
Some tours have additional age limits and can be quite strenuous, so click on the name of the tour below to read more before booking your tickets.
The tours are as follows:
- King’s Palace — travel through a beautifully decorated area of the cave. This is the shortest/easiest of the ranger-led tours, and it is fabulous.
- Left Hand Tunnel — explore the cave by lantern light. Lantern tours are usually fun, but this one underwhelmed me. The area you visit has very few cave formations compared to the rest of the cave. Personally, I’d try to get tickets to something else before signing up for this tour.
- Lower Cave — venture deep into the cave, descending on ladders and ropes. This tour takes you to the extremely rare cave pearls that were made famous by National Geographic. I highly recommend this one if you’re lucky enough to snag tickets!
- Hall of the White Giant — a real caving adventure! You’ll crawl through narrow spaces on your hands and knees and free-climb through the formations. Tour groups are small, and tickets are extremely limited. This tour is not for you if you’re afraid of heights or tight spaces.
- Slaughter Canyon Cave — a wild cave tour with only your headlight to guide you. Every time I asked a ranger which tour in the park is their favorite, this is the one that was named. This tour is difficult and lengthy, but the cave is phenomenal!
You’ll want to make reservations for these tours as far in advance as you can — tickets get snatched up fast! Make your reservations here.
Getting Here
Carefully read the fine print on your tour ticket to see where it begins. Some tours start in the main cave, some in the Visitor Center, and some have you caravan to an entirely different area.
4. Surface Activity
Admire the harsh desert landscape that exists above the park’s famous caves! Keep your eyes peeled for a blooming cactus, bighorn sheep, or a wild turkey as you spend time on the surface.
What You Need to Know
The caves are certainly the star of the show at Carlsbad, so don’t cut your underground time short to get to these activities. But if you’ve finished in the caves and have some extra time to spare, here are a couple of options:
Walnut Canyon Desert Drive — this scenic 9-mile drive takes you through the desert to a few lovely viewpoints. The road is dirt and not recommended for low-clearance vehicles or RVs. We often spot rattlesnakes or bighorn sheep near this area.
Rattlesnake Springs — this is an oasis in the middle of the desert, with large cottonwood trees and birds galore! The actual spring isn’t much to look at, but the picnic area is beautiful. Birders especially love this area, and it’s common to see wild turkeys, vermilion flycatchers, rabbits, and deer.
Getting Here
The Walnut Canyon Desert Drive begins just before reaching the visitor center. Look for the signed turn-off on your right just before reaching the cave parking area.
Rattlesnake Springs is a 30-minute drive from the visitor center. You’ll drive back down the hill to Whites City and head south on Highway 62 for 5.4 miles. Turn right onto Washington Ranch Road and drive for about 3 miles to the picnic area. Look for signs pointing to the picnic area — several other roads around here may confuse your route.
5. Bat Flight
Witness the exhilarating flight of thousands of bats as they swoop above your head!
What You Need to Know
During the right time of the year (late April to October), Carlsbad Caverns is home to thousands of migrating Brazilian free-tailed bats. These bats leave the cave each evening in search of food, putting on a phenomenal show for us lucky spectators!
Ranger programs are held nightly from Memorial Day weekend through October. You’ll learn all about these fantastic creatures and then have the chance to experience the mass exodus as they fly out of the cave’s natural entrance. Flight times vary depending on the month, so check current program start times here.
Photography of ANY kind is not allowed at the Bat Flight. Doing so disorients the bats and can result in a hefty fine. Pets are not permitted in this area during the flight, so leave your furry friends behind for this activity.
If your visit falls during a time when formal programs are not being held, talk to a ranger about the possibility of still seeing the bats on your own.
Getting Here
The Bat Flight Amphitheater is located along the Natural Entrance Trail behind the Visitor Center. Park in the lower parking lot near the picnic area and find the open gate by the end of the building. Look for the sign about the Bat Flight. This is the beginning of the paved trail that heads down to the amphitheater.
Enjoy these 5 adventurous things you can’t miss on your first visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Happy trails!!
PS — Did you know that Guadalupe Mountains National Park is only 45 minutes from Carlsbad Caverns? Click NEXT to learn more about the highest mountains in Texas!
Hello!!! Thanks for so much great information. Would love if you included basics on where to stay or how to get there via airlines or road trips.
I’m working on full articles like that for all of the parks! I know it won’t help you with this park, but you can check out an example of what’s coming up here.
I am a descendent of Jim White, the original founder of the Carlsbad Caverns. I wish something about his name had been at least mentioned in this article.
Hey Melinda! Very cool! My articles don’t include info on the history or natural features of the parks because I focus on trip planning and helping people get there. But there is definitely some amazing history at Carlsbad that they’ll learn in-depth when they get to the park or on the official NPS website. Have a great day!