Take the 1.25-mile paved Big Room Trail, looping through the Carlsbad Caverns featuring impressive rock formations and interesting sculptures.
The Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns is North America’s 5th largest single cave chamber and the 28th-largest in the world. It is almost 4,000 ft long, 625 ft wide, and 225 ft tall at its tallest point and could hold 6 football fields. The Carlsbad Caverns Big Room is about 750 ft underground. Actor and comedian Will Rogers called the cavern, “The Grand Canyon with a roof over it.”
Big Room Trail Basics
1 – 2 Hours
1.25 Miles Round Trip
Loop
24 Feet
Duration: 1-2 Hours
The Big Room Trail is a self-guided tour that you can take at your own pace. Most people tend to complete the walk in about 1-2 hours, including time to look at all of the formations.
Distance: 1.25 Miles Roundtrip
To walk the whole trail, without doing the natural entrance, is about 1.25 miles total. If you want to add the natural entrance into the caves, it will add another 1.25 miles and an hour to the hike.
Type: Loop Trail
The trail through the Big Cave will take you on a loop through the massive cavern.
Elevation Change: 24 Feet
Overall, the trail is mostly flat. There are a few places with inclines and steps, but very few throughout the hike.
Season: Any
Since the trail is underground, it’s hardly affected by the surrounding weather. Although, because it’s underground, it can sometimes be chilly down there so bring a light jacket.
Time of Day: Daytime
Because this is underground, it can be done at any time during the park’s business hours which are currently 8:30AM to the last cave entrance at 2:30PM.
Amount of Shade: Underground
If you take the Natural Trail, you will be in the sun for a little bit as you descend. Otherwise, the remainder of the hike is underground so you won’t be in the sun at all.
Difficulty: Easy
The paved short trail is considered an easy walk that most people can do without any issues.
What Makes Big Room Trail a Great Hike?
The Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns is one of the best caves we’ve been to, and we’ve done quite a few of them in the past few years. There’s so much to see, and the size makes it that much better.
Scenery the Big Room Trail
Start of the Trail
When entering the caverns, you have two options (the Elevator or the Natural Entrance Trail) and you have to specify which you plan to do when you check in with the park rangers.
Elevator
For those taking the elevator down, it’s to the left of the ticket counter. You’ll show your tour tickets to the park ranger who will give you a quick rundown of what you can and cannot do in the cavern. Then you proceed to the elevator. If you opt to take the Natural Trail, you’ll meet at the back of the visitor center where the rangers will show you the paved path leading to the Natural Entrance.
At the bottom of the elevator shaft, there’s a restroom, an information desk, and a small underground lunchroom. The lunchroom wasn’t open when we were there so we couldn’t get anything from there after our tour as we had originally planned. Then you’ll see signs that lead to the start of the Big Room Trail.
Natural Entrance Trail
The Natural Entrance Trail is about 1.25 miles but is considered strenuous because you are descending almost 750 in 1 mile of trails. It’s a series of steep switchbacks the entire way down. Or, you can take the high-speed elevator to the bottom. Because of the difficulty, many choose to walk the Natural Entrance down and then take the elevator back to the top.
We originally wanted to do the Natural Trail down and the elevator up, but my knee was acting up that day and walking down any steps or inclines made it worse. Because of that, I didn’t think I would be able to follow the footsteps of early explorers through the natural trail.
On the Trail
Luckily, at most of the formations, there are lights placed strategically so they can be seen. There are plenty of cave formations of all shapes to see such as:
- Soda Straws
- The Bottomless Pit
- Cave Bacon
- The Chandelier
- Crystal Spring Dome
- Cave Popcorn
- Hall of Giants
- Columns
- Draperies
- Rock of Ages
- Flowstone
- Stalagmites
- Stalactites
The informational signs also tell the story of the early cave explorers and how they found the limestone caves. In one area, there’s a rope ladder in a hole that they originally used to make their way to the lower cave system.
End of the Trail
As you come back around to the end of the trail, you meet back to the same point where you started. From there you can make your way back to the elevators.
Notable Places on the Hike
Ryan was fascinated by the Bottomless Pit. He saw the information for it while doing his Junior Ranger book so kept asking how far we were from the pit while we walked. We also really liked seeing the Chandelier, Sword of Damocles, and the Hall of Giants.
Top of the Cross is an area named for its position in the cave and is set up like a theater with built-in benches. It was once used for underground concerts but now is a great place for your group to take a break and marvel in the spectacular views of the caverns.
Big Room Trailhead Information
Park Name: Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in Southern New Mexico near the border with Texas. The entrance is near Whites City, about 20 minutes from Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Finding the Trailhead
Once you check in with the park rangers, they will direct you where to go when it's time to start your tour. They'll give you the entrance ticket to give the ranger at the start of the trail.
Markers Along the Trail
As you walk through the Big Room loop, there will be signs around that explain the history and rock formation parts of the Big Room Trail.
Nearest Restrooms
There are restrooms at the visitor center building and a set of restrooms at the bottom of the cavern near the elevators.
Parking Area: Visitor Center
To get to the cavern, you need to start at the visitor center. This is where you get in the line to pay for your park entrance (so have your pass ready if you have one) and the proof of your ticket purchase available when you talk to the park rangers.
Other Trails at this Trailhead
Big Room Trail is the only self-guided trail that you can do. But there are a few other ranger-guided tours into different areas of the caves that you can reserve for an additional fee.
Tips for Big Room Trail
- Get in line to pick up your reserved tickets as soon as you get to the visitor center before the line gets long. Then take your time checking out the gift shop and educational exhibits in the building.
- The only food and drink allowed down into the cave is plain water.
- If you want a hike that is not inside the caves, do one of the desert hikes in Carlsbad Caverns or nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
- Don't wear items, especially shoes, that you've worn in other caves to help stop the spread of white-nose syndrome to the native bats.
- Flash photography can be used anywhere in the cave. The only time it isn't allowed is during the bat flight program.
Accessibility Information for Big Room Trail
Paved
Paved
Trail Type: Paved
The entire Big Room Trail is a paved walkway. There are a few tight places that are not accessible for wheelchairs, but there are signs indicating the wheelchair path, which is about a mile long.
Parking: Paved
The Visitor Center parking lot is paved and has multiple handicapped parking places.
Current Ticket Prices
Current as of July 27, 2024
National Park Entrance Fee
There are two fees that you need to pay to gain entrance into the cavern. The first is the entry into the National Park. Carlsbad Caverns is one of the few that you are paying per person, no matter how many vehicles or people in the group. For those with a National Park Pass, those typically give access to either 1 vehicle or up to 6 people in a group.
Big Room Cavern Reservation Fee
In addition to the park entrance fees, you will also need timed entry tickets to go into the caverns. It’s best to purchase these online before going to the park so you are guaranteed a chance to go into the cave. Some tickets are sold on the day of the tours, but only a limited amount. In our experience, the line gets long so get in line quickly so you don’t miss your entry times for the cavern.
For those taking the elevator down, it’s to the left of the ticket counter. You’ll show your tour tickets to the park ranger who will give you a quick rundown of what you can and cannot do in the cavern. Then you proceed to the elevator. If you opt to take the Natural Trail, you’ll meet at the back of the visitor center where the rangers will show you the paved path leading to the Natural Entrance.
At the bottom of the elevator shaft, there’s a restroom, an information desk, and a small underground lunchroom. The lunchroom wasn’t open when we were there so we couldn’t get anything from there after our tour as we had originally planned. Then you’ll see signs that lead to the start of the Big Room Trail.
Other Cave Tours
There are two options for doing a ranger-led tour through other parts of the cave system for an additional fee. Those tickets are also purchased at recreation.gov online.
King's Palace Tour:
$8 per adult • $6 per child • $4 per Senior or Access Pass holders
Children 6 and under are not permitted on this tour.
Lover Cave Tour:
$20 per adult • $10 per child or those with a Senior or Access Pass
Children under 12 are not permitted on this tour.