All About Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in Southern New Mexico in the Chihuahuan Desert near the Guadalupe Mountains. It first became a national monument in 1923 but was designated a national park about 7 years later.
What to do at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
The Best Trails and Hikes at Carlsbad Caverns
If you are up for it, many have suggested the natural entrance trails if you are headed to the Big Room. It is a steep trail with switchbacks all the way from the Earth’s surface down into the cavern, about a 90-foot descent. Since it’s easier for most to walk downhill, and much less strenuous, many people opt for the natural trail on the way down and then take the elevator up. The Big Room inside the caverns is the primary attraction of the park.
Big Room
Other Hikes (Outside of the Caverns)
- Walnut Canyon Overlook
- Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail
- Slaughter Canyon Cave Trail
- Old Guano Trail
- Juniper Ridge
- Lower Rattlesnake Canyon
- Upper Rattlesnake Canyon to Guadalupe Ridge Loop
- Slaughter Canyon
- Yucca Canyon
- Guadalupe Ridge
- Guadalupe Ridge Trail
Things to do at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Visit the caverns.
- Check out the visitor center. It's a must-see. You can spend a lot of time there and not get bored.
- Grab a bite at the snack bar/restaurant in the visitor center.
- Explore some of the above ground trails.
What to see at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center
Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center
The visitor center is definitely a one-stop shop at this park! You’ll find the ranger desk with information, the junior ranger program, the elevator ride to the caverns, exhibits, a park movie, one gift shop, one bookstore, and a snack bar inside the building. The visitor center is also where you pay your entrance fees, purchase or show an entrance pass, get a permit for backcountry caves and backpacking areas, and talk to a park ranger.
Passport Book Stamp Location
National Park Passport Book Stamp Locations
- Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center
Carlsbad Caverns National Park Basics
727 Carlsbad Caverns Highway
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220
$15 per person
Under 16 are free
Mountain Time Zone
1930
Location, Phone Number, and Address
Carlsbad Caverns is located in Southern New Mexico in the United States of North America. It is part of a cave system near the New Mexico border with Texas. The park entrance is located in White’s City, New Mexico with a scenic drive of about 7 miles from the entrance to the visitor center.
The visitor center is located at 727 Carlsbad Caverns Highway, Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220. To reach the visitor center by phone, call 575-785-2232.
What are the Entrance Fees for Carlsbad Caverns?
There is a fee of $15 per person ages 16 and older that you will pay at the visitor center. If you want to do the self-guided tour of the cavern (which is the main attraction at this park) you will need to pay the entrance fee and the $1 per person fee to enter the Big Room Trail. It’s best to go through their system to reserve tickets ahead of time. Then plan to be there at least 30 minutes before your reservation time to have ample time to check in.
Current as of July 2024
What Time Zone is Carlsbad Caverns National Park in?
Carlsbad Caverns is in the Mountain Time Zone. It is offset by -6 hours from UTC/GMT.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
Since the cavern temperature doesn’t change with the change in weather, you can make Carlsbad Caverns a trip almost any time of the year. If you want to go to some of the other attractions, though, such as Slaughter Canyon Cave or Spider Cave, then you’ll want decent weather for that. Also, if you want to see the Bat Flight Program, it only happens from late May through October. Just remember, July and August can be brutal in the desert!
When did Carlsbad Caverns become a National Park?
It became part of the National Park Service on May 14, 1930.
How Big is Carlsbad Caverns National Park?
The park is a total of 46,766 acres (about 73 square miles) with over 33,000 of that designated as wilderness area.
Park Website
Always check the official park site for the most up-to-date information, hours, prices, and conditions.
Travel Tips for Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Driving Through Carlsbad Caverns National Park
The first 7 miles of the park, when entering through Whites City, is a scenic drive up to the visitor center. There are no paved roads past the visitor center or off of this road. It takes you through the desert and mountains. Past the visitor center, there is an unpaved scenic drive called the Walnut Canyon Desert Drive.
You can also drive the unpaved Rattlesnake Springs road if it is open at the time. That area will also take you back towards the Slaughter Canyon Cave and the North Slaughter Canyon Trail and the Yucca Canyon Trail.
Where are the National Park Entrances?
There are two entrances to the National Park. The main entrance is in White’s City and that includes the scenic drive to the visitor center and the cave entrance.
What is the Nearest City to Carlsbad Caverns?
There are a few cities near the entrances to Carlsbad Caverns. The main entrance to the park, the road that will take you to the visitor center, is in White’s City, New Mexico. You are also very close in Carlsbad, New Mexico, with about a 20-30 minute drive. Las Cruces, New Mexico, which is home to White Sands National Park, is about 200 miles away.
What is the Nearest Airport to Carlsbad Caverns?
The closest major airports are located in Roswell, New Mexico (about 103 miles from the park), El Paso, Texas (about 150 miles from the park), and Lubbock, Texas (about 200 miles from the park).
Itineraries including Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Lodging Near Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Where to Stay
The closest place to stay is in White’s City or Carlsbad. There are not many options in White’s City, but there are plenty of hotel options in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Campgrounds in the Area
There are no campgrounds or lodging within the National Park unless you have a backcountry permit which allows primitive camping only. There is a campground just outside the park called White’s City RV & Campground. There are also developed campground in nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park as well as just outside the park.
What are the Closest National Parks to Carlsbad Caverns National Park?
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas is 32 miles or about a 30 minute drive.
- White Sands National Park, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is 182 miles or about a 3.5-hour drive.
- Big Bend National Park in Terlingua, Texas, is 280 miles or about a 4.5 hours drive.
Facts about Carlsbad Caverns National Park
The Plants and Animals of Carlsbad Caverns
Southeastern New Mexico is home to many types of desert wildlife including 67 species of mammals, 17 species of bats, 357 species of birds, and 54 species of reptiles and amphibians. The largest colony of bats, and the ones that typically are seen with the bat flight program, are the Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats. You can often see foxes, mule deer, coyote, elk, and the occasional black bear roaming the trails and wilderness area above ground. In the Rattlesnake Springs area, since there is water in the park at the Pecos River, you can sometimes see water critters such as toads, frogs, and turtles.
There are over 750 plant species in the park including lechiguilla, sotol, ocotillo, prickly pear, cholla, and torrey yucca.
What is the Highest Point? What is the Lowest Point?
The highest point in the park is 6,368 feet above sea level. The lowest point is 3,596 feet above sea level.
Carlsbad Caverns Fun Facts
- Flash photography IS permitted inside the cavern on the Big Room Trail
- Carlsbad Caverns sees about 500,000 tourists annually
- There are two main types of terrain at the park: the Guadalupe Mountains, which are primarily limestone, and the Permian Basins, which are primarily gypsum
- Some of the largest caves in the country are at Carlsbad Caverns
- The Big Room, the main cavern on the self-guided tour, is the largest cave chamber in the United States and the 32nd largest in the world
- All of the caves in the park are limestone caves. They were formed when sulfuric acid dissolved in the limestone, creating huge caverns
- Even though Lechuguilla Cave is the largest in the park, the main cavern is the only one developed for public self-guided tours. The Big Room is about 8.2 acres