Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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7
CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL
PARK
23 miles SW of Carlsbad; 81 miles S of Roswell; 150 miles NE of El Paso
One of the largest and most spectacular cave systems in the world, Carlsbad Caverns
comprise some 100 known caves that snake through the porous limestone reef of the
Guadalupe Mountains. Fantastic and grotesque formations fascinate visitors, who find
every shape imaginable (and unimaginable) naturally sculpted in the underground
world—from frozen waterfalls to strands of pearls, from soda straws to miniature castles,
from draperies to ice-cream cones.
Although Native Americans had known of the caverns for centuries, they were not
discovered by Anglos until about a century ago, when settlers were attracted by sunset
flights of bats from the cave. Jim White, a guano miner, began to explore the main cave
in the early 1900s and to share its wonders with tourists. By 1923, the caverns had
become a national monument, upgraded to national park status in 1930.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
Take US 62/180 from either Carlsbad (see “Essentials,” under
“Carlsbad & Environs,” earlier in this chapter), which is 23 miles to the northeast, or El
Paso, Texas, which is 150 miles to the west. The scenic entrance road to the park is 7
miles long and originates at the park gate at White's City. Van service to Carlsbad Cav-
erns National Park from White's City, south of Carlsbad, is provided by
Sun Country
Tours/White's City Services
(
&
575/785-2291
).
VISITOR INFORMATION
For more information about the park, contact
Carlsbad
Caverns National Park,
3225 National Parks Hwy., Carlsbad, NM 88220 (
&
800/967-
CAVE
[2283] for tour reservations, 575/785-2232 for information about guided tours,
and 575/785-3012 for bat flight information; www.nps.gov/cave).
ADMISSION FEES & HOURS
General admission to the park is $6 for adults, free for
children under age 15. Admission is good for 3 days and includes entry to the two self-
guided walking tours. Guided tours range in price from $7 to $20, depending on the
type of tour, and reservations are required. The visitor center and park are open daily
from Memorial Day to mid-August from 8am to 7pm; the rest of the year they're open
from 8am to 5pm. They're closed Christmas.
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TOURING THE CAVES
Two caves,
Carlsbad Cavern
and
Slaughter Canyon Cave,
are open to the public. The
National Park Service has provided facilities, including elevators, to make it easy for
everyone to visit the cavern, and a kennel for pets is available. Visitors in wheelchairs are
common.
In addition to the tours described below, inquire at the visitor center information desk
about other ranger-guided tours, including climbing and crawling “wild” cave tours. Be
sure to call days in advance because some tours are offered only 1 day per week. Spelunk-
ers who seek access to the park's undeveloped caves require special permission from the
park superintendent.
