How to Enjoy Carlsbad Caverns National Park

If you're a spelunker looking for a cave, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located in southeast New Mexico, is your dream vacation. One of the largest cave chambers in the world is here, paved and artificially lit for visitors' comfort. If you're willing to go off the beaten path, however, put on your hiking boots and opt for a wild cave tour.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hiking Boots
• Travel Clothes
• Rental Cars
• Travel Services
• Backpacking Stoves
• Rental cars

1. Decide when to go. The park is open all year, with hot temperatures at the surface during summer and cold temperatures in winter. Highest visitation is June through August.

2. Choose transportation. You can rent a car and drive from Carlsbad, New Mexico, which is 23 miles to the northeast of the park. Or fly into Albuquerque, New Mexico; or El Paso, Lubbock or Midland, Texas; and rent a car.

3. Decide where to stay. There is no lodging (campsites or otherwise) in the park, but you can check with the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce (carlsbad.org) for nearby accommodations.

4. Plan ahead. Guided cave tours at the park are extremely popular, so it's best to review your options, then make advance reservations (see the U.S. National Parks Reservation Service at reservations.nps.gov) for tours you wish to take.

5. Stop at the visitor center when you get to the park. You'll want to hear all about how the caves formed, the bats and the history of the park. You can also buy tickets here for cave tours.

6. Bring a sweater. No matter how warm it is at the surface, caves stay about 56 degrees F. throughout the year. Comfortable rubber-soled shoes are also recommended.

7. Don't miss the Bat Flight. Each evening, a huge colony of Mexican free-tailed bats exits its cave for a night of hunting insects. Watch this spectacular sight from the outdoor amphitheater near the cave, and be sure to hear the ranger's talk before the flight.

8. Take a self-guided cave tour, but remember that you need a ticket for these as well as for the guided tours.

9. Have lunch at picnicking facilities available near the visitor center. You can buy some food at the visitor center, or stock up on groceries in Whites City or Carlsbad.

10. Camp in the backcountry, which is allowed in the park, but by permit only. Pick up free permits at the visitor center. Campfires or ground fires of any kind are not permitted inside the park, but you can use a containerized fuel stove.

11. Check into recreational and cultural opportunities in nearby Carlsbad. These include offerings from the Carlsbad Community Theater, Carlsbad Community Concert Association, and the Carlsbad Museum and Art Center.

12. Explore other nearby parks while you're in the area. These include Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Living Desert State Park, Brantley Lake State Park and the Lake Carlsbad Municipal Park.

Tips & Warnings

• To contact the park directly, write to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, 3225 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM 88220, or call [phone].
• You cannot take baby strollers into any caves, so be sure to bring a baby backpack if you're toting a young child.
• Fido isn't allowed in any of the caves, but you can stow him at an air-conditioned kennel near the visitor center for a small fee.
• No flash photography is permitted during the Bat Flight. The best flights happen in August and September, and - because the bats winter in Mexico - you can only see them from late May to late October.
• If you are in the least bit claustrophobic, descending into deep, ink-black caves may not be your idea of a good time. You may want to stick to appreciating the park's aboveground features, including the Bat Flight and Rattlesnake Springs oasis.
• Never enter backcountry caves without written permission of the park superintendent. These caves can be dangerous, and are ecologically sensitive.
• There are a lot of regulations associated with cave tours - many of them for your own safety. Be sure to follow them exactly.