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Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad, NM

Established to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains over 97 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave—the nation's deepest limestone cave at 1,567 feet (478m) and third longest.

Carlsbad Cavern, with one of the world's largest underground chambers and countless formations, is highly accessible, with a variety of tours offered year-round.

CONTACTS

Email - cave_interpretation@nps.gov

Fax- 505-785-2302

Write to
3225 National Parks Highway
Carlsbad, NM 88220

Phone
Visitor Information - (505) 785-2232
Headquarters - (505) 885-8884

TRAVEL BASICS

Operating Hours, Seasons
The park is open every day except for December 25.

* EXPANDED HOURS: May 25 through September 1, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.. Tours available 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

* REGULAR HOURS: January 1 through May 24 and September 2 through May 23, 2003, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tours available 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Please note: Beginning on the first Sunday in April, Carlsbad Caverns is on Mountain Daylight Saving Time; Mountain Standard Time begins on the last Sunday in October.

Getting There
PLANE - Mesa Airlines offers passenger service between Carlsbad and Albuquerque. Major airlines serve Albuquerque, El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland, Texas.

CAR - Rental cars and taxi service are available from the airport at Carlsbad.

BUS - Carlsbad is served by Greyhound and TNM&O bus lines.

Weather & Climate
The weather in southern New Mexico can change quickly at any time of the year. Winter is often cold and dry with rare snow and ice storms. Spring is extremely windy. Summer is hot and violent lightening storms are not uncommon in the afternoon and evening. Fall is usually mild. Call (800) 432-4269 for road conditions in New Mexico and (505) 885-1848 for Carlsbad weather.

The cave climate is cool and varies little from the annual 56F (13C) average. A light jacket or sweater, and comfortable shoes with rubber soles for good traction are appropriate year-round.

Accessibility
The visitor center and a large section of the self-guided Big Room tour are accessible to visitors using wheelchairs. An outdoor nature trail, the bat flight amphitheater, and picnic sites near the visitor center and at Rattlesnake Springs are also fully-accessible. NOTE: The park does not provide wheelchairs, you must bring your own.

Getting Around
Baby strollers are not permitted on cave trails. We recommend that you bring a baby backpack if you plan to take small children into the cave.

FEES/PERMITS

Entrance Fee
INDIVIDUAL
$6.00 for 3 Days
All visitors to Carlsbad Caverns are required to purchase an Entrance Fee ticket.

Activity Fee
HALL OF THE WHITE GIANT
$20.00 for One Time
Difficult!

KING'S PALACE TOUR
$8.00 for One Time
This is a 1.5-hour ranger-guided tour through four highly decorated chambers. The tour departs from the underground rest area. You will descend to the deepest portion of the cavern open to the public, 830 feet beneath the desert surface. Although not as difficult as the Natural Entrance route, this 1-mile tour does require descending, and later climbing, an 8-story hill.

LEFT HAND TUNNEL
$7.00 for One Time
Easy walking, with lanterns.

LOWER CAVE
$20.00 for One Time
Ladders at the entrance to Lower Cave sometimes cause participants to back out. If you have a fear of heights or difficulties with ladders, you may wish to consider visiting Left Hand Tunnel instead.

SLAUGHTER CANYON CAVE
$15.00 for One Time
Ranger-guided tours of this cave take you into an underground wilderness without electricity, paved walkways, or modern conveniences. Darkness is broken only by the flashlights and headlamps of rangers and tour. Prepare for a strenuous 1/2-mile hike to the cave entrance, where the tour begins. Sturdy hiking shoes, large flashlights with fresh batteries, and water are required. All tour participants must be age 6 or older.

SPIDER CAVE
$20.00 for One Time
Spider Cave is a three-dimensional maze cave, a caver's paradise. Even veteran cavers will enjoy this adventure.

Permits
BACKCOUNTRY USE
Free!
All backcountry users are required to obtain a free backcountry use permit at the visitor center.

CAMPING

Only backcountry camping is available.

FACILITIES

Visitor Centers
CARLSBAD CAVERNS VISITOR CENTER
Phone - (505) 785-2232
Location - The visitor center is reached by way of US Highway 62/180 from either Carlsbad, New Mexico (23 miles to the northeast) or El Paso, Texas (150 miles to the west). A scenic 7-mile (11.3 km) entrance road leads from the park gate at Whites City to the visitor center and cavern entrance.
Closures - Closed December 25.
Special Programs - Be sure to check out the self-guided cave tours with the automated Cavern Audio Guide. We also offer ranger-guided cave tours, audio-visual programs, talks, hikes and demonstrations. Evening bat flight programs occur May through October.
Exhibits - The visitor center features exhibits on bats, geology, cave restoration and park history. There is also a children's exhibit that includes a variety of pictures, games and hands-on material. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce recently installed a special touch-screen computer to provide information about local attractions and exhibits featuring state and local maps. While the park does not offer the standard "movie" found at many national parks, there is a short self-serve video available with closed captioning in Spanish or English. This video serves as an introduction to the bats of Carlsbad Caverns and is particularly appreciated by our off-season visitors who miss the bat flight phenomena.
Available Facilities - The visitor center includes a ticket sales area, restrooms, a bookstore, a gift shop, kennels and a coffee shop. The coffee shop is open during visitor center hours. There is no service in the evening, when the Bat Flight program is taking place. The restaurant has a private dining room available for large parties, but it must be reserved in advance.Call (505) 785-2281. There is a small cafeteria-style restaurant in the Underground Rest Area, which sells box lunches and snack items. Large groups can also eat here comfortably. The large gift shop offers a wide range of gifts and souvenir items. There is also a small selection of souvenir items in the Underground Rest Area. Both gift shops sell film and batteries, but offer a limited selection. The kennel is open every day during regular visitor center hours and has space for about 30 pets. The fee is $4.00 per pet. Each animal has its own cage and the room is air-conditioned. Please never leave your animals in cars or RVs, heat can be deadly even with a window cracked.

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