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 CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK

April 15, 2020

Situated in Southeastern New Mexico in the Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a world heritage site of 120 caves formed between four and six million years ago when sulfuric acid from hydrogen-sulfide-rich rainwater dissolved limestone between fractures and crevices in the surface rock.

The largest cave in the park, Lechuguilla Cave, is 140 miles long and 1,604 feet deep. Its vast network of chambers was discovered more recently in 1986, and it’s regarded as one of the 10 longest in the world and the second deepest in the United States. As it’s closed to the public—access is only granted to approved researchers and survey or exploration teams—the only way to get a glimpse is through the NPS website.

The biggest draw to Carlsbad Caverns is the Big Room. The largest single cave chamber by volume in North America, this 8.2-acre limestone cavern contains a 1.25-mile trail that’s mostly flat with sections that are wheelchair accessible.

Admission: $15 per adult 16 and older; children ages 15 and under are free

A valid America The Beautiful annual pass covers entry for up to four adults in your group.

Photography and text by Elaine Skylar Neal / Travels and Curiosities

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