Carlsbad Caverns National Park

As you pass through the Chihuahuan Desert and Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas—filled with prickly pear, chollas, sotols and agaves—you might never guess there are more than 300 known caves beneath the surface. The park contains 113 of these caves, formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone, creating some of the largest caves in North America.

The Basics

Hours:

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is open every day of the year except for December 25.

EXPANDED (SUMMER) HOURS: Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 8 am to 7 pm. Tours are available 8:30 am to 5 pm. Last entry into cave via natural entrance is 3:30. Last entry into cave via elevator is 5:00.

REGULAR HOURS: After Labor Day until Memorial Day weekend, 8 am to 5 pm. Tours are available 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Last entry into cave via natural entrance is 2:00. Last entry into cave via elevator is 3:30.

Please note: Beginning on the second Sunday in March, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is on Mountain Daylight Saving Time; Mountain Standard Time begins on the first Sunday in November.

Address:

3225 National Parks Highway
Carlsbad, NM 88220

Phone:

505-785-2232

Phone:

505-785-3012

Fax:

505-785-3122

Map

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico Map

Directions

Visitors arrive by way of U.S. 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.

Climate

The weather in southern New Mexico can change quickly at any time of the year. Winter is often cold and dry with occasional snow and ice storms. Spring is known to be extremely windy. Summer is very hot and violent lightning storms are not uncommon in the evenings. Fall is usually mild and without extremes......of course, the weather in the cave is a mild 56°F (13°C) year-round. A light jacket and comfortable shoes with rubber soles are appropriate year-round.

Link to our Alamogordo Weather coverage for more information.

Link to our Artesia Weather coverage for more information.

Link to our Cloudcroft Weather coverage for more information.

Link to our Roswell Weather coverage for more information.

Fees

Entrance Fee (Self-Guided Tours): Adults $6, Children 15 and under, Free
Ranger-Guided Tour Fees are extra in addition to the entrance fee.

Things To Do

All visitors to the park should tour the main section of the cave, the Big Room self-guided tour. The Natural Entrance self-guided tour is also very impressive, but it is not recommended for visitors with any kind of health problems because it is very steep.

Guided tours of varying difficulties in Carlsbad Cavern and other park caves are available. To reserve tickets for a guided tour, call 1.877.444.6777 or visit Recreation.gov.

While there are a variety of cave tours available—from the self-guided areas of the Big Room to crawling through narrow passageways on the Hall of the White Giant Tour or in Spider Cave—there are also opportunities for hiking and backcountry camping, attending programs in the visitor center, and watching the incredible exodus of Mexican free-tail bats out of Carlsbad Cavern at dusk in the summer.

Home Page \| Advertising \| Site Map \| Contact Go-NewMexico.com
Copyright 1998 - 2008