Carlsbad Caverns National Park

UNREAL! Carlsbad Caverns National Park exceeded my expectations. At 16 years old, Jim White discovered Carlsbad Caverns. Well, actually over 1,000 years ago, American Indians ventured into the entrance but left no evidence of entering the cave. One day in the late 1800’s White thought he saw smoke coming from the area and when he went to explore it he found bats. It was streams of bats pouring out that led to this cave discovery. In 1915 White teamed up with photographer Ray Davis to promote the cave exploration. White would take people down into the cave in a bucket once used to hall guano. Yuck. Carlsbad Cavern’s popularity gained and in 1923 it became a National Monument, then a National Park in 1930.

The brochure calls it a huge underground wilderness full of unusual formations. Yep! First of all, its a HUGE cave. Some 800′ below ground and 15 football fields long. We did a ranger led tour of The Kings Palace and then self toured the Big Room. The Big Room is a 1 mile loop through the cave where you can explore and see a gazillion stalagmites and stalagtites, interesting drapery formations, and thin little soda straw drippings.

The King’s Palace tour was into a special area of the cave accessible only on a ranger tour. We hiked down into the loop and again, WOW! At one point the ranger turned all the lights out (LED lights showoff some of the features normally). Without those lights it is PITCH BLACK. We’re underground some 800′ and there is no light. It made it all the more impressive that some kid explored it with a crappy kerosene lantern in the early 1900’s.

After the tour we climbed the 800+ feet back out of the cave. It’s a hike! If you don’t want to or aren’t able, you can always take the elevator.

I highly recommend visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We took A LOT of pictures, enjoy!