“It’s just the Grand Canyon with a roof on it” …….”It’s got all the cathedrals of the world in it, with half of ’em hanging upside down”
-Will Rogers
As nature lovers, Carlsbad Caverns was high on our list to see. Planning ahead is a must, because we waited too long to attempt to make reservations for the guided tour into the King’s Palace; and other typically guided tours weren’t even available. Even still, due to high demand, there is a reservation requirement to specify your time slot for entering the cave for the self-guided tour of the main cavern called The Big Room.
To begin the tour, you can either take an elevator ride from the visitor center down 750-feet underground, or you can penetrate the darkness by descending through the “Natural Entrance”; the latter being our route of choice, and one that we highly recommend to anyone who wants the full immersive experience!
The large mouth of the cave is quickly dwarfed by the initial interior of the cavern. We constantly marveled at the massive size of the underground chambers, and once we entered The Big Room, we were shocked to discover that the ceiling height was 255-feet along it’s 4,000 foot length! The scale of the hollows are absolutely immense.
Moreover, it’s humbling to ponder the initial explorations of 16-year old Jim White roaming the pitch-black depths in 1898, unraveling this exotic terrain and foreign features. We’re sure he never fathomed that, to this day, new routes would still be uncovered within. And, yet, the public is actually only allowed to visit three out of 119 caves.
In comparison, today the route is navigable by walking along a comfortable, meandering asphalt path illuminated by dramatic, muted lighting. It took us about three hours to complete our self-guided tour into the Big Room, as its impossible to rush this experience (although stretching the tour past the lunch-hour was definitely a good motivator at the end, and the cafe in the visitor center was a benefactor of our hunger).
Photos can only feebly attempt to convey the enormity, yet our iPhone 14 and 14 Plus did fairly well if we do say so ourselves. The automatic night mode that the phones revert to in low-light settings was perfect for this environment. Unlike other cameras using flash, momentarily blinding us innocent bystanders, the night mode never flashed, maintaining a full-sighted, unobtrusive experience for everyone. Shots required staying still longer, but were definitely worth it!
The actual experience of walking through these magnificent caverns was truly jaw dropping! For those who have yet to explore this park, definitely add it to your plans soon because you won’t be disappointed!
“We see that the bat is a very wonderful creature, one of Nature’s triumphs and masterpieces.”
-W.H. Hudson
Attending the Bat Flight Program one evening to observe the nightly flight of the Brazilian free-tailed bats emerging from the natural entrance of Carlsbad Caverns was a spectacle to behold. About an hour prior, attendees gathered at the sizable amphitheater overlooking the opening to hear a Park Ranger briefing regarding expectations, general information about the bats and, mostly, to answer any questions. Unfortunately, yet most importantly, we were instructed that the use of any cameras, phones or electronic recording devices of any kind were STRICTLY prohibited. This rule was established so the bats are not disturbed or discouraged by human activity which might cause them to vacate this roost, one that they’ve migrated to for over 5,000 years! Do not disturb people!
During the ranger’s presentation we were treated to a completely unexpected event, one that we initially thought was the main event. Instead, we witnessed several cave swallows swooping overhead, entering into the cave. Apparently they like to make sure to make it to their nests tucked right inside the cave entrance before the bats begin their exodus, otherwise, they may find that they have to wait because flying against the bat’s mass departure proves to be too challenging.
Well, how challenging could it really be, you ask?! There are around 400,0000 bats inhabiting this cavern as far as the scientists have been able to estimate! So that’s a lot of bats to circumnavigate, not to mention the fact that it takes over an hour for them all to emerge! With this many bats in one location, one would think there would be a few mid-air collisions amongst themselves. Yet as they came forth, they each silently took their place in creating a graceful, upward swirling “tornado”; only their wing beats issued any noise, and with 400,000 pairs flapping, they were successful in drowning out the chirping of the crickets. Once they cleared the cliff sides surrounding the entrance, they continued on their choreographed flight, all heading in the same general direction to their first stop, a nearby lake, for a quick drink before going their separate ways to feed. That’s thousands of bats exiting, in unison, every minute and provides a truly spectacular site to watch… just don’t have your mouth open in awe while looking up!
Ah-hem, Speaking About Guano…
Interesting fact: Not surprisingly, a successful guano mining business began in 1903 in the caverns. It was heralded as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.
English 
Went there on a motorcycle trip back in the 70’s with friends of mine! His wife’s parents live in Carlsbad. We had a great time. It was in the summer, so it felt amazing to get a reprieve from the baking sun! 🙏🏼🇺🇸🤠
It definitely is a great experience! You bring up a good point. Spending 3-hours marveling at the sights underground surely is a reprieve from the sweltering desert temperatures. Yet it’s best to dress in layers for this exploration, as it is not only cooler, but also a little damp. We would also suggest that everyone should bring along their refillable water bottles, just as they should for any hiking adventure. Preparing in advance makes all the difference for enjoying this natural marvel!