Things to do & places to visit in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, United States

Carlsbad Caverns National Park cover image

Carlsbad Caverns, located in the New Mexican desert, is one of the state's top atractions.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park national park in New Mexico, United States. Timezone: America/Denver, current date and time: Thursday, May 02, 2024, 8:30.

Top things to do (7)

Top places to visit (16 attractions)

5.0 Carlsbad Caverns Natural Entrance Tour (1.778 reviews)
- Great NP
Nature & Wildlife Tours

Went over Memorial Day to visit NP in this area of the country. Stopped first at the Carlsbad Caverns. Once entering the park entrance it is a 7 mile drive to the visitor center where you will get checked in for your cave ticket. Make sure you go on line a receiver a day and time you want to go, as to enter in the cave you must have a reservation. to just drive up the the top and walk around you do not. However since they are in a drought, all the trails are closed, even the 9 mile driving loop. We opted to do the natural entrance walk down to the high room. the walk down can be slippery, so were good shoes and take a light jacket as it is cool in the cave. If you have any type of breathing or heart conditions I would recommend to ride the elevator down. But by walking down you will see a lot of interesting formations that are not in the big room. Also stop by the gift shop and pay the $5.00 for the hand held device that you can listen to at designated stops along the walking path to here interesting facts. The cave is awesome, take about 2 hours to stop and look at the formations and read the signs. We went trice the time were were there, two different days, and the second time we rode the elevators down and walked out. the walk out is not that hard, but agin if any respiratory, heart of joint problems, take the elevator back up. They did have the small nature trail open that is at the end of the parkng lot. Saw a haven See more..
5.0 Carlsbad Caverns National Park Visitor Center (1.190 reviews)
- Very nice and complete visit.
Visitor Centers

Excellent visitor's center when compared to others. Lots of parking, the people are friendly, and the cave tour processing was very efficient and easy to follow. Because they currently limit the number of persons going into the cave, we had purchased a reserved spot online ($1 each). Our time was 9:30, but we arrived early at 8:30 and they told us to go ahead early. Cool! The exhibits were great as well with a very informative film explaining how the caves got here in the first place. The gift shop is pretty good. It does carry lots of useless merchandise unrelated to Carlsbad Caverns, but it also had some good stuff. I also like that the restaurant maintains its charm from earlier days. See more..
5.0 Big Room (1.011 reviews)
- Go early (no later than 7am) to get tickets!!!
Caverns & Caves

The largest cavern in Carlsbad Caverns. See more..
5.0 Lower Cave Tour (73 reviews)
- Absolutely Phenomenal
Sightseeing Tours

We chose the Lower Cave Tour because it seemed like a good balance between time and difficulty. I went into it without great expectations but I was very pleasantly surprised by the experience. We did the Natural Entrance and King's Palace tours the day prior and both were decent but the paved paths gave everything a very staid, ho-hum quality. Don't get me wrong... the formations are beautiful and the history is fascinating but it could easily be a feature in a Disney park. The Lower Cave Tour is much different. You're descending on ropes and ladders, walking on the actual cave floor, without all the permanent lighting, observing the features from inches away and seeing the evidence of 120 years of exploration, not all of which has been kind to the cave. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and our guides (Rangers Andy and Kelly) were extremely knowledgeable and personable. Five stars doesn't seem like enough! See more..
5.0 Hall of The White Giant (23 reviews)
- Highlight of 11 day vacation
Geologic Formations

Only the truly adventurous ( and fit ) should consider this four-hour guided tour of one of Carlsbad Caverns' most captivating caves. Involves crawling through tight spaces, walking on slippery surfaces and getting dirty. See more..
4.5 Bat Flight Program in Carlsbad Caverns National Park (580 reviews)
- Awesome!
Caverns & Caves

What a wonderful way to end the day exploring the caverns! Before the bats emerged, a Ranger shared lots of bat trivia and information about the caves. He talked until the bats took flight. No pictures or cell phones allowed, and we were all encouraged to watch silently so as not to disturb the bats. It was almost a mystical experience watching the steady stream of bats emerge while a whole group of people looked on in silence. The bats came out in groups, flying and diving to catch insects and some flew right above us. We had spent the afternoon in the caverns, had enough time to get a couple of sandwiches before the cafeteria closed at 5 PM, then we took our food to a picnic table where we ate and enjoyed the scenery. After a little walk on the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail, we went to the ampitheater to see the bats. It was a perfect afternoon and evening! I highly recommend spending the whole afternoon and early evening at the Park. See more..
4.5 King's Palace (374 reviews)
- Fantastic Cavern
Caverns & Caves

This area of the Caverns contain the most stalactites and stalagmites, and must be visited with a guide. See more..
4.5 Lion's Tail (86 reviews)
- Very Rare Cave Feature
Geologic Formations

An oddly-shaped stalactite with a pom-pom shape at the end. See more..
4.5 Giant Dome (55 reviews)
- Massive Both Height and Size
Geologic Formations

One of the most impressive limestone formations in Carlsbad Caverns is the Giant Dome, which stands 62 feet high, 16 feet in diameter, and bears a resemblance to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. See more..
4.5 Left Hand Tunnel Tour (51 reviews)
- Would be fun for kids
Sightseeing Tours

Great tour if you have smaller children because you get to experience total darkness with candle light. It doesn't take you very far and there aren't any amazing highlights though. For my husband and I that were also able to do Hall of White Giant though, this tour was not very exciting. See more..
4.5 Slaughter Canyon Cave (39 reviews)
- Fun Day, But Glad I Did Lower Cavern and Big Room First
Caverns & Caves

Don't let the name scare you away from this natural wonder, a dark cave with no electricity or modern conveniences but plenty of awesome sights including an 89-foot column, a dazzling Christmas tree-like column and a rimstone dam. Guided tours must be booked in advance. See more..
4.5 Green Lake (29 reviews)
- Massive Chamber open but green lake closed to public for Covid
Bodies of Water

Lake in Carlsbad Caverns with stalactites and stalagmites. See more..
4.5 Spider Cave (18 reviews)
- Do it!!!!
Caverns & Caves

Definitely take the time to explore Spider Cave. I went in 2017 and the experience is still with me, in a fantastically good way. You will use your body but you don't need to be a triathlete to be able to make the trip. If you're afraid of the dark, stretching your body across deep chasms, or tight spaces, then do NOT go. But, if you want to go where few have gone and see what few have seen and prove yourself to yourself, then do it, DO IT NOW! See more..
4.0 Bottomless Pit (75 reviews)
- Think About the First Cavern Explorers
Geologic Formations

Pit in Carlsbad Caverns that looks "bottomless" but is actually 140-feet deep. See more..
4.0 Rattlesnake Springs (45 reviews)
- Relaxing and shady picnic spot
Bodies of Water

Rattlesnake Springs is a part of Carlsbad Caverns NP that is not connected to, and a few miles south of, the main road to the caverns and visitor center. I believe that during normal times, there is a ranger-led tour of a nearby cave available. Given Covid, that tour wasn't running, but we found Rattlesnake Springs to be a nice oasis. We brought a picnic lunch and enjoyed eating it at a table amidst a green area shaded by large trees. It was a pretty spot, and we were glad we took some time to sit down, relax, and enjoy the quiet atmosphere. See more..
3.5 Walnut Canyon Desert Drive (60 reviews)
- Nice place to spend some time
Scenic Drives

This is a 9 mile gravel road that makes a loop through Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is shown on the map at the NPS website, and mentioned in guidebooks such as National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks. See more..