Hidden beneath the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico lies a world unlike anything on the surface. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is home to more than 100 limestone caves formed over millions of years by the slow and powerful forces of nature. The park’s crown jewel, Carlsbad Cavern, opens into an immense underground chamber known as the Big Room. Nearly 4,000 feet long and 255 feet high at its tallest point, it is one of the largest cave chambers in North America. Walking through it feels like entering another realm, where stalactites hang like chandeliers and delicate formations glisten under soft light.
The story of the caverns began millions of years ago when an ancient sea covered this region. As the water receded, minerals like gypsum and sulfuric acid carved intricate passageways through the limestone. Over time, these processes created the chambers and formations that make Carlsbad Caverns so spectacular today. The caves remained hidden from modern eyes until the late 1800s, when a local teenager named Jim White explored them by lantern light and helped reveal their beauty to the world. In 1930, Carlsbad Caverns was designated a national park to protect this remarkable underground landscape.
Above ground, the park’s desert environment is equally captivating. Cacti and yucca thrive under the sun, and at dusk, thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats emerge from the cave entrance in a dramatic display that fills the evening sky. Visitors can hike the desert trails, explore the natural entrance to the cavern, or descend by elevator into the vast subterranean world below. Each experience reveals a different perspective on the balance between the harshness of the desert and the hidden wonders beneath it.
Conservation at Carlsbad Caverns National Park focuses on preserving both its fragile cave ecosystems and its surrounding desert habitat. The National Park Service works with geologists, biologists, and climate scientists to monitor air quality, protect cave formations from damage, and study the bat populations that play a vital role in the park’s ecosystem. Visitors are encouraged to respect the delicate nature of the caves by staying on marked paths and avoiding contact with formations. Carlsbad Caverns is a reminder that some of the most extraordinary landscapes are found not above us, but below our feet.
Our Experience
We had never been in a cave this large! It felt like we were in a massive museum, walking around, viewing all the formations and admiring them like art. Every formation was really well lit and had such unique features! It was actually a bit chilly and it was a very unique experience.