Slaughter Canyon Cave Tour
This moderately difficult tour takes you deep inside one of the park's many undeveloped caves.
Plan Around Slaughter Canyon Cave Tour
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Slaughter Canyon Cave Tour Details
This moderately difficult tour takes you deep inside one of the park's many undeveloped caves. Slaughterhouse Canyon Cave is located in the southern Rattlesnake Springs district. The cave has no paved walkways, no elevators, no electric lights, and no handrails. The tour takes you to some of the cave's most striking features, including the Monarch, one of the largest cave columns in the world, and the Chinese Wall, an ankle-high ridge of rimstone. Tours start at the Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center; you'l caravan to Rattlesnake Springs in your personal vehicles. At Rattlesnake Springs, there is a 30-45 minute hike to access the cave entrance. In the cave, each participant carries a flashlight or headlamp (your tour guide will provide flashlights, but you are required to bring three AAA batteries). Sturdy, closed-toed shoes or hiking boots are required, as the footing is uneven and often slippery. The tour takes around five hours and costs $15 for adults and $7.50 for kids. The minimum age for this tour is eight, and all kids age 16 or younger have to be accompanied by an adult. The tour is available from mid-May through mid-August, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, at 8:30 a.m.
Difficulty
Open
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
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Region
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Nearby Parks Around Slaughter Canyon Cave Tour
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Nearby Points of Interest Around Slaughter Canyon Cave Tour
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Slaughter Canyon Cave Tour while the map context is still fresh.
0.0 mi away
Slaughter Canyon Cave
Located at the end of Highway 418, this is one of the park's many undeveloped caves, also called "wild caves."
0.4 mi away
North Slaughter Canyon Trail
This trail winds along the bottom of Middle Slaughter Canyon before merging with North Slaughter Canyon.
1.5 mi away
Yucca Canyon Trail
This moderate trail wanders three miles through Yucca Canyon and up a ridge to gain views of the Yucca Basin and Big Canyon.
5.3 mi away
Rattlesnake Canyon Trail
This moderate trail descends a side canyon into Rattlesnake Canyon.
6.0 mi away
Rattlesnake Springs
An area of wetlands in the southwestern section of the park.
