Bat Cave
Most of the cave's bat population lives in this underground chamber.
Plan Around Bat Cave
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Bat Cave Details
This small, rocky passage shoots off from the main entrance corridor. In the early 1900s this area was mined for bat guano, or bat feces. Only scientists are allowed inside the bat cave; however you can see the cave from the Natural Entrance Trail. Most of Carlsbad Cavern's population of Mexican Free-tailed Bats lives here (probably close to one million, though there is not an exact figure available). Mexican Free-tailed Bats are distinguished by their grey-brown body and their long, skinny tails. The bats use this cave room as a daytime refuge and, more importantly, a nursery: this is where females give birth, and where young bats spend the first several weeks of their lives. After the mothers give birth in June (while hanging from the ceiling by their toes and fingers), the young bats stay in the cave for four to five weeks. At night, the adult bats leave the cave to hunt for insects using echolocation; during the day they sleep, safe from predators and the extreme heat of the desert.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
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Region
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Nearby Parks Around Bat Cave
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Nearby Points of Interest Around Bat Cave
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Bat Cave while the map context is still fresh.
0.0 mi away
Carlsbad Canyon Visitor Center
Your main resource for information about the park, as well as the place to purchase entry and tour tickets.
0.0 mi away
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Cavern is one of the world's most famous show caves and forms the heart of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
0.0 mi away
Natural Entrance Trail
The Natural Entrance Trail is one of two options for self-guided touring of the cave.
0.2 mi away
Bat Flight Amphitheater
The amphitheater features rings of stone benches looking down on the cavern's natural entrance, where thousands of bats emerge nightly.
0.2 mi away
Walnut Canyon Desert Drive
This nine-mile gravel loop is one of the few designated scenic drives in the park.
