FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Carlsbad Caverns.

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Some of the most commonly asked questions about the park, according to the National Park Service: **What are the park's hours and how much does it cost to enter?** The park is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Anyone wishing to enter the cave has to buy an entrance ticket, which costs $10 for adults. Kids under the age of 15 enter for free. Cave tour tickets are sold separately. **Does the park give out Senior Citizen discounts?** People 62 or older get in at a discounted rate. Bring proof of age to get the discount. People with a National Parks and Federal Recreations Land Passes also qualify for a discount. **When is the cave open?** During the offseason, from Labor Day through Memorial Day, the park visitor center stays open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the cave entrance stays open from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The final elevator up from the cavern is at 3:30 p.m. During high season, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the visitor stays open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the cave entrance stays open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with the final elevator ride up at 5:00 p.m. **How do I get to the park?** Take U.S. highway 62/180 to White's City. The park entrance road is directly off the highway in White's City, about seven miles from the visitor center. The road is narrow and windy in places, so be prepared! **How can I see the cave?** There are a variety of ranger-led tours available daily, as well as two self-guided interpretive trails into the cave. The self-guided trails are the Natural Entrance Trail, a steep quarter-mile descent from the natural entrance to the Big Room; and the Big Room Trail, a one-and-a-quarter mile walk within the cavern. Audio guides are also available. **Can I take a guided tour?** There are six different guided tours offered, all of which require a reservation. Tours range in difficulty from easy walks on paved pathways to technical crawling missions through tight cave passages. Consult park rangers before signing up for a tour to make sure it is appropriate for your level of physical fitness and health. **I only have an hour or two to spend in the park. What should I do?** Take the elevator down into the cavern and explore the Big Room via the self-guided tour. You can rent an audio guide to enhance your experience and learn more as you explore. **Is the cave wheelchair accessible? ** You can access the Big Room via wheelchair. The Big Room self-guided tour is also accessible, with assistance. You can pick up an accessibility map at the visitor center. This map highlights all areas that are accessible, as well as turn-around points that provide a way around inaccessible areas. The park does not provide wheelchairs. **Can I bring my camera into the cavern?** You can bring a camera, but not a camera stand. Pictures are allowed in the cave, but not during the nightly bat flight. **Can I bring food into the cave? ** Only bring plain water into the cave. Food is not allowed on the cave trails because it could attract other animals into the cave and create a mess. In the Big Room, at the base of the elevators, there is an underground snack area with vending machines, water fountains, and picnic tables. Please limit your food consumption to this area. There is also a restaurant in the aboveground visitor center. **What else is not allowed in the cave?** Recreational walking sticks and canes are not allowed in the cave (exceptions are made for people who require a cane for medical purposes). Baby strollers and pets are also prohibited (service animals are permitted). You can purchase a backpack for carrying your baby in the cave at the visitor center. There is also a kennel where you can leave your pet while you tour. **What is it like inside the cave? ** The cave is 56 degrees Fahrenheit all year long. It is humid inside (if you use an inhaler, bring it with you), and the trails are rugged and sometimes slippery. A long-sleeved shirt or light jacket and closed-toed walking shoes are a good idea. Most of the trails are lit with electrical lights, but you are welcome to bring a flashlight if you'd like. **What facilities will I have access to at the park?** The visitor center complex has information services, educational materials, maps, art exhibits, a bookstore and gift shop, a restaurant, and a pet kennel. Outside the visitor center there are bathrooms and water fountains. The only bathrooms inside the cave are by the elevators in the Big Room. There are drinking fountains and a snack bar here, too. **Can I camp in the park?** The only camping allowed in the park is backcountry camping; no car camping is permitted. There is no established campground, and all camping requires a minimum half-mile hike. Backcountry permits are required but free: pick one up in the visitor center before heading out. The nearest developed campgrounds are in White's City. **When can I see the bats?** Every night during the summer, from mid-April through mid-October, you can gather at the amphitheater at the mouth of the cavern to watch thousands of bats fly out of Carlsbad Cavern to hunt for food. Rangers give talks each night, and the event is free. **Are the bats dangerous?** No, bats are completely safe. They do not try to hurt humans. That being said, do not try to touch a bat if it comes near you during the bat flight. If the bat is not flying, it could be hurt or sick and, if you touch it, the bat might bite out of defense. You won't see the bats during the day in the cave, but there is an informational exhibit at the visitor center to help you learn more. **When was Carlsbad Cavern first discovered?** Native Americans knew about the cave for hundreds of years before white settlers ever set foot in it, so we will never know when it was first found. Jim White is credited with being the first person to officially explore the cave, in 1898. **How was the cave formed?** Millions of years ago, there was an ocean here. At the edge of the ocean, there was a giant coral reef. Eventually the ocean receded and the coral reef became buried under layers of new rock. Thousands of years later, tectonic movements began to force the coral rock up to the surface, creating the Guadeloupe Mountains. The tectonic movements also released hydrogen-sulfide rich brine, which combined with rainwater to make sulfuric acid. The acid began to leak through the bedrock and dissolve the limestone, creating cave passageways. The mountains continued to rise, and the acid drained out. Rain water continued to seep through, depositing minerals that formed the cave decorations we see today. **What are the cave decorations called?** They are called speleothems. Stalactites are the ones that hang from the ceiling, and stalagmites are the ones that grow up from the ground. There are also columns, draperies, soda straws, popcorn and helictites. The decorations form because rainwater seeps in through the ground, where it combines with carbon dioxide gas to create carbonic acid. The carbonic acid dissolves the limestone, and then the limestone gets redeposited as a decoration. **Can I visit other caves in the area?** There are two other caves in the area -- Spider Cave and Slaughter Canyon Cave -- but they do not have paved walkways, lights, or handrails. Park rangers offer tours of these caves, which are longer and more strenuous. There are several backcountry caves that you can visit within the park (see the "Backcountry Caves" brochure at the visitor center), as well as many other caves on Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land. Ask staff at these agencies for more information.

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