Some of my mother’s most vivid childhood memories are from Carlsbad Caverns National Park. She told me of her family entering on “a steep, slippery trail” to the “freezing caves.” My family embarked on a Southwest road trip there are lots of great things to do in Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
We enjoyed our Carlsbad Cavern tours of the King’s Palace and Big Room. We also enjoyed a day trip to nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Here is everything you need to know before taking your own family trip to Carlsbad Caverns.
The Best Things to do in Carlsbad Caverns
Is Carlsbad Caverns Worth Visiting?
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is actually a collection of over 120 caverns in the southeastern corner of New Mexico. It is most certainly worth visiting.
However, it’s the Big Room that most of the park’s nearly half million visitors come out to the desert to see. While the name is a bit ordinary, the Big Room is actually quite extraordinary — it is the largest, readily accessible cave chamber in America, making it roughly the size of six or seven football fields. And, yes, as you would expect, it is full of intricate cave formations.
Not only is the Big Room huge, it’s deep under the surface of the earth. the Natural Entrance Trail ultimately leading down into the Big Room takes visitors about 750 feet down into the ground on a steep 1.25 mile trail. That’s about 70 stories deep; the elevator ride back up takes about 60 seconds!
While my family has toured many interesting caves in the United States from Luray Caverns in Virginia to a few caves in California’s Gold Country, none of these experiences begin to compare to our experience at Carlsbad Caverns. A visit to Carlsbad Caverns is certainly one of the best things to do in New Mexico.
What are the Most Popular Things to do in Carlsbad National Park with Kids
Unless you happen to live in El Paso, Texas, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is not an easy destination to reach. Even the town of Carlsbad, New Mexico, where the nearest restaurants are located, is at least thirty minutes’ drive from the caverns.
Simply put, Carlsbad Caverns is in the middle of nowhere in the Chihuahuan Desert. So, as I planned our visit, I kept in mind the fact that our family’s visit to the caverns was likely a “once in a lifetime” sort of trip. I did not want to leave the area feeling as if we missed out on something important.
Take a Self-Guided Carlsbad Caverns Tour of the Big Room (Allow 1-2 hours)
It is important to note that you will need reservations in order to visit Carlsbad Caverns. Tickets must be purchase in advance online. It is just $1 to reserve an entry time but you will still need to pay the $15 entrance fee at the visitor center when you arrive. Children under 16 are free.
Most visitors to the caverns simply purchase their entrance tickets, take the elevator down into the caverns, walk the 1.25 mile Big Room Loop Trail that can be shortened to less than a mile by a well-placed shortcut, and take the elevator back to the surface. This quick and easy self-guided cave experience can be completed in 90 minutes from start to finish and is relatively flat.
Only a couple hundred feet beyond the elevators the caverns open up. There it is possible to marvel at the enormity of the Big Room. The Big Room is arguably the most impressive room of the caverns based on its sheer size alone. Yes, it is possible to make a quick stop to see Carlsbad Caverns and check it off your bucket-list, but you’d be missing out on so much.
Walk into Carlsbad Caverns Via the Natural Entrance Trail (1-1.5 hours)
Walking down into Carlsbad Caverns is one of the most unique parts of an experience at the national park. Caves all over the United States have stalagmites, stalactites, reflective cave pools, and just about every other feature that Carlsbad Caverns boasts. However, most of the caves are not nearly as deep as Carlsbad Caverns.
Standing up near the surface and seeing the trail wind down into the earth deeper and deeper is truly unique. I’ve been in over a dozen caves across the United States and never seen anything like it.
The hike down is in fact as steep and slippery as my mom remembered. Little kids can likely handle the trek – especially if they have sturdy shoes and are dressed appropriately for the 56 degree temperatures.
My 7- and 8-year-olds complained just a bit of being scared as we descended into the dark caverns. This fright was alleviated slightly when we reminded them of how they had already been in the caverns the previous day.
If you think that your children might have some fears, I recommend taking the elevator on your first trip down into the cave — it is more familiar and less scary. Then on a subsequent trip try walking in the natural entrance.
Reserve a Ranger-Led Carlsbad Cavern Tour of the King’s Palace (Allow 2.5 – 3 hours)
The King’s Palace is truly Carlsbad Caverns at its very best. It can only be viewed on 90-minute ranger-guided tours (ours stretched to almost two hours.) The ranger who was our tour guide was animated and extremely knowledgeable, though a tad long-winded for my children.
It is logical that many of the rangers at Carlsbad Caverns are extremely passionate about exploring caves. They also have a lot to say about their own experiences. During our tour, our guide told many stories about “Jimmy” the man who found and originally explored the underground chambers of Carlsbad Caverns. For those scared of the dark: yes, they did turn out the lights on our tour.
I remembered about a week or two before our visit to reserve tickets for the Kings Palace Tour at Carlsbad Caverns. However, I was lucky and snagged four of the last eight tickets for the 50 person tour.
It is recommended to reserve tickets as soon as they become available for your travel dates. There are other, more strenuous guided tours of Carlsbad Caverns offered for families with older children and teens.
Complete the Carlsbad Caverns Junior Ranger Program
As is now our habit, my kids completed their Junior Ranger booklets at Carlsbad Caverns. Then they were sworn in as Junior Rangers by the National Park Service park rangers. My daughter also completed the Cave Explorer booklet. Hiking though the natural entrance, taking a ranger-led tour, and walking around the Big Room count toward the number of activities required for the Junior Ranger booklet.
Attend the Evening Bat Flight Program at Carlsbad Caverns
From mid-April through late October, thousands of bats emerge from the caverns every evening. Officially, the Carlsbad Caverns bat flight program begins around Memorial Day Weekend. During the height of bat season, between 200,000 and one million Brazilian free-tailed bats fly out of the caves in spectacular fashion at dusk.
I heard many rangers encouraging interested visitors to come back at sundown to watch the bats during our spring visit. Watching thousands of bats fly out of the caverns is a highlight of many a visit to Carlsbad Caverns. There is a special bat flight amphitheater at the park at the opening of the natural entrance trails; no electronic devices are allowed during the program.
Take a Day Trip from Carlsbad Caverns to Guadalupe Mountains National Park
While our original plan was to spend one day visiting the caverns and the next day driving to El Paso with a stop at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, impending weather caused us to reconsider our itinerary. Instead we visited Guadalupe Mountains after our King’s Palace Tour.
Ultimately, this was a great decision for a few reasons. First, after two to three hours down in the caverns we were cold, no longer appreciating the formations, and in serious need of a break.
The visitor center at Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains are only about an hour’s drive apart. This meant we had enough time to hike the Devil’s Hall Trail in the afternoon at Guadalupe Mountains following our morning King’s Palace Tour.
While Guadalupe Mountains National Park is only about an hour’s drive from Carlsbad Caverns, it receives less than half the amount of annual visitors as the caverns and much of the park is designated as a protected wilderness area.
The park is most notable for being home to Guadalupe Peak. At 8,749 feet, it is the highest peak in the state of Texas. Due to its high elevation, the most popular season for park visitors is the fall. In the fall, there is an impressive display of fall foliage. As a matter of fact it makes our list of the best places to enjoy Texas fall foliage.
The visitor center at Guadalupe Mountains National Park is visible from the highway that connects Carlsbad and El Paso. It is a great place to stop to stock up on water, speak to a ranger about various hikes, pick up a Junior Ranger booklet, and learn about the animals found at the park in the small well-maintained exhibit area.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park Hiking
Many of the hiking trails in Guadalupe Mountains National Park are more suited for multiple day back country wilderness adventures than families driving through the area prepared only for a day hike. The 8.4 mile Guadalupe Peak Trail is a popular hike for outdoor enthusiasts. However, with a 3,000 foot elevation gain it is likely too strenuous for most families hiking at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
For our 3-4 hour afternoon hike, the ranger at the Pine Springs Visitor Center at Guadalupe Mountains National Park recommended hiking either the McKittrick Canyon Trail or the popular, 4.2 mile in and out, Devil’s Hall trail. We chose the Devi’s Hall Hiking trail in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Devil’s Hall Trail
The Devil’s Hall trail has relatively little elevation gain. However, it isn’t an easy hike because the well-marked dirt trail turns into a rocky dry creek wash about 1-1.5 miles into the hike. The hike through the dry creek bed is quite rocky. At several points we wondered if we might have lost the trail.
In the last half mile, the trail turns in towards the canyon. Soon hikers begin to see the scenic rock formations that look like stairs ascending the canyon. It is a rewarding hike. The mountains rising up out of the canyon were especially green and beautiful in the spring. My seven-year-old completed the hike and we saw at least one or two hikers younger than him along the way.
Explore more of the Lone Star State and discover the Top 10 Things to do in Texas with kids.
Where to Stay and Eat When Visiting Carlsbad Caverns
I highly recommend stocking up on food and any necessities before leaving Carlsbad or El Paso. There are limited dining choices.
In the Carlsbad Caverns visitor center there is a cafe. Some seasonal stores can be found in White’s City. There’s nothing except water at Guadalupe Mountains. There you are actually in a designated wilderness area so be sure to bring along all the food you will need while you visit.
We stayed in Whites City which is the tiny town at the entrane to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The Whites City Cavern Inn has a pool and seasonal water play area with a water slide. Of course, there are campgrounds available in the area for both tents and RVs as well.
Want to know more about things to do around Carlsbad Caverns, NM in America’s Southwest? Check out our Itinerary: Road Trip America’s Southwest National Parks: Arizona, New Mexico and Texas
Know Before Your Go to Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains
- Carlsbad Caverns are a cool 56 degrees year round. A visit to Carlsbad Caverns, NM is literally one the coolest things to do in New Mexico in the summer.
- No baby strollers are allowed inside Carlsbad Caverns.
- Only water is allowed inside Carlsbad Caverns – no food or other drinks.
- Electronics are strictly prohibited during the evening bat flight at the Natural Entrance of Carlsbad Caverns.
- As far as caverns go, Carlsbad Caverns is quite dark. Taking photographs is difficult due to lighting. If you’re a serious photographer, come prepared with a tripod. If you’re not a serious photographer, don’t spend too much time taking snapshots — just enjoy.
- There are very few places to find food in this region. Stock up in a town or city before you arrive. There is a cafe at Carlsbad Caverns. If you go hiking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, there is no food available nearby.
- Reserve cavern tours ahead of time on the park’s website. This is especially important in the fall, winter and spring when the schedule is more limited. Plan to arrive plenty early for your tour; we were told that we had to be on the elevator at least 15 minutes prior to our tour time.
- If you plan on hiking outdoors at Guadalupe Mountains National Park or Carlsbad Caverns National Park, check the weather for excessive heat and/or thunderstorms.
- Bring lots of water if you plan go hiking at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
