Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico, offers a breathtaking underground landscape perfect for an adventurous family outing. This national park can be explored easily with kids of every age; ours loved it!
Planning Your Visit
Carlsbad Caverns is on the ticketed entry system. This means you MUST make a reservation in advance of your trip. There is a fee associated with a reservation, though minimal. Note this fee is just for the reservation and does not cover the cost of the park entrance fee. You can secure your spot at recreation.gov. From the site: reservations are available 30 days in advance and up to 5 am MT the day of the tour. No reservations can be made for same day after 5:00 AM MT. During the summer months and Holidays, be aware that once the cave capacity number has been reached, no additional entry is allowed unless you have a reservation. There is a limited number of entries per day.
We found getting a reservation to be rather easy with plenty of tickets available on the date and time we chose. The entry times are on a 60-minute window but there is no time limit after entering the cavern. The last entry is 2:30pm. Important: Upon arrival you need to check in. When we visited the park at the end of June there were more than 50 people waiting in line, all with reservations and there were only two people working the counter. You have to check in for your reservation and then either show your park pass or pay for your entry at that time. We waited in line for nearly 40 minutes, even with a reservation – be prepared!
Accommodations
Hotels: There are no hotels in the park like many of the other National Parks. However, the nearby town of Carlsbad has a population of over 30,000 and offers a variety of hotels and motels from some of the usual national brands.
Camping: While there are no campgrounds within the park, nearby options include Carlsbad KOA and Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
What To Bring
A Jacket and Sturdy Shoes: The temperature inside the caverns is a constant 56°F, so bring a light jacket. We brought pants and sweatshirts but weren’t cold enough to wear the pants. Wear sturdy, non-slip shoes for walking on the uneven surfaces. Most of the path is paved/ADA accessible but some of it is very steep.
Camera: The lighting inside is bright enough that you can capture plenty of the stunning formations and memorable moments inside the cave.
Flashlights: The main paths are well-lit and there are lots of people around, so we found those that brought flashlights distracted us and we tried to get away from them. Consider leaving the flashlight at home for this one.
Must See Attractions
The Big Room
The Big Room is the largest single cave chamber in North America by volume. It features stunning stalactites, stalagmites, and other formations. The Hall of Giants, Rock of Ages, and Bottomless Pit are must-see spots within the Big Room.
The 1.25-mile trail is relatively flat and suitable for kids. It takes about 1.5 hours to complete.
Natural Entrance Trail
This 1.25-mile trail descends 750 feet into the cavern and offers a dramatic introduction to the underground world.
Important Considerations: The trail is advertised as steep and can be challenging for young children or those with mobility issues. We were hesitant to take the Natural Entrance on our trip with our three-year-old no longer in a hiking backpack. We even waited in line to take the elevator down but made the decision last minute to give it a try. Our three-year-old did great and had no issues. We would strongly recommend taking the natural entrance as this is really half of the tour and your kids should be just fine. And once you are done, you can take the elevator back up!
Ranger Led Tours
King’s Palace Tour: A 1.5-hour tour that takes you to four highly decorated chambers not open to the general public. There is an additional cost associated with this tour and children under 6 are not permitted.
Left Hand Tunnel Tour: A 2-hour tour that is a historic candle-lit lantern tour through an undeveloped section of the cave on unpaved trails. There is an additional cost associated with this tour and children under 10 are not permitted.
Evening Bat Flight Program
From late May to October, watch thousands of bats emerge from the caverns at dusk. The ranger talk is free and no reservations are required. Arrive early to get a good spot but note that the start time changes as the summer progresses and the sunset times change.
If you are at the cavern before late May when they conduct the official program, you can still watch the bats exit the cavern nightly starting around mid-to-late April.
