Carlsbad Caverns
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Carlsbad Caverns National Park is only about a forty-five minute drive from our campground in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. On the drive up to the visitor center, we saw a small herd of Barbary sheep standing right along the road, completely unfazed by passing cars. We slowed down so I could roll down the window and grab a photo, and right on cue, one of the babies let out a tiny “baaa.” Cuteness overload.
Barberry Sheep new Carlsbad Caverns
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We chose to hike in through the Natural Entrance instead of taking the elevator, adding about 1.25 miles of downhill walking that drops the equivalent of seventy-nine stories into the cave. Inside, the sense of size is immediate. Carlsbad Cavern formed when sulfuric acid rose from deep below the surface and dissolved the limestone over millions of years. Instead of narrow passageways, you’re walking through enormous open spaces shaped gradually by chemistry and time.
The Big Room is the standout. Covering more than eight acres, it’s one of the largest cave chambers in North America. Formations rise in every direction, including the Giant Dome, a sixty-two foot stalagmite that looks more like a fixed landmark than something created drop by drop over thousands of years.
We were just a bit too early for the park’s bat flight program, when thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the cave at dusk starting in late April. Even without that spectacle, the caverns easily justified the visit. The sheer scale is hard to process while you’re standing inside it.
By the time we came back up, we were absolutely starving, so we headed into the town of Carlsbad for lunch. Nothing fancy, just a food truck and some very welcome calories after hours underground.
On the drive back to our campground in Guadalupe Mountains, I noticed a storm building over the peaks in the distance. By the time we pulled in, light rain had started. We got settled into the camper just as the wind picked up, and then came the hail. I did not have “hailstorm in the desert” on my bingo card. It’s uncommon, but not unheard of, especially in spring when thunderstorms roll through.
The Big Room is the standout. Covering more than eight acres, it’s one of the largest cave chambers in North America. Formations rise in every direction, including the Giant Dome, a sixty-two foot stalagmite that looks more like a fixed landmark than something created drop by drop over thousands of years.
We were just a bit too early for the park’s bat flight program, when thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out of the cave at dusk starting in late April. Even without that spectacle, the caverns easily justified the visit. The sheer scale is hard to process while you’re standing inside it.
By the time we came back up, we were absolutely starving, so we headed into the town of Carlsbad for lunch. Nothing fancy, just a food truck and some very welcome calories after hours underground.
On the drive back to our campground in Guadalupe Mountains, I noticed a storm building over the peaks in the distance. By the time we pulled in, light rain had started. We got settled into the camper just as the wind picked up, and then came the hail. I did not have “hailstorm in the desert” on my bingo card. It’s uncommon, but not unheard of, especially in spring when thunderstorms roll through.