Carlsbad Caverns

I've been to Carlsbad Caverns three times. Once when I was 13 years old, on a road trip with my family. Once when I was 18, driving across the country while moving to college. And once recently, at age 30-mumble, with my husband of 10 years.

It hasn't changed all that much in 30 years. It's still cold to camp in the area in December and January. It's still cool in the caves-- year round temperatures are 56 degrees, no matter what time of year.

And it is still the longest 2-mile hike you'll ever take.

See, from the Natural Entrance, it's about a mile to the bottom of the caves. There's an elevator in the center of the caverns, where the bathrooms and snack bar are. Recent changes have made the snack bar little more than a water stop, but the elevator ride is pretty quick-- about 750 feet vertical in 59 seconds!

But that mile hike from the Natural Entrance.... whew! There are signs, sure. And warnings. And it's not wheelchair accessible. It's downhill all the way, and after the first few hundred feet, you've hiked beyond the daylight and are in relative darkness.

As you hike down, you will see some amazing formations. This is the world's second largest known cavern-- the only larger one is in Croatia. Just before you walk past the last of the light, take a good look at the rocks and surrounding area. Because so little natural light makes it into the cavern, moss and other low-level vegetation grows on any little rock or crevice close to the light that is there.

At the bottom of the Natural Entrance hike is the bathrooms and elevator. You can go home at this point, but if you can resist the temptation, stick around. Take a rest, then go on into the Big Room Tour. It's well worth the price of your admission for the day, and that's where the majority of the famous and beautiful formations reside.

The Big Room tour is a flat, elevator-accessible walk through the main features of the park. The trip makes a large loop towards the back of the caverns, then back to the elevators.

TIP: This is the part of the park that's wheelchair accessible: the Big Room tour is accessible up to a point, after which there's a gate and wheelchairs can't proceed. Having walked the tour, there are narrow pathways beyond the wheelchair point, and a number of beautiful formations.

In this part of the tour, you'll find the majority of the "named" formations, like the Temple of the Sun, Fairyland, and the Top of the Cross (which is more of a geographic designation).