Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns is one of the best known tourist attractions in the U.S. After touring it recently, we understand why.

The Caverns are located in Carlsbad Caverns National Park in south eastern New Mexico's Chihuanuan Desert. The National Park Service offers both guided and unguided tours. We took an unguided tour of the Big Room. The perimeter walk is 1.3 miles. It includes gigantic subterranean chambers and fantastic cave formations.

Carlsbad Cavern began 250 million years ago with the creation of a 400-mile long reef in an inland sea that covered the region. Over time geologic processes resulted in the formation of sulfuric acid in the rock formation which dissolved limestone and opened fractures and faults into today's large chambers. The stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and curtains are still being formed by dripping water continuing to dissolve various minerals in the cave.

In the third of our pictures, you can see the ripple effect from a single drop of water into one of a number of pools throughout the chamber.

The Caverns are home to thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats from early spring to October. Each night the bats exist the cave enmasse to feed on insects. The exodus can last from 20 minutes to 2 1/2 hours every night! The bats migrate to Mexico for the winter months, so we did not have the opportunity to experience this phenomena...

Our pictures will give you some idea of the variety of formations, but to appreciate the scale of this underground wonder you simply have to visit!