Carlsbad Cavern & The Big Room
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad Cavern & The Big Room in Carlsbad, New Mexico is a limestone solution cave system featuring 39.5 miles of surveyed passages and a vertical relief of 1037 ft. Rated under wheelchair accessible sections accessibility, exploring this cavern requires adherence to White-Nose Syndrome bat decontamination protocols, sturdy footwear, and three independent light sources.
Speleological Profile
Formed not by running water but by aggressive sulfuric acid rising from oil and gas deposits dissolving Permian Capitan reef limestone, Carlsbad Cavern displays subterranean architecture of immense scale. The Big Room is the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America—spanning approximately 4,000 feet in length and 255 feet in ceiling height. Visitors can descend via the 750-foot elevator shaft or hike the dramatic natural entrance trail past the Bat Cave where hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats spiral out at dusk in midsummer.
Famous Chambers & Features
- The colossal 8.2-acre Big Room chamber
- The Hall of the Giants featuring 60-foot tall stalagmites
- Spectacular sunset Bat Flight program at the natural amphitheater
- Delicate Draperies, Totem Poles, and Mirror Lake
Required Speleology & Exploration Gear
Leave No Trace Underground & Cave Conservation
- •Keep flash photography and electronic noise strictly silent during evening bat flights.
- •Stay strictly on the designated asphalt walkway; delicate cave pearls and shelfstone rimstone dams flank the path.
- •Decontaminate shoes upon exit to prevent transmitting White-Nose Syndrome to Southwestern bat colonies.
Visitor Information
NPS timed reservation required for cavern entry. Self-guided and ranger-led tours available.
Mandatory boot bio-sanitization before entry and upon exit.