Carlsbad Caverns National Park Travel Guide: Big Room, Bat Flight & Sitting Bull Falls
We’ve visited some pretty amazing places during our travels.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park was one of those places that completely exceeded our expectations.
We knew we were going underground.
We knew there would be caves.
But we weren’t prepared for how enormous and beautiful those caverns would be.
We took the easy route and rode the elevator roughly 750 feet underground, then explored more than a mile of the cavern on foot.
And our biggest piece of advice?
Take a hoodie.
It was cold down there!
Our visit to the Carlsbad area also included a beautiful desert waterfall, an evening watching bats emerge from the cavern, some interesting wildlife and a few unexpected adventures just getting there.
Here’s what we experienced during our visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and southern New Mexico.
Getting to Carlsbad, New Mexico
Our journey began in Holbrook, Arizona, after visiting Petrified Forest National Park.
We traveled east toward Albuquerque, passing some beautiful mountains near the Arizona-New Mexico border.
Near Grants, New Mexico, we could see Mount Taylor in the distance and old lava rock along both sides of the highway.
Then the rain started.
And it poured as we passed through Albuquerque.
We’d selected a free camping area east of the city, but when we arrived, the access road was extremely washboarded. After traveling through all that rain, we weren’t comfortable taking our trailer down it.
So we changed plans.
That’s RV life.
Our First Night Sleeping at a Rest Area
We continued about 20 miles farther along Interstate 40 and did something we’d never done during our first two years of full-time RVing.
We spent the night at a rest area.
It was actually a pretty nice rest area, with little pavilions and even horse corrals.
It was also very busy.
And noisy.
Ed wore earplugs and slept like a rock.
I didn’t wear earplugs, but I still managed to sleep pretty well until around four in the morning—which wasn’t particularly unusual for me anyway.
We’d never planned to spend the night at a rest area, but we were glad we’d had the experience.
It gave us another option to consider on long travel days when plans don’t work out the way we expect.
Camping Near Carlsbad Caverns
The following day, we continued toward Carlsbad.
We chose Sunset Reef Campground, a BLM campground south of Carlsbad, as our base.
We’ll cover Sunset Reef separately in its own campground review, but it gave us a convenient place to stay while exploring the area.
General even made a new friend there.
Another couple had a very young chocolate English Lab, and watching the two dogs play together was a lot of fun.
After spending our first day at the trailer getting caught up on chores, we were ready for the main event.
Carlsbad Caverns.
Going 750 Feet Underground
There are two ways we could have entered the main cavern area during our visit.
We could hike down through the Natural Entrance.
Or we could take the elevator.
We took the elevator.
We’ll happily admit it.
As the elevator descended, we watched the numbers change.
Five hundred feet.
Six hundred feet.
Then approximately 750 feet underground.
It was remarkable to think about just how far below the desert we were going.
Then the elevator doors opened.
Elevator or Natural Entrance?
For us, taking the elevator was an easy choice.
During our visit, the Natural Entrance route involved an additional hike with a substantial elevation change.
Going in that way meant hiking downhill.
Coming back out that way would mean climbing uphill.
Since our main goal was exploring the cavern itself, we decided we’d rather save our energy for that.
Visitors who want a more strenuous experience may prefer the Natural Entrance.
Those who would rather get directly to the main cavern area may appreciate the elevator.
Check current National Park Service information before your trip because access, reservations, trail availability and procedures can change.
Exploring the Big Room
Once underground, we explored the main cavern area.
During our visit, the route was approximately 1.3 miles, with a shortcut available for visitors who didn’t want to walk the entire loop.
We took our time.
There was no reason to rush.
Everywhere we looked, there was another formation.
Some rose from the cavern floor.
Others hung from above.
Some were delicate.
Others were enormous.
And the scale of the cavern itself was difficult to capture.
We took photographs.
Lots of photographs.
But they simply didn’t do it justice.
This is one of those places you really need to experience in person.
The Cavern Is Surprisingly Beautiful
Before visiting Carlsbad Caverns, we knew caves could be interesting.
We weren’t prepared for them to be this beautiful.
The lighting revealed one formation after another as we followed the trail.
Sometimes we’d stop and simply stare.
It’s difficult to comprehend that all of this exists underneath an otherwise dry desert landscape.
Above ground, you’re surrounded by cactus and desert plants.
Then you descend hundreds of feet beneath your feet and enter another world.
It was phenomenal.
Bring Something Warm
This is one piece of advice we definitely wouldn’t skip.
Bring a hoodie, sweater or light jacket.
We found the cavern cold.
Outside, you’re in southern New Mexico desert country.
That can fool you into dressing only for the conditions above ground.
But you’ll be spending a considerable amount of time underground.
We were very glad to have something warmer to wear.
Be Prepared to Walk
Even if you take the elevator like we did, Carlsbad Caverns still involves walking.
We explored more than a mile underground.
The paved trail makes the cavern accessible to far more visitors than it otherwise would be, but comfortable walking shoes are still important.
If you’re deciding between the Natural Entrance and elevator, consider how much walking you want to do overall.
We preferred using our energy inside the main cavern.
Carlsbad Caverns With a Dog
This was one of the more complicated parts of the visit for us because, of course, we travel with General.
During our visit, pets weren’t permitted inside the caverns.
That part certainly made sense.
But the park’s rules also prevented us from simply leaving General in our vehicle while we explored.
Normally, we sometimes left him comfortably in our running truck with the air conditioning on while we did something he couldn’t join.
The truck was one of his safe places, and he was perfectly happy there.
But we weren’t comfortable doing that at Carlsbad because of the park’s policy.
So General stayed home in the trailer while we explored the cavern.
If you’re traveling with a pet, this is something to plan before arriving.
Check the park’s current pet policies and available options so you know exactly what you’ll need to do.
More Than Just the Caverns
We were fascinated by the landscape around Carlsbad too.
By this point in our travels, we’d seen quite a bit of desert.
But one thing we were learning was that there’s no single thing called “the desert.”
The landscape keeps changing.
Cross a mountain pass and suddenly there are different plants.
Different cactus.
Different terrain.
Different wildlife.
The desert around Carlsbad gave us yet another version.
And then Ed found something we certainly didn’t expect.
A waterfall.
Our Trip to Sitting Bull Falls
Ed found Sitting Bull Falls on the map.
Some reviews we’d seen suggested the waterfall might already be dry by early May.
We decided to take the drive anyway.
It was roughly an hour from where we were staying.
Worst case?
We’d get a scenic drive through a part of New Mexico we’d never seen.
On the way, we traveled through open-range cattle country.
Then we reached the falls.
There was water!
Finding Water in the Desert
Sitting Bull Falls was beautiful.
And on a hot day, it was also busy.
What fascinated us was the contrast.
Around the water, we saw the sort of vegetation people from the East might associate with wet areas.
Then move only a short distance away and—
Desert.
That contrast still amazes us.
You can be surrounded by dry desert vegetation and suddenly find this little pocket of water and green life.
Then, almost immediately, you’re back in the desert.
We were very glad we’d taken the chance and driven out there.
Wildlife Around Carlsbad
Our explorations also introduced us to wildlife we hadn’t encountered before.
On one drive, we passed some playful horses.
Then, on our way back toward Carlsbad Caverns for the evening, we saw animals we initially thought of as wild boars.
We’d never seen anything like them in the wild before.
It was another reminder that every new region seems to introduce us to something different.
When you’re exploring, keep your distance from wildlife and enjoy them from a safe location.
Returning for the Bat Flight
We weren’t finished with Carlsbad Caverns after our underground tour.
We wanted to see the Bat Flight.
So shortly before sunset, we drove back to the park.
During our visit, we could attend the evening bat experience without purchasing another cavern ticket.
We were there in early May, which was still early in the bat season.
The full program hadn’t officially begun for the season yet, so we weren’t expecting the enormous numbers of bats that visitors might see later.
But we still got to watch bats emerge from the cave and fly away in search of food.
It was fascinating.
Why We Didn’t Photograph the Bats
This is one experience we didn’t photograph.
Photography wasn’t permitted during the bat flight.
The concern was that a flash could accidentally fire and disturb or disorient the bats.
So the cameras stayed away.
For two photographers, that’s saying something!
But sometimes it’s nice to experience something without worrying about getting the photograph.
We simply sat there and watched.
Is the Bat Flight Worth Seeing?
We thought so.
Even though we visited early in the season and didn’t see huge numbers, it was still fascinating.
We’d spent part of the day walking through the bats’ underground world.
Then we returned that evening and watched some of its residents come out.
It made the visit feel complete.
If the Bat Flight is something you want to experience, check current seasonal schedules and park rules before your trip.
Timing can make a substantial difference.
What We Enjoyed Most Around Carlsbad
Our visit ended up being about far more than a cave.
Some of our favorite experiences included:
- Descending roughly 750 feet by elevator into Carlsbad Caverns
- Walking the main cavern route
- Seeing the incredible underground formations
- Learning about the Natural Entrance option
- Exploring the desert around Carlsbad
- Visiting Sitting Bull Falls
- Driving through open-range country
- Seeing new wildlife
- Returning to the caverns near sunset
- Watching bats emerge from the cave
- Camping at Sunset Reef
It was a terrific combination of underground exploration and desert scenery.
Tips for Visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Based on our experience, we’d keep a few things in mind.
Bring something warm. The cavern felt cold to us, regardless of the desert weather outside.
Wear comfortable shoes. Even taking the elevator, you’ll still want to do plenty of walking.
Decide whether you want the elevator or Natural Entrance. The Natural Entrance adds substantially more walking and elevation change.
Plan ahead if you’re traveling with pets. Don’t arrive assuming you’ll simply leave your dog in the vehicle.
Consider returning for the Bat Flight. It gave us a completely different experience from the daytime cavern tour.
Give yourself time to explore beyond the park. Sitting Bull Falls was well worth the drive for us.
And most importantly, check current National Park Service information before visiting. Reservations, entrance procedures, pet policies, trail access, bat programs and other rules may be different from what we experienced.
Is Carlsbad Caverns Worth Visiting?
Without question.
We’d seen photographs.
We’d heard about Carlsbad Caverns.
We knew it was supposed to be impressive.
But we couldn’t have imagined how beautiful it actually was.
Standing hundreds of feet underground in a cavern that enormous is difficult to describe.
Even our photographs couldn’t capture it.
Then we came back above ground and explored a desert filled with plants and wildlife we’d never seen before.
We found a waterfall.
We watched bats emerge from the cave at sunset.
And once again, we discovered that one of the best parts of traveling is finding something that’s completely different from what you expected.
Carlsbad Caverns belongs on the list.
And we’ll see you down the road…and Over the Hills!
Continue the Journey
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