Tripods or monopods are allowed on the Big Room and Natural Entrance trails, but are not allowed on ranger-guided tours. Cameras and other electronic equipment are not permitted during bat flight. Only plain water is permitted in the cavern.
Eating and drinking anything except plain water is not allowed because food attract animals like raccoons and ringtails into the cavern. You may eat and drink in the Underground Lunchroom snack bar area only.
Recreational walking sticks canes and walking sticks for medical purposes are permitted , baby strollers, and pets are not permitted in the cavern, except service dogs. A kennel for pets is available for a fee in the visitor center. Pets may not be left unattended in a vehicle. A light jacket or long-sleeved shirt is recommended. The trails and cavern features are electrically lit, but bring a flashlight if you'd like. Some areas of the Big Room and Natural Entrance trails are wet from natural water drips and steep.
For safety, closed-toe shoes with good traction e. The visitor center includes information services, educational exhibits, a bookstore, restaurant, gift shop, and kennel. Just outside the visitor center are restrooms and drinking fountains. There are restrooms in the cavern, but only at the bottom in the Underground Lunchroom.
Only backcountry camping is permitted in the park. Overnight RV parking or car camping is not allowed. Backcountry camping requires a permit and a minimum half-mile 0. Free backcountry permits must be obtained at the visitor center information desk on the day of your camping trip. Commercial campgrounds are available at White's City and in the City of Carlsbad. Click for bat flight information. Yes, bats are safe.
They do NOT attack people. Usually, people hurt bats through loss of habitat, pesticide use, or fearful acts due to misunderstanding. You won't see bats in the cavern, but an exhibit in the visitor center can tell you more.
Bats do much good worldwide, like eating insects and pollinating flowers. Still, as with any wild animal, you should not touch a bat. If a bat is within reach and doesn't fly away, it could be hurt or sick. I have only taken the tours mentioned in the article and I recommend them in that order the experiences build on each other. As far as reservations, you probably won't need one for the Kings Palace Tour, but I suspect that you probably will for all the others.
Only offered once a day and limited number of participants. Of course the Natural Entrance and Big Room are self-guided and wouldn't need a reservation. This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Skip to main content. Sign in to get trip updates and message other travelers. How much time do we need? Browse all Carlsbad Caverns National Park topics ». Watch this Topic. Browse forums All Browse by destination. It all started when Jim White, the man who discovered the caverns, began selling his autobiography in the room that would later become the restaurant.
The lunchroom then opened in , two full years before Carlsbad Caverns became a National Park. Back then, there was an actual need for a place to serve food within the caves-- it took tourists 6 hours to hike down into the Big Room, one of the main attractions of the park. Nowadays, the 6 hour hike can be done in a matter of minutes thanks to the elevators. The restaurant, which allegedly served a million visitors a year during its heyday, even used to sell cigars, which tourists would enjoy with their boxed lunches and beverages-- not the brightest idea, considering the delicate balance required to keep the cave's natural ecosystem healthy.
The counters were installed during the 's-- only one remains, for old times' sake. Another attraction that's still down in the lunchroom is the mailbox. Tourists can write a postcard and mail it from inside the cave-- and have it stamped with "Mailed from feet below ground".
The changes in the ecosystem thanks to the lunchroom remain an issue, but they've limited themselves to bringing in food that's already been prepared and only heat up stuff in the caves, and they've been working with the NPS to impose other regulations and strategies to reduce their footprint. So feel free to enjoy your sandwich with no guilt!
Looking for a more down and dirty caving experience? Book a spot on a ranger-led tour of Spider Cave. The 3D maze of tunnels will have you climbing and crawling around as you discover incredible cave features, and will make you feel like a true blue spelunker.
It's good for beginners and experts, as long as you're alright with tight squeezes and getting a little muddy! Between the s and s, a good deal of construction went on at Carlsbad Caverns, putting up buildings for visitor and ranger use. Mess halls, dorms, powerhouses, and more were done in Pueblo and Territorial Revival style, and even though many of these buildings were taken down, a few still remain as part of the Caverns Historic District.
The cool architecture makes for some killer photographs! Rangers will guide you along a primitive, unpaved trail in an undeveloped portion of the cave It's a totally old-school cool way to experience the underground tunnels. Another historic district in Carlsbad Caverns is Rattlesnake Springs. In an isolated unit away from the caverns, this part of the park encompasses a homestead and a natural spring oasis.
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