Carlsbad Caverns National Park

caves · geology · nature

Millions of bats. Carlsbad Cavern is home to around a million Mexican free-tailed bats that roost in the cave during the day and fly out at night to hunt for insects.

Stunning rock formations. The cavern features amazing stalactites and stalagmites made of limestone that took millions of years to form, drop by drop from water seeping through rock.

Two ways to enter. Visitors can either hike down the natural entrance trail into the cave or take an elevator from the visitor center to go deep underground.

Created by acid. The caves were hollowed out over millions of years by sulfuric acid in groundwater dissolving the limestone bedrock, creating these giant underground chambers.

In the Guadalupe Mountains. The park sits in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico, a remote and beautiful desert region full of geological wonders.