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Carlsbad Caverns National Park

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»Activities
Established to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains over 85 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave(e2)(80)(947468)e nation's deepest limestone cave at 1,567 feet (478m) and third longest.

Carlsbad Cavern, with one of the world's largest underground chambers and countless formations, is highly accessible, with a variety of tours offered year-round.


Contact Information

3225 National Parks Highway
Carlsbad, NM 88220
(505) 785-2232 - Visitor Information
(505) 885-8884 - Headquarters


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Getting There

By Plane
Mesa Airlines offers passenger service between Carlsbad and Albuquerque. Major airlines serve Albuquerque, El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland, Texas.

By Car
Rental cars and taxi service are available from the airport at Carlsbad.

By Plane
Carlsbad is served by Greyhound and TNM&O bus lines.

Getting Around
Baby strollers are not permitted on cave trails. We recommend that you bring a baby backpack if you plan to take small children into the cave.

Weather

The weather in southern New Mexico can change quickly at any time of the year. Winter is often cold and dry with rare snow and ice storms. Spring is extremely windy. Summer is hot and violent lightening storms are not uncommon in the evenings. Fall is usually mild. Call (800) 432-4269 for road conditions in New Mexico and (505) 885-1848 for Carlsbad weather.

The cave climate is cool and varies little from the annual 56F (13C) average. A light jacket or sweater, and comfortable shoes with rubber soles for good traction are appropriate year-round.


Activities

Here are some of the activities that are offered at Mount Rainier National Park.
thebackpacker.com If you want more information about backpacking and hiking, give thebackpacker.com a try. From backpacking gear reviews, hiking trail reviews and much more, it covers all aspects of wilderness travel.
  • Educational Programs
  • Hiking
  • Wilderness Area
  • Wildlife Viewing
  • Backpacking

Recommended Activities
All visitors to the park should tour the main section of the cave, the Big Room Self-Guided Route. The Natural Entrance Self-Guided Route is also very impressive but it is not recommended for visitors with any kind of health problems because it is very steep.

Guided tours of other areas are available at varying difficulties. To reserve guided tours call our reservation service at (800)967-2283.


 
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Find Hiking and Biking Trails
If you like to go hiking or biking, then don't forget to get a map and guidebook. Trails.com offers a great service that allows unlimited downloads of trail guides for a small monthly fee. They even have a 14 day free trial. Whether you are looking for day hikes, backpacking trails, mountain bike routes or just short nature stroll, they cover it all. So let Trails.com help plan your next outing.
RV Information
Are you planning on traveling with your RV? If you are, you should check out the Good Sam Club. The Good Sam Club offers discounts on camping, a free magazine subscription and great tips on traveling with your RV. You can also get a free no-obligation RV Insurance quote . Give them a look and enjoy your trip.
Gear Up For Your Trip
Once you have finished deciding where to go, it will be time to gear up. A great place for adventure travel gear is The National Geographic Store. They have all types of maps and guides to help finalize your vacation plans.