National Park · New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
A vast underground cave & bat flights
StateNew Mexico
Best seasonYear-round (bats May–Oct)
Don’t missThe Big Room
TerrainLimestone caverns & desert
Carlsbad Caverns drops you into an enormous, decorated underground world beneath the New Mexico desert — and on summer evenings, hundreds of thousands of bats pour out at dusk. Cool underground year-round; bats are a warm-season show.
What to see
- The Big Room walk
- Natural Entrance Trail
- Bat Flight Program (evenings)
- King’s Palace tour
- Walnut Canyon Desert Drive
Check the park’s official site for current entrance fees, timed-entry or permits, road and seasonal closures before you go.