Does Carlsbad Caverns Have An Elevator? Cave Access May Be Easier Than You Think

About Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns is one of the largest and most unique cave systems in the world. The massive underground chambers are filled with interesting formations and truly breathtaking views. The caverns are a geological masterpiece that formed millions of years ago, when a shallow sea that covered the area retreated, leaving behind layers of limestone.

This limestone was then slowly dissolved by rainwater, which trickled through cracks in the rock and collected in underground pools. As the water became more acidic over time, it carved out the incredible network of passageways and chambers that we see today.

Visitors can now explore some of these caverns while visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Whether you want to do the Self Guided Tour, join a Ranger Guided Tour, or watch the famous bats fly from the caves at the Bat Amphitheater, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for everything you need to know about visiting Carlsbad Caverns.

Carlsbad Caverns Tour Info

If you only take one thing away from this article, let it be this: Advanced reservations are needed to get into Carlsbad Caverns! Anyone can come and go from the park itself, but to explore the caves, you need a reservation. Reservations are made on a timed entry ticketing system. They can be made up to 30 days in advance, and up until 5:00 am on the day of your visit. You will be turned away at the Visitor’s Center if you show up without a reservation.

When you book your reservation time, you can choose between the Self Guided Tour and the Kings Palace Ranger Guided Tour. Just remember, you’re booking your entry time only. All visitors will still need to pay the park entrance fees or present a valid National Parks Pass at the Visitor’s Center upon arrival. Even pass holders must have a reservation.

Costs & Passes

Reservations can be made for $1.00 per person, regardless of age. Children under 15 are free to enter once they arrive, but they must still pay the $1.00 reservation fee. And remember, even if you have a National Park Pass, you must still make a reservation.

The $1.00 reservation fee is only to reserve your entry time into the cave though. Reservations are made in 1-hour time increments, so you must arrive within the window of time that you reserve. For example, if you select a 10:30 am reservation time, you must enter the cave between 10:30 am and 11:30 am. Once inside the cave, you can stay as long as you’d like.

Entrance fees for the cave must be paid inside the Visitor’s Center upon arrival. National Park Passes are also accepted (but they do not cover the $1.00 reservation fee). Entry costs $15.00 per adult. Children 15 and under can enter for free. If you sign up for the Kings Palace Range Guided Tour, you will pay an additional $8.00 upon arrival.

Tour Options

There are two different tour options to choose from when visiting the park. The most popular tour is the Self Guided Tour, which allows you to explore one or both of the main trails into the most popular cavern (the Big Room) on your own. The second option is the Kings Palace Ranger Guided Tour, where a park ranger will take you through a cavern that is otherwise not accessible to the public.

Self Guided Tour

The Self Guided Tour is the most popular tour at Carlsbad Caverns. It’s perfect for those who want to explore the trails and caverns at their own pace. There are two main trails to explore on the Self Guided Tour — the Natural Entrance trail and the Big Room trail. You can do one or both of these trails during your visit. They do connect to each other.

As we mentioned in the beginning, the Natural Entrance trail is extremely steep. It’s a 1.25-mile (2 km) paved path that descends down in a switchback pattern, 750 feet into the ground. Once you get to the bottom, the trail leads to the Big Room.

If you’re unable or uninterested in doing such an intense hike into the cave, you may be asking yourself, “Does Carlsbad Caverns have an elevator?” And fortunately, the answer is yes. There is an elevator that can take you directly into the Big Room. Another common option is to take the Natural Entrance down and the elevator back up from the Big Room.

The Natural Entrance

The picture above was taken from the top of the Natural Entrance trail. This gives you an idea of why the trail is rated as difficult. It’s equivalent to walking up or down a 75-story building! Of course, the challenge of this trail is exactly what attracts many people to it.

It takes most visitors about an hour to complete the 1.25-mile (2 km) Natural Entrance trail. This does not include the 1.25-mile (2 km) Big Room trail that it connects to, which also takes about an hour and a half to complete (unless you take the shortcut noted below).

The Big Room

The Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns is actually the largest single cave chamber in North America! Its vastness is honestly mind-blowing when you’re inside.

It takes the average visitor about an hour and a half to complete the Big Room trail. It twists and curves through the cavern in a mesmerizing way, so while it’s not necessarily difficult, it does force you to slow your pace.

If you are short on time, you will approach a halfway point on the Big Room trail where you can take an alternative route which is half the distance of the original path. This shortcut reduces the walking path to 0.6 miles (1 km), which will take about 45 minutes. This turning point is well-marked, so don’t worry about missing it.

Kings Palace Ranger Guided Tour

If you really want to learn everything there is to know about Carlsbad Caverns, you should do the Kings Palace Ranger Guided Tour. This 1.5-hour tour is only offered twice a day to a small number of people and it explores caverns that are otherwise off-limits to visitors.

It’s important to note that while this tour is not as strenuous as the Natural Entrance trail, it is rated as moderate. There’s a steep 80-foot hill that you’ll need to go tackle at the start and end of the tour. You’ll also encounter a flight of stairs during the tour.

Operating Hours

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is open from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm during the summer, and from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm the rest of the year. Entrance to the cave ends a couple hours before the park closes though, depending on the time of year.

From September 4 through May 24, the last entry for the Natural Entrance is 2:00 pm and the last entry if taking the elevator is 3:30 pm. From May 25 through September 3 the last entry for the Natural Entrance is 3:30 pm and the last entry if taking the elevator is 5:00 pm.

The cave does experience severe weather sometimes, including flash floods, so be sure to check the park’s website for closures before you go. The park has also been known to have electrical issues from time to time, which can cause additional closures.

💣_{Antisocial Tourist Tip — Carlsbad Caverns National Park observes Mountain Daylight Saving Time from March to November, and Mountain Standard Time from November to March.}

Bat Flight Program

Carlsbad Caverns is just like most other caves — full of bats. Each night during the summer, hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats emerge from the cavern in search of food. The Bat Flight Program is a chance for visitors to witness the bats take flight from the cave. It’s quite a sight to see.

The Bat Flight Program runs from late May through the end of October each year. The viewing area is in a large stone-carved amphitheater built right next to the Natural Entrance. It’s about a 5-minute walk from the Visitor’s Center. A park ranger will give a brief informative talk about the bats just before the flight.

Seating is first come first served and reservations are not needed. The bats fly from the cave every evening from Memorial Day weekend through the end of October. The start time for the program changes as the sunset time changes throughout the summer, so you’ll need to check the park’s website for current times.

One thing worth noting here is that all electronic devices are banned to protect bats. This means no cell phones, no cameras, and no pictures. Even MP3 players are banned! The park takes the safety of its bats very seriously.

💣_{Antisocial Tourist Tip — All visitors who enter Carlsbad Caverns will walk across a bio-cleaning mat that removes fungus spores and dirt when exiting the caverns. This is to prevent the spread of White-Noise Syndrome among the bat colony. Visitors who plan to enter more than one cave while at the park will also be asked to change clothes and disinfect their shoes between each cave.}