Go Underground at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

One of the world’s most spectacular underground worlds can be found at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Located south of the city of Carlsbad in southeastern New Mexico, Carlsbad was found by a wandering boy (who used a homemade wire ladder to go underground) and today is one of the nation’s pre-eminent national parks. Aboveground, you can hike trails and experience desert flora and fauna. Most of the show is underground, however – from the Earth’s surface a trail winds into the mouth of a gaping cavern and heads straight down. Not interested in the walk? You can also take an elevator into the caverns!

Underground, visitors can walk though lit caverns showcasing incredible formations. The largest chamber is The Big Room, a natural limestone cavern which is almost 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide, and 255 feet high. Other memorable caverns include the New Mexico Room, Kings Palace, Queens Chamber, Papoose Room, and Green Lake Room. Formations you can see include the Totem Pole, Witch’s Finger, Bottomless Pit, Fairyland, Giant Dome, Temple of the Sun, and the Rock of Ages. Chocolate High is a maze of small passages. The Guadalupe Room is known for its selection of “soda straw” stalactites.