Visitor Center - Carlsbad Caverns National Park

We continued our September 2021 four-park trip to Texas and New Mexico with a short visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park near Carlsbad, New Mexico. At this park, you are almost forced to start your visit at the visitor center as it houses the elevators that carry guests down to the Big Room and back up. Also, the path to the natural entrance begins at the end door of the visitor center. Besides the elevators and the ticket counter, the visitor center has all the usual features including an information desk, a bookstore, a museum, restrooms, and a theater. The 16-minute orientation film Hidden Worlds is shown every 30 minutes in the theater. The park service has also posted it on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqaVrYFNqIE. In addition, there is a large gift shop and a cafeteria-style restaurant both operated by a park concessionaire.

Visitor Center from the parking lot

El Capitan (8085') and Guadalupe Peak (8749' 31 miles) in
Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas

Part of the bookstore

Another section of the bookstore

Museum exhibit

More exhibits

"The Big Room" portion of a cave model

Giant Dome, Twin Domes, and Rock of Ages

Jim White Tunnel

Putting the visitor center and the cave in perspective

Additional exhibits

The main hall of the gift shop leading to the cafeteria

Entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park is free for all surface activities. An entry fee of $15 per person is valid for three consecutive days to enter the cavern. Other fee payment options for up to four people include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), Fourth Grade Pass (free with documentation) and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Ranger-led underground tours have additional fees.

The Carlsbad Caverns  National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm.