They truly are epic. This isn’t a 30 minute excursion. You will need at least 2 hours to explore and marvel at the stunning beauty and be in awe of the off the chart scale of these caverns that just keep giving the further into them you go. The paths are steep in places but they have lots of stop benches to rest. Hand rails to hold onto because the lighting is low. And an elevator to bring you back up after you have seen it all. Do not miss out!

Absolutely stunning! And well run. I appreciate the timed entry program. We presented our reservation and were immediately sent over to the elevator for our self guided tour. Expectations were set appropriately. There were rangers available for questions, the gift shop and restaurant were not crowded, and everyone was pleasant. Later that day, I came back for a drive along the 9.5 mile loop road and was treated to lovely scenery, plants, and wildlife. This was a great experience!

Great place to visit with the kids and a must see for everyone! We have three boys and they were utterly fascinated with the wonders of the tunnels and caves, nooks and crannies of this underground marvel. We took the elevator down 754 feet vs the 1hr hike down the natural trail, and enjoyed comfortable 56° temps. We weren't able to have a guided tour but that would have been helpful. The self guided tour has handrails, rest areas, and a paved path with numbered markers (not certain what they were for). There were also spotlights and some signage along the route explaining the different formations and sights. A shortcut is available before going to the infamous "Big room" if the trail gets too much or need a detour to the bathroom. But highly recommend using the bathroom ahead of time! Reservations are necessary! Plan ahead and sign up for the ranger guided tour....take as many pictures as you want.... There's no time limit so take your time and enjoy the quiet breathtaking and awesome views of what WE consider to be one of God's miraculous creations (both before and after the worldwide flood)! Happy exploring!

Wonderful! Absolutely amazing. I took so many pictures because all of it was worth being able to see over and over again. The walk down through the natural entrance is definitely worth the extra 1.25miles. You see so many interesting creations in the caverns and learn a lot about how the caverns formed. We went back that night and watched millions of bats leave the caves!

This place is huge! We got there in the morning for one of the first self tours. Apparently we were lucky as you needed to reserve a tour time. We did the quick cavern trail and it still took 45 minutes. The elevator takes you 735 feet below the earth! A good way to stay cool on a hot day. Bring a flashlight, it's dark in there.

Oh, you think you have seen caves before? No, no you haven't until you saw this one. It's unbelievable! Definitely worth booking their time in advance, also definitely worth paying extra to see the king's room tour. Our tour guide was unbelievable! He played a little instrument incomplete dark for us. And the beauty of this experience just had our group and awe of the people who first discovered and experienced the caves. The guides are very knowledgeable, the park rangers were friendly and patient with us and our 500 questions. We stayed for the bat experience. Nature is unpredictable, and that's did not come out at night. Which doesn't happen often at all. But it was great to see the sunset the birds going in and out of the cave, and finally the stars once they came out. It's truly magical. Plan for a whole day trip if you want to see everything. Each cave took us over an hour because we just enjoyed them without rushing. Happy travels.

It a little bit of a drive to get here, but well worth it. There was plenty of parking (off season, weekday, 1st week of November.) I got here at 2:15pm and pick up one of the last tickets for the day. I chose to walk down and take the elevator back up. It took me almost an hour to walk down because I kept stopping to take pictures (took over 150 (way too many.)) It took me another hours to walk around once I made it down there. There are bathrooms at the bottom just us case you need them :) It was darker than I was expecting but I had no problem walking. I did use the handle railing a few times on the way down as it was quite steep (20% grade.) I did not see any bats while I was here, oh well. This was an amazing national park and would recommend it for families of all ages. If you are able, bring a meal and sit outside and enjoy the view over the valley.

What a great national park. We’ve been to several caves in the US including mammoth cave national park but this may be my favorite. The sheer size within the cave is incredible. They do a great job at lighting significant features and there are signs all over with history or facts. If your health permits make sure to do the climb down into the cave and then take the elevator out but don’t take the elevator to get down in the cave or you’ll miss out on some great scenery and the entrance. Highly recommend visiting. Really enjoyed this one.

This is one of my favorite parks. Definitely worth the trip out. You are supposed to buy a timed entry ticket prior to arrival. The last ticket entry is at 2:15pm, so be sure to plan accordingly. We did the hike in through the natural entry. The hike in took about an hour down a series of steep switch backs. If you have the time, I think it's worth it as you get to see way more of the cavern. The big room is absolutely amazing. We walked it in about an hour and a half, although you could do it much faster or slower depending on how long you stop to look at things. After exploring the big room we opted to take the elevator up vs hiking back out.

This is an Incredibly Magnificent Natural Cavern with some modern conveniences so you can see the jawdropping formations. You can hike in the natural entrance if you're used to hiking. If your not, save your joints and muscles. It's very steep. Walking/Hiking in the natural entrance, you will descend over 700 feet in 60 switchbacks. I saw quite a few dear people that should have never attempted that path. They were obviously in pain, exhausted and some were even afraid. It's an incredible adventure, but not for the faint of heart or those with any kind of mobility difficulties. There's a perfectly modern elevator to descend from the surface to the big room. In the big room, you will have ups and downs on the trail, but nothing that 99%+ can't handle. The formations are mind blowing, beautiful and enormous. You will not regret seeing this natural wonder.

Awesome experience at Carlsbad Caverns! With a unique charm, it is totally different from other national parks. Use the natural entrance and gradually immerse yourself in this wonderful habitat: it is worth the extra hour! Inside the cavern, the temperature is not a factor you should be worried about as most of the year stays the same. The park has an elevator, making the caverns accessible to everyone (even though, there are some inside areas that aren't reachable on a wheelchair). If you have plenty of time, I would recommend going down through the natural entrance and maybe using the elevator on your way out.

Take the natural path down into the Caverns (1.25 miles) or use the elevators. Either way, make sure to visit this cave! A ton to view and experience with the normal big room path (around 1 mile) and other optional purchased tours available as well. Highly recommend taking the Kings Palace and enjoying the educational opportunities from the rangers. Fantastic visit with the whole family!

What a great hidden treasure. Just a cool place all around. The decent down into the cave is like a intro to a horror movie but once you are at the bottom you feel like you are in a lost city of a different era. The paths are flat and nothing is too steep. Your legs will be mad you the next day if you are not prepared so be warned. Great for kids and definitely a learning experience for everyone. If you haven’t been, you definitely should put this on your list. Oh, don’t forget about the Cactus Cafe at the entrance of the park. Great food for before or after the cave!

The drive is long but it’s awesome. All the staff were so nice and the caverns were gorgeous. The gift shop, restaurant, and general facilities are all nice. The caves are doable for many, and the handrail is always there next to you. The park wasn’t too crowded and we enjoyed our time in the silent, spread out caverns.

The caverns are absolutely gorgeous, from top to bottom. If you're exploring the natural entrance, go *down*, not up - it's quite the trek! We did both the self-guided tour, and the ranger-guided tour, and enjoyed them both. The ranger was knowledgeable and entertaining, and the slower pace of the self guided tour let us take copious pictures. Overall, it was a great experience, and I'd love to go back!

Super cool cave. Go through the natural entrance if you can. You walk about 750ft down a winding path to the big room. If you are unable to walk down there is an elevator (which you will want to ride back up cause going down is easy but back up is hard). We did the self guided tour which has signs along the path pointing out features. This was nice so we could go at our own pace. There are also lots of benches along the way to rest. Make sure to reserve your entry time online. There is rarely anything available the day of. Also consider bringing a sweater. It's nice and cool in the caves.

Unbelievably fabulous! All we could do was repeat the word "wow" and stop every 20 seconds to take photos. It's helpful if you book time slots and tickets online before you arrive, you'll have a one hour window during which to enter, but there is no time limit once inside. Tickets for time slots are only $2, but there is also an entrance fee for the park itself unless you have a parks pass. There is an elevator! If you have bad knees or something that makes hiking difficult, there are two nice large shiny elevators that will bring you down to cavern level and then back up again. There are clean bathrooms immediately accessible before you head down, and then again just off the elevators when you're subterranean. We went during the first week of January, 2022 and the weather was perfection. Be advised, depending on what happens with COVID this part may still be relevant- you do have to wear a mask, even outside if social distancing isn't possible, and yes, you have to wear one in the caverns themselves. If you want to wait until masks are no longer necessary to visit that's your prerogative, but if not please be prepared because they do enforce the policy. Because of COVID the snack bar area down in the caverns was not open. You can traverse the caverns via a paved pathway with railings on either side. The short route is pretty easy, and while the longer route does have a steep section at the end you can cut back to the other side before you get to it. A good portion of the path is wheelchair accessible, and when it changes it is clearly marked with a narrowed railings to prevent you from going past it. I suggest bringing as little as possible in with you, wearing comfortable walking/hiking shoes/boots, and wearing layers. It is quite a damp humid environment. If you want to take photos but don't have a fancy camera, get an inexpensive tripod, even one that can just perch on the railings would work, and put your phone camera in night mode. This is what I did and I got good results. Consider bringing a flashlight to have a better look at certain features and to help take photos. Be advised- I'm not sure the parking lot is well equipped to handle larger RVs, so if you have one I'd make sure you can drive up with it before heading out. I think that's everything! Happy spelunking!

This national park is an absolute must see! Make sure under covid rules to get your ticket over 24 hrs in advance on The website. We went on a Monday, and it was very slow on the crowd. This made for a perfect day of being able to take our time and enjoy the caverns. We only encountered 4 or 5 families during our time. Give yourself a few hours to stop and take in the wonders of the caverns. Stop and talk to the amazing park rangers. They are placed in there for help but also to answer questions.

Visiting National parks is one of my favorite things to do while traveling. The caverns did not disappoint! Took the elevator down and up since my 65 year old parents were with me. But they were able to do the walk inside the caverns pretty easily. Such a beauty! Photographs from my phone do not do it justice.

Absolutely Stunning natural environment enjoyable for all ages. Gift shop had a large variety of earth stones and jewelry for a fair price. Some of the lighting was out inside certain areas of the cavern so we weren't able to see quite everything...but enough to be in Awe of God's Prescious Work.

Amazing! Amazing! Place to visit, I spend few hrs. to discovery this beautiful piece of mother nature, every step you walk down very safe and secure, it’s require about 1+ mile walk down. I spend around 3 ½ hrs. for this place. Recommend that you bring head light, it’s kinda dark in hear, they also have elevator for handicap and trolley, restroom also available at the bottom cave. Cost $1 park fee + $15 person without military and national pass.

Always fun and entertaining. We were happy that the elevator were working. Ours last visit, a few years ago, they were not. It didn't stop us, just slowed us down walking back out the natural entrance. We knew ahead of time and choose to hike in and back out. Its a long way back up... Anyways, Had a great time, Family friendly...

Such an AMAZING adventure! The “hike” downhill is all very manageable, just make sure you wear good shoes! You can take water with you, and it’s quite nice and cool down in the cave! The elevators that bring you back up 800 feet are surprisingly fast (not too fast) and make for a fun way to end the trip, letting out directly in the gift shop!

After hiking the Guadalupe Peak trail, we went to visit these stunning limestone caverns the next day since the two national parks are quite close to each other. We took the elevator down to the underground chambers without realizing that you could also take a natural entrance trail to the underground caverns. The below-ground natural wonders coupled with above-ground desert landscapes makes the visit so worthwhile. Should be on everybody's bucket list.

Amazing national park! Highly recommend taking the trail down the cavern and then taking the Elevator up. Definitely the best caverns I have ever visited. Plan for at least 2-3 hours for the whole experience. Make reservations before visiting. It’s an easy online process.

A massive and deep natural cavern ! It was a great experience for the family. Make sure to reserve timed check-in online, and you will need/buy your park pass (you can buy it at the visitors center). After you park your car, go to the visitors center and check in with your reserve ticket. No stroller inside, but I'm not really sure about a wheelchair. The path is quite steep and a bit slippery. It is dark, but you can still see the surroundings, and they put lights all around the cave. There will be 2 sections. The first section is around 1 hour, and if you're tired, you can go back with an elevator. If you're still okay, you can go for around 45 minutes and then go to the elevator to go back up. There is a flushed toilet and shops inside. Make sure to bring a jacket if you go in the winter.

Very big and adventurous cave. Good for all sorts of ages and people. Take the hike down if you really want to understand the full cave. Simple walk down. Has a good trekking experience.

The park and Caverns are absolutely amazing. But I would never board my animal there again. The Kennels are contracted out and not controlled by the rangers of staff of the park. I'll keep it short and just say that the child they had working the kennel was not qualified for the job. We had to get two rangers and a park supervisor involved. So beware the kennels.

Did the self tour and we walked 2.5 miles. Lots of interesting natural formations and things to see. The gift shop/information center was nice and the actual drive to get to the info center was nice too with stops along the road and things to see. $30 for me and my 16 year old and I believe free for my 2 under 15. Definitely a fun stop.

Amazing caves. There are two ways to get inside the caves. Elevator or you can walk. We walked down there and saw some amazing formations but if you will take the elevator, you will not be going to miss anything major. Walk is little bit claustrophobic but beautiful. While coming back, please use elevator for sure.

Amazing! Beautiful! Huge! The staff is wonderful . They are friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The natural way down is beautiful, but a very long way down. It is ramps, but steep. Wear great hiking shoes. There is an elevator for wheelchairs. There are many places to sit along the walkways. This is a must-see!

Absolutely amazing. A MUST visit. There is a elevator going down to the cavern, and it's about 1.5 miles walk on paved and guard-railed path. It's dark but once your eye adjusted, it's not bad. Picture doesn't do it justice. It's just breathtaking and amazing. The parking lot has a good view too. A couple picnic tables. There are also plenty picnic tables inside the cavern. They also sell light food inside the cavern. Fee required. National Park pass accepted with no extra charge going to the cavern. Guided tours available but need to reserve early (online?) or arrive at first thing in the morning. Not sure whether pass would cover guided tour.

First time here we had a blast with the family the caverns are so beautiful most definitely recommend this place. Nice and cool in the caves on a hot day. The restrooms are very clean You get to walk into a cave to get to them very interesting. They had like a little gift shop downstairs where you can buy sandwiches or salads plus they have t-shirts and little trinkets that you could get. They do have a option where you can go into the cave and make your way down or you can take an elevator down first and then an elevator back up. Wasn't very expensive at all $15 for adults and then kids 15 and under are free.

The cavers are beautiful. You have a gift shop inside the caverns. The temperature varies but it's around the 50s. People in wheelchair have the opportunity to visit because they have ramps and elevators. An awesome experience for those who like this types of activities.

This was one of the best experiences. It was all that we were told about and so much more. We decided to walk down and I highly recommend this as you see and experience so much more then takling the elevator but it is a hike but worth it. Having a flashlight was good but not needed. Highly recommend showing up about an hour before your reservation as there is a line but there is so much history information to read while you wait.

The caverns were phenomenal! The paved path made it easy to navigate your way through, but the ups and downs did give the walk-through some challenge. With 3 kids, it took us about 1.5 hours to do the entire cave. This of course includes the multiple stops we made to take in the views. While the cave is nice and cool, I was happy that we could take our water bottles in to stay hydrated.

The whole thing is in the cave. We hiked down to the bog room and took elevator up. Very nice gift shop and well maintained park. We had national park and entry to cavern was free. The formation of limestone and blind holes are views to watch and wonder about nature

We took the natural trail with our 4 kids ages 3-16yo. It's about a mile hike then 1.25mi walk thru the cavern with an elevator ride up at the end. It took us about 3 hours. The junior ranger program was a little more involved then other national parks. They offer dog kennels on sight. It was a great park!!

Great experience, we took the natural entrance. The great room was spectacular and amazing. We'll take the elevator down next visit so we can spend more time in the Great room. The rangers were friendly and knowledgeable, clean environment. The only thing we missed was the restaurant, they closed at 3pm