Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns Fast Facts

How big is Carlsbad Caverns National Park?

Carlsbad Caverns covers a total area of 46,766 acres or 73 square miles.

How many people visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park?

349,244 people visited Carlsbad Caverns in 2021. A table showing all years can be found at Carlsbad Caverns Visitation Stats.

When was Carlsbad Caverns National Park created?

Carlsbad Caverns was made a national park on May 14, 1930.

What are the highest and lowest elevations in Carlsbad Caverns National Park?

Carlsbad Caverns’ lowest point is 3,596 feet at Black River. The highest point in Carlsbad Caverns is 6,535 feet on Guadalupe Ridge.

What time zone is Carlsbad Caverns National Park located in?

Carlsbad Caverns is in the Mountain Time Zone.

How much does it cost to enter Carlsbad Caverns National Park?

There is no entrance fee for Carlsbad Caverns National Park, but there are fees to enter caves.

Five Random Facts About Carlsbad Caverns

one At present there are 117 known caves in the park, and more will be discovered. The cave known as Carlsbad Cavern is only one of these.

two The Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns, at 8.2 acres, is the largest accessible cave chamber in North America.

three The caves in Carlsbad Caverns are 56°F throughout the year, with high humidity.

four Lechuguilla Cave, made famous on the Planet Earth series, is located in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It cannot be accessed by the public and entry is allowed only for special research purposes.

five Although Carlsbad Caverns is rightly known for its famous caves, there are also more than 50 miles of aboveground trails that explore the desert landscape.

Where is Carlsbad Caverns National Park?

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in a remote area of southeastern New Mexico, not far from the Texas state line. In fact, one of Texas’ two national parks, Guadalupe Mountains, is only about a 30 minute drive away. Carlsbad Caverns is what some call a “destination park”, meaning that it is the major draw in the area, and the reason most people would be there. Further directions and maps can be found at Getting to Carlsbad Caverns.