Carlsbad Caverns in the Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico: Gigantic subterranean chambers, fantastic cave formations, and extraordinary features!
We were fortunate to visit during the post summer season, as the crowds were almost nonexistent. In fact, the self-guided tour allowed us to stop and marvel in the scenery without feeling hustled along. We took our sweet time of 3.5 hours to walk the Big Room, close to twice the average time! It was a very special opportunity to be able to let it all soak in, especially getting to sample the natural auditory experiences as well (instead of just getting earfuls of human voices and foot scuffles, we were able to sit still and listen to air whooshing through passageways, the occasional faint echoes of children’s oohs and ahhs across the Big Room, and also the rare but simple perfect silence.)
By the time we emerged from the caverns (via an extremely fast and smooth elevator to both on the descent and then the ascension over 750 feet in a matter of seconds!) it was late afternoon. We had not planned on lingering in the park much longer, but realized it was only 1.5 hours until the spectacular Bat Flight show was to commence. So, we did a short hike around a cool above-ground cave next to the river, and then had a picnic at a beautiful overlook with the hairpin highway below. Driving back to the Bat Flight Amphitheater area (which is the natural entrance to the caverns), we were already spotting the swarm of bats emerging in the pink sunset sky. I was actually happy to see them here in the parking lot so I could snap a few pics at the car, because all electronic cell phones and cameras are prohibited down at the amphitheater to protect the bats’ echolocation process. It was fascinating to witness the thousands of Brazilian bats emerging for a night of feasting on insects. The sheer number of bats flying out (over 500,000) was an exodus lasting well over an hour. We both agreed this event was a not-to-miss experience!
The last trip we made out here was in 2013 on our way home from Burning Man. We camped back then right outside the gates of the Park in Whites City; the stars were unbelievably clear and bright out there in that dark area, but we didn’t feel too safe in that particular campground to remain up on our roof skygazing for too long. Surprisingly, nine years later, the vibe was exactly the same, and for that reason we felt relieved to have chosen the “Carlsbad RV Park and Campground” this time around. It’s 20-30 minutes away from the Park, but it’s right on the direct route, its gated, and the skies were just as bright and twinkly here.
