note: we visited both carlsbad caverns and guadalupe mountains national park on the same day, but i’m writing separate posts for each since there’s so much to share. the guadalupe post will follow shortly.

welcome to the first post from last month’s roommate road trip adventure! jeremy and i had a great time traipsing across the state of new mexico, and i’m excited to share our first stop with you today.

after a 2-hour delay because of snow and ice i landed in austin and we immediately hit the road. we stopped a few times for food and fuel, rolling into carlsbad, new mexico, around 8.45 in the evening. i had been up since 4.30am new york time and jeremy had driven the 7.5 hours from austin, so we were both pretty tired and crashed quickly.

we got up early sunday morning so we could have breakfast before setting out for our day. carlsbad caverns national park was about a 30-minute drive from our hotel, and our entry was reserved for the 8.30-9.30am time slot. we still had to wait in line to get the ticket and purchase a parks pass [more info on both in the ‘know before you go’ section below], but we listened to the safety talk and were on the elevator heading down by 9.40.

the caverns are 750 feet below ground, and it was so weird to feel our ears pop on the way down. once we got all the way down there were arrows directing us where to go, and we got started on the roughly one-mile loop around the cavern, also known as the “big room”.

in very, very basic terms, the cavern is a limestone chamber that was part of an old inland sea. all the rock formations have been formed over tens of thousands of years, and it’s so cool to walk around and see the variations and intricacies. in some places they’ve met from top to bottom and formed new structures, and in some places you can’t even see how deep or how far back the cavern stretches. we did a lot of “oohing” and “aahing” as we walked because honestly we were out of words.

if you want to know more about the history of the cavern there are park rangers stationed throughout the big room, and i strongly encourage you to talk to them. they’re very passionate about their work, and they know so much about how the cavern was formed and the work that is being done to maintain and preserve both the cavern and the surrounding park.

since we were there early the path was pretty empty for most of our walk, getting crowded only toward the end where you could tell everyone’s energy was flagging. we looped around to the end and then hopped on an elevator to get us back up to the top. i of course picked up a stack of postcards from the gift shop, and then we grabbed sandwiches and chips at the cafe to recharge and rest our legs before setting off for our second park of the day.

if i’m being honest, my brain still can’t really compute that this place is real. i keep using the word “cool” because i’m kind of at a loss for other words to describe the enormity and uniqueness of the cavern. it’s one of those places that has to be seen to be believed.

know before you go:

• timed entry tickets are required! we recommend reserving them ahead of time [can be done up to 4 weeks in advance and cost $1 each], but you can also get them once you arrive. they give you an hourlong window during which you can enter the caves // pro tip: the earlier the better! by the time we left around 12 the line was wrapped all through the lobby and was almost into the gift shop and it was moving slowly; going early also ensures the caverns themselves are not super crowded
• you also need a national parks pass to enter. if you already have one bring it with you, or else you can purchase one on site
• you can choose to do the 1.25-mile hike down to the caverns, or you can take an elevator. because we knew we were going to another park in the afternoon and would be hiking then, we opted for the elevator; if you decide to do the hike they say it takes a little over an hour. you can also choose to elevator down and hike back up or vice versa // pro tip: fyi the hike is labeled as strenuous
• once you enter you can stay in the caverns as long as you like; we recommend giving yourself at least an hour
• make sure you carry water with you! once you’re on the path that leads you through the caverns there’s not a drinking fountain [or restrooms] until you loop back around. but no food!
• i suggest wearing layers. it’s pretty windy outside but the caverns are 60ish degrees and humid; i’m glad i had layers so i could add or remove as needed
• the rangers mention this in their safety talk, but as it’s a cavern sounds echo; be respectful of other visitors and don’t yell or shout when you’re down there
• it’s going to smell like sulphur. it’s stronger in some places than in others, but while you’re walking you’re going to get whiffs of it. be prepared, especially if you’re particularly sensitive to smells.
• there’s not a lot to see in the actual town of carlsbad, but taqueria jalisco was next door to our hotel and served us well for dinner on sunday night

next up: guadalupe mountains state park!

xx