We LOVED Carlsbad Caverns! We did not actually camp here. The footprint of the park is GIANT, but they only allow tent camping. We all know, I’m not a fan of tent camping. LOL
So we made a stop here on our way back to Arizona for Christmas. We camped overnight at a Walmart…. this was the BUSIEST Walmart we have ever stayed at! We were one of about 35 semi-trucks and campers.
We got ourselves up early and made it to the caves as they opened that morning and got our tickets (covid). We looked around the small museum they had, and then we made our way to the caves.
They gave us a short presentation on safety inside the cave, in order to keep it protected. We were then given the option to take the elevator down or take the 1.25 mile hike down. We opted for the hike!
Walking up to the entrance to the cave was breathtaking. Photos just do not properly show you how vast the opening is!
The trail in is steep, but paved. I would HIGHLY recommend the hike in. You would miss a lot by going by elevator!
I’m posting some of my photos here, but it is so hard to capture what is inside. It’s dark and the perspective is difficult to grasp in a photo. Lets just say that some of the features hanging down or rising up are larger than a bus! Some of the rooms are vast and the ceilings are SO high and in other spots it is narrow and very small.
There is a lot to see, as well. There are so many different types of formations and textures. There is even water ways and animals to find. It is so impressive that all of this is underground!
After we spent a few hours exploring, we made our way out by elevator. We all felt like this was SO worth a visit!
Once we got out, we planned to continue our way to Arizona. Unfortunately, we came out to a broken axle AGAIN. This will be the THIRD time! We were able to call in a local welder and he fixed us up, there in the parking lot!
We made it out, just before the park closed, and we were then on our way to Arizona!
