Exploring the Caverns of Carlsbad

Nothing short of massive

Today was the day, reservation for 11:30 am confirmed by email. In order to enter the caverns below, we had to go online and reserve a time slot. You can read about preparing to go below in the following article.

In line at the counter, we waited our turn. The next available ranger called us forward, viewed the email on my phone, took our National Park Pass and ID’s, and said, “Hello, I’m from Ohio too.” We talked for a few minutes and discovered he was from the next town over originally, and knew right where we used to live. It really is a small world.

He asked if we were going to be hiking the natural trail down or taking the elevator. We will take the elevator, please. In line at the elevator, a park ranger speaks the rules for entering the cave. Do not touch, be considerate of others and speak in a whisper (sound travels below ground), do not throw coins in the water, etc.

We enter the elevator and a digital sign displays the depth as the elevator descends. 50, 150, — — 650, 750 feet and we stop. The other side of the elevator opens and we walk through rotating glass doors into the coolness and dimness of the underworld.

Visitors enter the cave here. Restrooms are down the lighted hallway. Big Room self-guided participants may go ahead and stay on the path. Kings Palace participants line up and are led by a ranger to a different area. If you want to see the Kings Palace you need to go online and book your tour in advance. Well in advance, like a month or two. I checked for us to go and it is booked solid until the first week of April.

The Adventure Begins

We stayed on the solid line trail and walked the entire 1.3 miles. It is difficult to put into words how huge and massive this cave is. The self-guided tour allows visitors to move at their own pace. Stop, view, and take photos. I have never been in a cave that allows visitors to take their time and see it on their own. I love, love, love, this feature.

My photos do not do justice to the intriguing details of the cave formations. Several of my photos were blurry; some were too dark; some were too light if the flash went off. I am not a professional photographer so I struggle with how to adjust for lighting on my iphone. But I will share a few of my favorites. There is nothing quite like experiencing it for yourself.

It is dark in the caverns, or at the least, dimly lit. Spotlights shine on specific formations along the way not to be missed. We had no trouble seeing the walkway in front of us, but flashlights are allowed.

This swiss cheese pattern found in the cave is called spongework. It is commonly found in caves along coastlines where freshwater mixes with saltwater. It is the sulfuric acid that creates the holes through the rock. Scientists don’t know for sure how it was formed here, in New Mexico, so far away from seawater. There are two hypothesis.

This spongework could be the product of sulfuric acid cave development that occurred above the water table at the same time as the rest of the cave. Or, it could be remnants of Permian-aged coastal cave development at sea level over 260 million years ago.

We walk on in silence, having entered a different world 750 feet below the surface, and I take photos.

Amazed by the sheer massiveness and intricate details of the formations before us.

It is a fascinating juxtaposition between the hot desert above ground and the cool humid 56 degrees below ground. Two very different, contrasting natural phenomena. The desert is wonderful in its own way, but it is this awe-inspiring underground world that brings nature’s ability truly into focus.

The icicle-like stalactites hang from the ceiling, while the columns on the floor are called stalagmites. Once the two meet, it forms a column. There are millions of all three formations in these caverns.

The Lion Tail’s, shown in the photo below hanging from the ceiling, are stalactite structures with pom-pom formations called cave popcorn at the bottom making these amazing natural formations resemble the tail of a lion.

The small stalagmites across the cave floor below are covered with more cave popcorn. This area is appropriately called Fairyland. Cave popcorn forms by precipitation, whether water seeping out of the limestone or splashing from the droplets.

The Temple of the Sun is a large stalagmite formation in the Big Room that has been built up with billions of water droplets.

The reddish region below is an example of calcite colored by iron impurities.

Carlsbad Caverns is one of the largest cave systems in the world. My photos simply do not do justice to experiencing and exploring the caves for yourself. It is a definite must for any bucket list.

As Rich and I mosied through at a slow leisurely pace stopping often to bask in the beauty of what lay before us, many others walked quickly by on their way to the end — not stopping to smell the roses.

Stop and take in the beauty whenever faced with the opportunity to view nature’s awe-inspiring formations. We spent almost three hours underground today and might go back for more.

I hope you enjoyed this very short tour of one of America’s fascinating underground cavern worlds. If so, please clap and let me know.