Looking at the rugged Guadalupe Mountains you'd never expect to find such beautiful cave formations below the surface. Carlsbad Caverns exceeded our expectations in many ways. As we ventured through the Natural Entrance we were amazed at the enormity of the cave, it went on and on, and got bigger and bigger. Believe me pictures don't do justice, you have to see it for yourself. There are self-guided routes and ranger-guided tours through the caverns. Be prepared, you will cover a few miles on your journey below. The elevator ride at the end will whisk you back to the surface in a little over a minute.
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| We have arrived! |
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| A peek at the Natural Entrance |
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| If you dare . . . it is 750 ft down or 79 stories into the cave, and it is worth the descent! |
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| Colorful cave bacon |
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| It is a pleasant 56 degrees in the cave |
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| Flowstone |
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| Ladder built by Jim White, the 16 year old who first explored the cave in 1898 |
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| Jim White left his inscription in the lower cave |
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| The path is paved with just enough light to make navigation easy |
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| Stairs built in the 1920's enabled visitors to access the caverns |
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| No matter where you look there are formations |
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| Stalactites and Popcorn |
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| The Green Lake Pool in the King's Palace |
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| Cave pearls |
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| A cave pearl cut in half |
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| Colonel Boles formation . . . the crack was formed by shifts in the earth. The first Superintendent was known to remove the center section just to show the strength of the calcium columns & then put it back. |
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| Yes, there are even restrooms 750 ft below the surface . . . and no you don't have to go behind a rock! Apparently, the toilets must flush up! |
