Carlsbad Caverns National Park
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courtesy of the National Park Service |
Contact Information:
3225 National Parks Highway
Carlsbad, NM 88220
505-785-2232
http://www.nps.gov/cave/
Size: 46,766 acres
Location:
In southeastern New Mexico, accessible by way of US
62/180 from either Carlsbad, New Mexico (23 miles to the northeast) or El Paso,
Texas (150 miles to the west). A scenic 7-mile entrance road leads from the park
gate at Whites City to the visitor center and cavern entrance.
Description:
Established to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains more than 85 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave—the nation's deepest limestone cave at 1,567 feet and third longest. From early spring through October, visitors can watch the evening flight of thousands of Mexican free-tail bats from the outdoor amphitheater at the cave's natural entrance.
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courtesy of the National Park Service |
Operating Hours: The park is open every day except for December 25. Regular hours: After Labor Day until Memorial Day weekend, 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tours available 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Expanded hours: Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tours available 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
History: Proclaimed Carlsbad Cave National Monument on October 25, 1923; established as Carlsbad Caverns National Park on May 14, 1930; designated a World Heritage Site on December 9, 1995.
See Carlsbad
Caverns photo gallery
See other National
Parks
See other New Mexico National Parks
