Carlsbad Caverns National Park Self-Guided Walking Tour

Welcome to the Carlsbad Caverns Tour

Delve 750 feet underground with this self-guided walking tour of the unbelievably vast Carlsbad Caverns. Marvel at the enormous echoing spaces of the aptly-named Big Room. Immerse yourself in a strange new world in the cave system’s Twilight Zone. Learn how the weird and fascinating rock formations actually form. As you stroll along the Natural Entrance Trail and Big Room Trail, you’ll also hear all about the story of Jim White, perhaps the first explorer of these caves over a century ago.

About the Tour

Your Carlsbad Caverns tour begins near the start of the Natural Entrance Trail. From there, you’ll begin your descent into the caverns, taking a moment to learn about the cave swallows flitting in and out of the entrance as you do.

During your 750-foot descent into the bowels of the cave system, you’ll learn all about Jim White, who found the caves as a boy and explored them on his own for years. Follow his story as you marvel at the breathtaking vistas and immense chambers of ancient rock.

You’ll learn how different formations are created, from stalactites and stalagmites to more complex shapes like curtains and straws. Look at the enormous Iceberg Rock, which crashed down from the ceiling hundreds of thousands of years ago.

At the bottom of the Natural Entrance Trail, you’ll find a seemingly impossible lunch room situated deep underground, where you can pause before embarking on the Big Room Trail, the park’s main attraction.

Following the Big Room Trail, you’ll hear more about the caves’ formation and discover how this amazing place became a national park. Witness startling landmarks like the Mirror Pool, the Bottomless Pit, and more as you explore this unbelievably vast cavern.

Eventually, you’ll loop around and end up back at the lunch room, where elevators await you back up to the surface. Your tour concludes here.