US National Parks — Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

This park resides on the homelands of the Mescalero Apache

I car camped just outside the park so I was able to get there just after they opened at 8. I didn’t know if I should take a guided tour or not, but when I talked to the man who sold me my pass he suggested I just do a self-guided tour. And that’s something special about this park. Other caves I’ve visited (Mammoth Cave in KY, Cathedral Caverns in AL, Rio Camuy Cave in PR) only offer guided tours so to be able to explore on my own in the cave was special. But first I had to read and watch all the exhibits beforehand. Then I purchased an audio guide (I wouldn’t really recommend because they didn’t tell me much that I didn’t already learn from the exhibits).

*Coral-like at the top and the bottom is forming draperies*

I descended 750ft (think 75 stories) by elevator. There is an option to descend via the natural entrance but my calves were still super sore from the Guadalupe Peak hike the day before, so I took the elevator. Once down in the dark, cool cave I started on the 1.25 mile path through The Big Room. I was able to explore and take my time viewing the impressive speleothems (a new word I learned meaning any structure formed in a cave, ie. stalagmite, stalactite, etc.) in relative silence and without many people around. I am in awe by nature’s creations every time I visit a cave and this was no different. It’s almost like how I imagine being on a different planet would be. Everything is just so different than what one becomes accustomed to up on the surface. Add in the expanse of time it has taken to form the structures and it boggles the mind; how one tiny drop of water navigates through 750ft of earth to then drip down in the cave followed by millions of drops to create a column —amazing. I was intrigued how some of the forms look similar to coral reefs. And I decided that I most liked the draperies formations because they were so smooth. They were smooth and wavy, such delicate forms of hardened minerals. And they were in stark contrast to most of the formations with rougher surfaces like the formations called cave popcorn.

I also enjoyed learning about the history of the first explorers of the cave. I just can’t imagine descending into a dark pit by rope with only a small lantern to see by and not knowing what lies below. But it just goes to show that even though we think humans have explored the reaches of this planet, it’s mostly been regulated to the surface. So much lies deeper within.

These caverns are also well-known for their bat populations. During summer months you can witness thousands of bats exiting the cave in the evening. I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to see that on this trip, but that just means I’ll have to return one day.