CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK

Geological formation. The story of Carlsbad Caverns begins 250 million years ago, with the formation of a 640 km-long reef in an inland sea covering the region. Rainwater, made slightly acidic by the air and soil, seeped into the cracks, slowly dissolving the limestone. Thus began the long, slow process of forming the great underground chambers that can be visited today.

The "decoration" of Carlsbad Caverns began over 500,000 years ago. It took place slowly, drop by drop, as a wetter, cooler climate prevailed. Large stalactites appeared, as well as stalagmites, draperies, layers of calcite called flowstone, and massifs of lilies on the surface of basins. As for the "popcorn", it formed when the water evaporated and left the calcite deposits.

Human presence. For thousands of years, the area was an important place for aboriginal peoples to hunt, gather plants and perform religious and medicinal rituals. The Mescalero Apache used a word meaning the house of the bat to refer to these caves, as did the Zuni Pueblo, who called them the cave of the bats. Near the natural entrance, you can see drawings left on the walls and even some cooking sites, such as this oven carved into the rock, still visible today.

In 1898, a young cowboy named Jim White, attracted by the ballet of thousands of bats, decided to see what was hidden behind the opening. Armed with a simple torch, he discovered the magic of this subterranean place, populated by superb colorful formations.
The little winged mammal had taken up residence here. A thick layer of guano covered the ground. Together with a few local rangers, Jim White set out to make the most of this natural fertilizer, accumulated over the centuries. Thanks to his successful venture, he was able to explore the network of underground pathways. Jim White and Ray V. Davis, who accompanied and helped him, took photographs together, which were exhibited in Carlsbad in 1915. The photographs, published in 1923 by the New York Times, aroused such great interest that the site was declared a "national monument" on October 25 of that year, a "national park" seven years later, and included on UNESCO's World Heritage List on December 6, 1995. Jim White, who devoted his life to the Carlsbad site, was the first chief ranger. From then on, exploration and development continued throughout the second half of the ^20th century, with the discovery of the Guadalupe Room in 1966, the Bifrost Room in 1982 and Chocolate High in 1993. Meanwhile, Lechuguilla Cave proved to be much deeper than anyone had imagined. By 2006, it had developed 192 km of network at a depth of 489 m, making it one of the largest caves in the world and one of the deepest on the American continent.

Today , the park boasts a total of 120 caves, but they hope to find more as exploration continues. There are also around 500,000 visitors a year. We highly recommend the King's Palace Tour, an hour-and-a-half-long guided tour by a park ranger through four ornate chambers. It takes you into the deepest part of the cave open to the public, 253 m below the desert surface. Although not as difficult as the natural entrance trail, this one-mile (1.6 km) circuit requires an additional descent and, at the end, a very steep ascent. You'll see a wide variety of formations, including helictites, draperies, columns and soda straws. Rangers frequently turn off the power during this tour, briefly extinguishing all artificial lights to reveal the cave's natural darkness.

Please note that all visitors are required to walk on bio-cleaning mats after their exit. This measure is due to the potential presence of the fungus responsible for "white-nose syndrome", a disease affecting bats.

Practicalities. The ranger station is in Carlsbad, but they are present at the Visitor's Center, in the cave and in the rest of the park. Please note that some visits are forbidden to children under 4 (ask for details), and those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

There is no post office or ATM in the park. You have to go to Carlsbad, 23 miles away.

Approximately two-thirds of the Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns is accessible to accompanied wheelchair users. An access guide is available at the Visitor's Center information desk. Areas for wheelchair users are located at the entrance to the Bat Amphitheater. Toilets are available and fully accessible.

The ideal time of year depends on the purpose of the visit. A priori, autumn is the most favorable season because of its climate. However, if you want to see the impressive bats coming out of the amphitheatre, you'll need to visit in summer.