Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Visitor Centers:
The visitor center is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

The park is open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. The Natural Entrance to the cave opens at 8:30 am. To learn more about operating hours for the caverns and to see current schedules, visit the park's website.

Fees & Passes
All visitors entering Carlsbad Cavern are required to purchase a ticket. Tickets are $10 and are good for three days.

• Purchase an annual pass for all national parks sites, $80

Camping at Carlsbad Cavern National Park is permitted only in the backcountry. All backcountry users are required to obtain a free backcountry use permit at the Visitor Center. There is no other camping or lodging options located in the park. For more information on backcountry camping, click here.

The Carlsbad Cavern Trading Company, which is open during visitor center hours and located at the west end of the building, offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, snacks, and a hot/cold food line. Bottled, fountain and hot drinks are also available. A small snack bar is also located in the underground rest area in the cavern.

Please note that any consumption of food and drink, except plain, unflavored water, is prohibited in any cave except in the underground snackbar in Carlsbad Cavern. Visitors can use the picnic tables at the east end of the visitor center parking lot or at the Rattlesnake Springs Picnic Area. There are a variety of dining options located outside of the park in the nearby town of White's City or Carlsbad.

Visitors can enjoy self-guided tours of Carlsbad Cavern. The basic cavern entry is by way of two self-guided routes, the Big Room and the Natural Entrance routes. For visitors interested in more in-depth tours, the park offer a variety of ranger-led tours. The ranger-guided cave tours require an additional ticket and can be purchased in advance. Reservations are highly recommended for all guided cave tours and require 48 hours advance notice. Reservations can be made online or by calling 877-444-6777. To learn more about the available tours and to see the current schedule of events, visit the park's website.

When not exploring the trails and caverns of the park, visitors can also take time to enjoy the night sky programs or bat flight programs offered by the park which is host to a multitude of educational opportunities. For those looking to extend their adventures to the surrounding area, check out the opportunities for mountain biking in Carlsbad and rock climbing up the road at Last Chance Canyon or Sitting Bull Falls.

To download a variety of free brochures to help plan your visit, click here.