Carlsbad Caverns National Park marks our 23rd national park visit as a family. I failed to make reservations in time for a guided hike, so we did self-guided hikes. I think we could have seen everything we wanted to see in one day, but we opted to spread out our visit over two days. This allowed us to take our time and not feel rushed.
Before you enter the Natural Entrance, the park ranger gives a short spiel to everyone about not touching the cave formations and safety precautions. On our first day we decided to hike down through the Natural Entrance and take the elevator back up to the visitor center.
Once you enter the caverns, the temperature is in the mid 50’s. There are several lights showcasing the different formations, but much of the path is fairly dark. The path is well-paved and there are handrails throughout.
I could not believe how big the caverns were. They seemed to be endless. I commented that they looked like the Knott’s Berry Farm Mine Ride, but k reminded me that it is actually the Mine Ride that was made to look like the caverns.
The second day we took the elevator down. We were planning to take the elevator back up as well. However, D overheard a ranger say that hiking back up was only for those in “good shape”, which D took as a personal challenge. The kids were up for the challenge as well and I reluctantly went along. D struck up a conversation with a solo hiker who was also making her way out of the caverns. It turns out that she is a 5th grade elementary school teacher and has visited many national parks as well. By the end of the hike the kids and D were racing her to the top.
It was a relief once we made out of the caverns, but it really was not too bad if you take rest breaks.
We certainly worked up an appetite for lunch! The cafeteria served up some surprisingly good Mexican food made with local fresh ingredients.
We shared a plate of the tostadas, soft tacos and nachos. I would say the carnitas were the standout protein.
Since the restaurant options outside the park near our hotel were nearly non-existent, we thought we would be smart and return to the cafeteria for dinner to go (it closed at 4 p.m.) One of the employees told us that was not possible, but a couple of other employees took pity on us and provided us with a couple pieces of foil and paper trays so we did end up eating there twice in one day!
We all agreed, Carlsbad Caverns National Park landed on the Lim Family’s Top Five List of Best National Parks!