Carlsbad Caverns National Park again

We visited Carlsbad Caverns a second time, this time to do the Natural Entrance and Big Room trails.

On the way, passing the Apache Canyon Trading Post:

Apache Canyon Trading Post

And White’s City:

White's City

White's City

The Carlsbad Caverns sign:

Carlsbad Caverns sign

Entrance road:

Entrance road

Again we had a picnic lunch by the visitor center:

Picnic lunch

The visitor center sign:

Visitor center sign

The path to the natural entrance:

Path to natural entrance

We were stopped for the pre-entrance instructions from the ranger:

Path to natural entrance

The bat amphitheater, where people can watch the bats leaving the cave in the evenings:

Bat amphitheater

Heading down into the natural entrance:

Path to natural entrance

Path to natural entrance

An info sign; 1.25 miles, 750 feet of elevation change:

Info sign

The natural entrance:

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Natural entrance

Reaching the junction with the Rest Stop and Big Room:

Natural entrance

Rest stop sign

The Big Room trail:

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Big Room

Back to the Underground Rest Stop:

Underground rest area

We bought a snack at the shop; the attendant was very chatty with info about the cave, visitors, bats, etc:

Underground rest area

Underground rest area

Back up the elevator:

Elevator

The gift shop:

Gift shop

Jenn bought a bunch of postcards; she collects the WPA-style postcards, and this gift shop had an excellent collection, so she was able to get some missing and future ones:

Postcards

A selfie by the sign, with a stuffed toy bat from the gift shop:

Selfie

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

We visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southern New Mexico:

Carlsbad Caverns sign

The road to the visitor center:

Road

We had a reservation for a ranger-led tour, so after checking in, we had a picnic lunch:

Picnic

Back to the visitor center:

Visitor center

Bat artwork in the foyer:

Bat artwork

The ticketing area:

Tickets

There are two ways down to the caverns: elevators, or the natural entrance. This time, we took the elevators. They lead to the underground rest stop, with food, swag, and bathrooms:

Underground rest area

We joined the ranger for our guided tour:

Ranger guide

He was a bit of a character, with multiple philosophy degrees. That definitely showed in his talks, with discussions of paradoxes and raising questions about the caverns.

The tour we went on was the King’s Palace tour (the only one offered currently). It gives access to caverns not open to the general public, via this gate:

Gate

Heading down:

Heading down

Heading down

Stalactites:

Stalactites

Stalactites

Stalactites

The King’s Palace room:

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

The ranger passed around an old photo showing the room (sorry, not a great shot of it):

Old photo

Through a tunnel to the next room:

Tunnel

The Papoose Room:

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Papoose Room

Tunnel

The Queen’s Chamber:

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

Queen's Chamber

An actively dripping column; the ranger turned out the lights and we sat by this in total darkness for a few minutes, just listening to the dripping of the water:

Column

A fossilized bat:

Fossilized bat

Queen's Chamber

Telephone:

Telephone

Queen's Chamber

Tunnel

Back to King’s Palace, on the other side:

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Kings Palace

Tunnel

Green Lake

Green Lake

Green Lake (a small pool):

Green Lake

Green Lake

Green Lake

Heading up some stairs:

Stairs

Column

The end of the tour at the exit gate:

Gate

Looking down:

Looking down

Old stairs:

Old stairs

Old stairs

Looking down

Swiss cheese:

Swiss cheese

Swiss cheese

New York Skyline:

New York

New York

Info sign:

Info sign

Back at the underground rest stop:

Rest stop

Rest stop shop:

Rest stop shop

Restrooms:

Restrooms

Restrooms

Another map:

Map

Exit to elevators:

Exit to elevators

Elevators:

Elevators

Heading up from 750 feet underground:

750 feet underground

The elevators debouch into the gift store, of course:

Gift store

Gift store

An impressive 3D map of the caverns:

Relief map

Relief map

Relief map

Relief map

Relief map

Relief map

Relief map

Jenn just hanging around:

Jenn

Another gift shop and restaurant:

Gift shop and restaurant

Gift shop

Gotta have her pressed penny:

Pressed penny

Back outside the visitor center:

Visitor center