History of Carlsbad Caverns
Tucked deep in the Chihuahuan desert, Carlsbad Caverns is a hidden wonder. There are two ways into the caverns, walking via the “natural entrance” (which was closed the majority of our time there due to inclement weather) or taking an elevator six hundred feet down. Once you step off the elevator, you are greeted with dark shadows and natural rock walls.
Carlsbad Caverns were formed by a fossil reef that was present approximately 265 million years ago. Two different tribes of Native Americans, the Mescalero Apache and the Zuni Pueblo, lived in the Guadalupe Mountains about 12-14 thousand years ago. There is evidence of cooking rings and pictographs inside some of the mountain entrances, but for some unknown reason, the tribes stayed away from the caverns.
Water dripping caused stalactites (coming down from the ceiling) and stalagmites (from the ground up) to form. One type of stalactite (soda straw) was formed by mineral deposits around bacteria and is now hollow inside.
In 2016, the previous lights in the cavern were replaced with led lights which provides the beautiful natural light background that enchants visitors today.
Jim White, credited with ‘discovering’ the caves, knew from a young age that formal education was not his path. He begged his parents to let him stop his studies and his dad responded by dropping him off at a ranch to become a cowboy. One evening, he thought he saw smoke in the distance and went to check out the potential danger. He was blown away when he realized that the “smoke” was really a massive amount of bats leaving a cave. Depending on the tribe, the Native Americans in the area called this area Home of the Bat (Mescalero Apache) and Bat Cave (Zuni Pueblo).
Jim White returned to investigate the bats and continued to explore the caverns for years to come. After some time, he convinced others to join him and eventually was able to get a photographer into the caverns. Following this, the site was designated as a national monument in 1923. It became a National Park in 1930. While the stories about Jim White paint him as passionate with a sly sense of humor, he sadly had to part ways with the park in his last years due to his struggles with alcoholism.
We saw a few deceased bats, but missed the wonder of the Brazilian free-tailed bats in flight as they were vacationing in Mexico during our winter visit.
Carlsbad Caverns are the second largest cave system in the United States (Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the largest); however, it boasts the largest single room in a cave system in the United States. The Big Room is 300 ft tall and spans 8.2 acres! Aside from the unique bats that call it a home, the massive grandeur of the Big Room is what sets Carlsbad Caverns apart from other cave systems.
I’ll let Kaeli describe the experience inside the caverns …
Stalactites, Stalagmites and straws, oh my!
Stalagmites, stalactites, popcorn, lily pads, drapes and more. Carlsbad Caverns was spectacular. Thousands of formations dotted the distant ceiling, the floor, and even the walls. But that was not the part that impressed me the most; it was the vastness of it all, the idea that there could be such as expanse 600 ft under the ground. It was the most magical place I have ever been. You need to see it to believe it.
National Parks like this one really are something important to protect.
Lights off: Into the King’s Palace Room
I sit down, preparing for what is to come. A young child is curled around their dad, dreading the next step. Suddenly, everything went black. The darkness pressed in on me from all sides. I hold my hand up to my face; I don’t see a thing. My heart starts to race. I close my eyes tightly and place my hand on top of them. There is no difference – it is just as deeply dark when I open my eyes. Can it be that I am 800 ft underground and the Ranger giving us a tour just turned off all the lights?
THIS IS AMAZING! My mind starts to swirl. I look from left to right trying to catch a glimpse of a formation, any formation, but nothing emerges from the darkness. I look behind me, hoping to see something – anything – still nothing. Darkness is still boxing me in as I turn back to see a faint glow. The yellowish dim glow that radiates from the candle illuminates the ranger’s face as he reads us a poem about the early explorers who only had a candle to guide them through the undiscovered caves of Carlsbad Caverns.
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