Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [105]
SEASONS & CLIMATE
The climate aboveground is warm in the summer, with highs often in the 90s (30s Celsius) and sometimes exceeding 100°F (38°C); evening lows are in the mid-60s (upper teens Celsius). Winters are mild, with highs in the 50s and 60s (10s and mid-teens Celsius) in the day and nighttime lows usually in the 20s and 30s (low negatives Celsius). Summers are known for sudden intense afternoon and evening thunderstorms; August and September see the most rain. Underground it's another story entirely, with a year-round temperature that varies little from its average of 56°F (13°C), making a jacket or sweater a welcome companion.
SEASONAL EVENTS
A "bat flight breakfast," planned from 5 to 7am on the second Thursday in August, encourages visitors to watch the bats return to the cavern after their night of insect-hunting. Park rangers prepare breakfast for early morning visitors for a small fee and then join them to watch the early morning return flight. Call the park for details.
If You Have Only 1 Day
Those with only 1 day to spend at Carlsbad Caverns National Park can see quite a bit if they organize their time well. First, stop at the visitor center to look at the exhibits and check out that day's tours and programs. If you would like to take any guided tours later in the day, it's best to buy tickets now. Then head into the main cave through the steep Natural Entrance Route and continue on a self-guided tour of the Big Room. For those not wishing to follow the steep switchback trail into the Natural Entrance, and anyone with health concerns, an elevator from the visitor center will deliver you easily and safely to the Big Room.
You'll finish your Big Room tour at the elevators near the Underground Rest Area, so pick up a sandwich there or take the elevator up to the surface, where you can dine in the restaurant at the visitor center or drive out for a picnic lunch at Rattlesnake Springs. (Rattlesnake Springs is a picnic area with tables, grills, drinking water, and restrooms. It's along the access road to Slaughter Canyon Cave.) After lunch, take the King's Palace Guided Tour (for which you wisely purchased tickets earlier). Then walk the nature trail outside the visitor center and drive the 9½-mile Walnut Canyon Desert Drive. If possible, try to get back to the amphitheater at the cave's Natural Entrance by dusk to see the nightly bat flight (mid-May to Oct only), when thousands of bats leave the cave for a night of insect-hunting.
Exploring the Park by Car
No, you can't take your car into the caves, but it won't be totally useless, either. For a close-up as well as panoramic view of the Chihuahuan Desert, head out on the Walnut Canyon Desert Drive, a 9½-mile loop. You'll want to drive slowly on the one-way gravel road, both for safety and to thoroughly appreciate the dramatic scenery. Passenger cars can easily handle the tight turns and narrow passage, but the road is not recommended for motor homes and cars pulling trailers. Pick up an interpretive brochure for the drive at the visitor center bookstore.
Organized Tours & Ranger Programs
In addition to cave tours (discussed below), rangers give a talk on bats at sunset each evening from Memorial Day through mid-October at the cavern's Natural Entrance (check at the visitor center or call ☎ 505/785-3012 for the schedule). They also offer a variety of demonstrations, talks, guided nature walks, and other programs daily. Especially popular are climbing programs, during which rangers demonstrate caving techniques. A schedule of ranger-led activities is posted at the visitor center.
Historic & Man-Made Attractions
Although this park is devoted primarily to the work of nature,