Ad
Carlsbad Caverns celebrates 100th year as a National Park with special event
Massive formations can be found in the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Carlsbad Caverns will celebrate 100 years as an official National Park Oct. 25 with special events all day long, such as early access to the parks, coffee with a ranger, cake cutting, a discovery station and a bat watch to end the day, according to a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.
Carlsbad Caverns is an underground cave system of more than 119 caves, which formed when sulfuric acid dissolved limestone, leaving behind the caverns.
The park's website recommends reserving tickets online before arriving at the park.
Tickets are based on a timed entry reservation, the entry fee of $1 per ticket is paid at the visitor center upon arrival.
For information on entrance passes, visit nps.gov/cave/payyourvisit/fees.
We are less than 25 days away from the 100th Anniversary of our induction into the National Park Service and want YOU to join the celebration.
— Carlsbad Caverns NPS (@CavernsNPS) October 2, 2023
There will be a full day of events and activitiy for visitors of all ages!#CarlsbadCaverns #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque pic.twitter.com/jAVHvlbTof
| Events Schedule Time | Event | |
| 7:30-8:30 a.m. | Wake Up the Cavern: Be one of the first visitors to enter the cavern for the day. Walk a cavern trail with a park ranger as they turn on the lights. Participants must sign up at the information desk in the visitor center the day before. | |
| 8 a.m. | The Visitor Center opens, and ticket purchases become available. | |
| 8:15-9:30 a.m. | Coffee with a Ranger: Enjoy coffee and conversations with a park ranger at the Visitor Center front doors. | |
| 8:30 a.m. | Cavern Access Opens: Self-guided entry via the Natural Entrance or elevator. | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Centennial Reception: Join National Park Service staff in public recognition of the centennial and community partners in the Visitor Center Theater. | |
| 10-11 a.m./12-1 p.m. | Where in the World is Carl S. Bat?: Mascot Carl S. Bat has been on a worldwide tour. A park ranger will share Carl's adventures visiting other national parks and World Heritage Sites in the Visitor Center Theater. | |
| 10:45 a.m. | Cake Cutting: Celebrate the 100th birthday of Carlsbad Caverns National Park by eating cake and cupcakes courtesy of the Western National Park Association in the Visitor Center Theater. | |
| 1:00 p.m. | Bat Discovery Station Opens: Celebrate Bat Week and learn more about the lives of bats living in Carlsbad Caverns in Theater 2. | |
| 2:00 p.m. | Descent Through Time: A guided Geology Walk Down the Main Corridor: This two-hour tour led by Ranger Mark takes visitors back to the park's beginning 265 million years ago. This tour is limited to 12 participants. Participants must sign up at the information desk in advance and have an entrance ticket. Meet at the 3-D model in the Exhibit Hall. | |
| 2:30 p.m. | Cavern access closes | |
| 2:45-4:45 p.m. | Vertical Caving Demonstrations: Rangers will demonstrate how cavers safely navigate vertical obstacles by ascending and descending a rope in the Exhibit Hall. | |
| 4 p.m. | Nature Hike: Explore the surface ecosystem with a park ranger on a guided walk of the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail. Meet at the 3-D model in the Exhibit Hall. | |
| 5 p.m.* | Bat Watch: Watch the Brazilian free-tailed bats exit the Natural Entrance of Carlsbad Caverns as they begin their nightly search for food and water. *Bat Watch Program time is subject to change based on previous flight times. Check with the information desk in the Visitor Center for confirmation. |
Carlsbad Caverns
