Hiking Through New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns
From the outside the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico are nothing special and consist of a few gray rock formations and a bit of scrub brush covering a not too cliff. But, inside this is one of the most wondrous landscapes to be found anywhere on Earth and, with over 100 limestone caves to explore, you can wander here for years without seeing the cave thing twice.
The Bat Cave is not for the feint hearted and is home to of thousands of these flying mammals. The Bifrost Room, which is named after the Bifrost bridge into Valhalla, is breathtaking and the colors here truly echo those of the rainbow spectrum of this mythical crossing. The largest open chamber in the system is The Hall of Giants which covers a staggering 360,000 square feet. Within all of these, and the many other rooms, you can discover some of Mother Nature’s most creative work.
The Witch’s Finger, a giant stalagmite, is a corkscrew structure which is more than five times the the average person’s height and the Rock of Ages is even more impressive as it makes stationary rock appear to move and the numerous flowstone outcroppings look like a demon’s lair glowing from within.
Within the caverns you can choose self guided or staff guided tours with varying degrees of difficulty from easy hikes through large open spaces to scaling 10 foot walls and crawling through narrow openings into large chambers.
One particular takes you through a section of Lechuguilla Cave which, at over one thousand six hundred feet below ground, is the deepest cave in the United States. This cave covers a total of more than 112 miles winding through the Guadalupe Mountains.
If you are not quite so active then you can travel to the Big Room by taking an elevator which descends 900 feet and look up and be simply mesmerized by this 25 story high open space. You can then wander around this 250 by 1,800 foot room that is filled with remarkable rock formations. Also take the time to visit the Temple of the Sun and see the dozens of eerily lit underground pools.
If you want to see the bats though you must visit between the months of April and September as the 300,000 Mexican free tailed bats who live here fly south for the winter. A half mile hike from the natural entrance leads to a plateau from where you can descend the 750 feet into the Bat Cave.
And do not forget to pop on your favorite pair of Vasque hiking boots and explore the area surrounding the caves as there are a number of fascinating things to both see and do. In spite of its name, hiking along Rattlesnake Springs you are more likely to come across dozens of harmless reptiles and birds than you are to encounter the snakes which give this place its name.
Another favorite with visitors is the 10 mile scenic drive through Walnut Canyon. This drive travels along Guadalupe Ridge and the views along the way are quite simply breathtaking.
The Carlsbad Caverns are of course only one of many splendid hiking areas in America and rank alongside such other great pleasures as guided hikes in Yosemite.
