Top Things to do in New Mexico
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What to do and see in New Mexico, United States: The Best Caverns & Caves
With its rich cultural heritage from Native American and Spanish settlers, New Mexico has been both a Spanish colony and a Mexican colony, and still retains a strong individual identity within the United States. The landscape is breathtaking, the food incredible, and there is a thriving cultural scene, all of which makes New Mexico, and Santa Fe in particular, a great place all year long.
Restaurants in New Mexico
1. Samadhi Hermitage
2. Big Room
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 982 reviews
The largest cavern in Carlsbad Caverns.
Reviewed By 277vincentm - New Orleans, United States
My review will focus on what to expect during the Covid pandemic. My caving has gone from Mammoth—the largest cave complex under earth on Earth—to Phra Nang Cave—hardly big enough for pirates to bury a decent-sized chest in, but notable as the sanctuary of a deity who probably pre-dates Buddhism. I’d been to Carlsbad before, but was going cross-country with a buddy and decided take a detour to the cavern. The main event at Carlsbad is the Big Room. Normally there are two ways to get to it: (A) hike down via a diabolically steep and arduous “Natural Entrance” path that goes past the Devil’s Spring and Devil’s Den, ending 750 feet underground, a 1.25 mile / 2-km hike taking you an hour or more; or (B) take an elevator down; normally the line moves reasonably fast. Where the natural entrance reaches the underground floor of the elevator, normally you have three more options: you can (C) take a ranger-guided tour through several spectacular chambers including the King’s Palace and Queen’s Chamber, (D) hike the Big Room route, or (E) do ‘em both. Either (C) or (D) will take you about 75 minutes: so you can do both in under 3 hours. Depends how long you stop to take in the views, and whether you read all the placards—I recommend you do. If you’re in a wheel-chair, you take the elevator down and then do half of the Big Room tour. You have to take a short-cut back, so you won’t see the Top of the Cross, Totem Pole, and views of the lower cave, Mirror Lake, and “bottomless pit.” Tough, but the NPS is right: just past the wheelchair barricade there’s a steep drop. Seeing the Big Room of Carlsbad Caverns really is worth the trip in itself. Three weeks ago, when I checked the website, the Covid-related rules were: (1) the Ranger-guided tours were cancelled—scratch off the royal cave-family. (2) you had to hike down via the Natural Entrance path—the only folks allowed to go by elevator were mobility-impaired visitors. (3) You had to arrive before 1:30 to be allowed in. A week ago, restrictions were relaxed a bit. All visitors can now take the elevator either up or down, but lines are slow, because (a) the elevators take several minutes to go up or down 750 ft, (b) a work crew is frequently wiping down one of the two elevators putting it out of service, and (c) Rangers limit passengers to 2 or 3 per trip—no packing everyone in like sardines. All good reasons. One plus: because folks can now take the elevators both up and down, the last entry time was changed, from 1:30 to 2:45 if memory serves me right. Unfortunately social distancing requirements will probably kill ranger tours, as they should, until the pandemic’s over. The NPS emergency rules are sensible and commendable. You could wait a year or two. I’d say, see Carlsberg now if you can. But my #1 recommendation is that you check the NPS’s Carlsbad Caverns webpage for the latest information, both as you’re planning your trip, and a day or two before your intended arrival. A single Visitor Center ranger contracting Covid-19 might shut the Cavern down.
3. Slaughter Canyon Cave
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 38 reviews
Don't let the name scare you away from this natural wonder, a dark cave with no electricity or modern conveniences but plenty of awesome sights including an 89-foot column, a dazzling Christmas tree-like column and a rimstone dam. Guided tours must be booked in advance.
4. King's Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 366 reviews
This area of the Caverns contain the most stalactites and stalagmites, and must be visited with a guide.
Reviewed By lanceo53
The King's Palace tour, a 1 1/2 to 2 hour ranger-guided tour through four highly decorated rooms (The KIng's Palace, The Queen's Room, The Papoose Room, and The Green Lake Room) will take you into the deepest portion of the cavern open to the public, 830 feet (253 m) beneath the desert surface. This one mile (1.6 km) tour does require additional descending, and at the end, walking up a very steep hill. Look forward to viewing a variety of cave formations including helictites, draperies, columns and soda straws. Rangers frequently conduct black-outs during this tour, briefly turning off all artificial lights to reveal the natural darkness of the cave. What this tour lacks in the massive magnitude and impressive size of the Big Room tour, more than makes up in the sheer quantity of cave formations and decorations. Totally amazing and astounding. I was so glad that I had set aside time to also do this tour. By being able to do both the ranger-guided King's Palace Tour and then also do the self-guided Big Room Tour, I got to see the most beautiful portions of the caverns...it's a win-win !!! Happy caving !!!
5. Spider Cave
6. Bat Flight Program in Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 561 reviews
Reviewed By C_Strache - Orland Park, United States
Here is the setting: a nice, smallish amphitheater, a short introduction by a knowledgeable park ranger, a beautiful evening (I’d guess that it is beautiful there a lot since it is in the desert). Then the bats come out. Thousands of them. They swirl out of the opening and all fly out in the same direction. Not coming near the spectators in case you are worried about that. We were mesmerized by the spectacle and watched until there were just a few bats coming out. Wow. Just so you know, there is no photography though.
7. Land of Fire & Ice (Bandera Volcano & Ice Cave)
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 221 reviews
Reviewed By F8083GTtinas - Orlando, United States
This was an easy but amazing Hike. The lava fields are fascinating and to actually see all of the vegetation that grows in them. The highlight was the ice cave. Definitely worth the stop.
8. Sandia Man Cave
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 14 reviews
9. Ceremonial Cave
Located in Bandelier National Monument, this was the cave where the Indian inhabitants had their ceremonies.
10. Desert Ice Box
Site of a cave that is great for exploring.
