50plusDC- Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns

In the Guadalupe Mountains in south east of New Mexico is one of the largest limestone cave systems in the world. Who found the entrance and when is not clear, but it is thought that the caves were first entered in 1898 by a 16 year old cowhand called Jim White. The caves were made a National Monument in 1923 and a National Park in 1930. The huge ’Big Room’ cavern has not changed much from White’s day, apart from the addition of lifts (elevators), cave lighting and even and underground snack bar. The caves are very impressive, but the parts that we visited are perhaps a little over developed and busy.

Entrance to Carlsbad Caverns

The National Park offers a wide choice of tours , but we chose a self-guided tour that went down through the original entrance rather than using the lifts (elevators). At the bottom of the picture, the path can be seen zig-zagging down towards the darkness of the cave.

Stalactite/Stalagmite

Flash can be used close up to reveal the natural colours of the rock. Here can be seen the vivid colours of a stalactite and stalagmite that have fused together to form a pillar.

Illuminations in Carlsbad Caverns

Back to the tripod for a final shot using the illuminations. The use of multi-coloured lighting results in a spectacular show, but as shown above the natural colours of the rock formations can often look as good.

Illuminated Stalactites & Stalagmite

The ‘Big Room’ is over 33000 square metres (350000 square feet) in area and is the most accessible major cavern in the system. Its size means that even a powerful flash gun will usually fail to provide enough light, but with the help of a tripod the cave lighting can be used to capture the scene. Here stalactites (the ones that grow down from the roof ) can be seen together with a solitary stalagmite growing up from the floor.