Carlsbad Caverns National Park, National park in the Guadalupe Mountains, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA
Carlsbad Caverns is a limestone cave system beneath the desert in Eddy County, New Mexico. The main cave runs through several levels with chambers connected by natural openings and constructed pathways.
A cowboy named Jim White explored the caves in the late 19th century and shared his discovery with researchers. The government protected the area in 1930, turning it into a national park.
The town of Carlsbad, which gives the cave and park their name, is named after the Czech town Karlovy Vary, known in German as Karlsbad; both names mean "Charles' Baths". Jim White, who explored the cavern in 1898 as a teenager, named many rooms and formations, among them the Big Room, Kings Palace, the Totem Pole and Rock of Ages.
The natural entrance follows a steep path downward, while an elevator offers quicker access. Warm clothing helps, as the temperature inside stays cool throughout the year.
The cave holds up to about one million Mexican free-tailed bats, though a 2005 count found 400,000 to 500,000. They raise their young in the Bat Cave near the natural entrance, a side passage closed to visitors and open only to researchers.
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