Top Reasons to Go to Carlsbad Caverns National Park

400,000 hungry bats: Every night and every day, bats wing to and from the caverns in a swirling, visible tornado.

Take a guided tour through the underworld: Plummet 75 stories underground and step into enormous caves hung with stalactites and bristling with stalagmites.

Living Desert Zoo and Gardens: More preserve than zoo, this 1,500-acre park houses scores of rare species, including endangered Mexican wolves and Bolson tortoises, and now boasts a new black bear exhibit.

Birding at Rattlesnake Springs: Nine-tenths of the park's 330 bird species, including roadrunners, golden eagles, and acrobatic cave swallows, visit this green desert oasis.

Pecos River: The Pecos River, a Southwest landmark, flows through the nearby town of Carlsbad. The river is always soothing, but gets festive for holiday floaters when riverside homeowners lavishly decorate their homes.