Carlsbad Caverns in One Day

In a single day, visitors can easily view both the eerie, exotic caverns and the volcano of bats that erupts from the caverns each morning and evening. Unless you're attending the annual Bat Breakfast, when visitors have the morning meal with rangers and then view the early morning bat return, go ahead and sleep past sunrise and then stroll into the caves.

For the full experience, begin by taking the Natural Entrance Route Tour, which allows visitors to trek into the cave from surface level. This tour winds past the Boneyard, with its intricate ossifications, and a 200,000-ton boulder called the Iceberg. After 1¼ mi, or about an hour, the route links up with the Big Room Route. If you're not in good health or are traveling with young children, you might want to skip the Natural Entrance and start with the Big Room Route, which begins at the foot of the elevator. This underground walk extends 1¼ mi on level, paved ground, and takes about 1½ hours to complete. If you have made reservations in advance or happen upon some openings, you also can take the additional King's Palace guided tour for 1 mi and an additional 1½ hours. At 83 stories deep, the Palace is the lowest rung the public can visit. By this time, you will have spent four hours in the cave. Take the elevator back up to the top. If you're not yet tuckered out, consider a short hike along the sunny, self-guided ½-mi Desert Nature Walk by the visitor center.

To picnic by the birds, bees, and water of Rattlesnake Springs, take U.S. 62/180 south from White's City 5½ mi, and turn back west onto Route 418. You'll find old-growth shade trees, grass, picnic tables, and water. Many varieties of birds flit from tree to tree. Return to the Carlsbad Caverns entrance road and take the 9½-mi Walnut Canyon Desert Drive loop. Leave yourself enough time to return to the visitor center for the evening bat flight.