Carlsbad Caverns: Natural Entrance Tour

Zak delighted me by agreeing to go on a lengthy spring break road trip together to three national parks -- Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains and Big Bend. It would be a lot of time in the car -- seven hours just to get to our first destination. But he could spend the whole time we were driving on his phone and iPad, which is probably what he would have done if he had stayed home. So I guess it didn't cramp his style too much.

So we headed out before sunrise last Saturday and pulled into the Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center parking lot around 1:00.  That gave us time to do at least one of the two self-guided tours of the caves, and after consulting with a ranger we elected to do the Natural Entrance Tour.

The Natural Entrance Tour follows the traditional explorers' route, initially descending more than 200 feet over a series of switchbacks.  This is the same path that thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats take out of the caverns for their nightly hunts in the spring and summer.  It was the wrong time of year for bats, but the walk down was still impressive.

The natural light gradually grows dimmer and dimmer as you descend.  Your brain actively questions why you're doing this voluntarily as you leave the familiar surroundings of the surface world.  At least, my brain did.

Stalactites cling to the cavern roof, appearing tenuous in their grasp and prepared to dislodge at any moment.  In reality, an earthquake probably wouldn't shake them loose.

Emerging into the Main Corridor is breathtaking.  The scale of the space is hard to convey, but the trail and railings in the lower left may give you some sense of just how large the passage is.

Thankfully, tripods are allowed in the cave.  I've been in a couple of others where they're not, and it's very difficult to get any sort of decent pictures without one.

The lighting is actually really good.  Dim, but well placed.  The greens and blues visible in long exposures like this one aren't as obvious in real time.

As adventurous as it feels to be there now, just think about what it must have been like to explore this place in the 1800s with just rope and candles.

The Witch's Finger is one of many formations and rooms named by Jim White, a cowboy who became fascinated by the cave and was its first chief ranger when it was proclaimed a national monument in 1923.

After Zak and I finished this self-guided tour we thought about trying to also complete the one of the Big Room.  But on a Saturday afternoon -- and spring break to boot -- it was just too crowded.  The same helpful ranger from earlier advised that we return Sunday morning right then the park opened at 8:30.  So we instead grabbed some dinner just outside the park entrance in the little tourist trap of Whites City and went back to the visitor center in the hopes of shooting a pretty sunset.

Thick clouds prevented there from being an especially colorful show.  But all in all, we were tremendously pleased with how our adventures had begun and looking forward to what tomorrow would bring!