First of all, the room is HUGE. It takes 1.25 hours to walk the perimeter. It is so much larger than other caverns I have visited. We took elevator entrance, due to limited time. If you have more time, I believe natural entrance would yield some interesting sights, as well. Park Service has done a remarkable job maintaining the cavern,... More

If you only have a short time to spend at the caverns, this is what you should do. Skip the Natural Entrance and take the elevator down to the Big Room. It is like a giant natural cathedral. Awe inspiring. More

Self-guided tour ?? You can rent a "tour-guide" at the book-shop. Worth the 5 dollars. Can you get lost ? Nope Is it worth the 1-2 hours ? Yep You have this avesome BIG room, all quite (if people respect it). And you can walk in your own pace, take all the pictures you want. And no worries - there's... More

We have visited many caves in the USA during the past 40 years and this is the first one which was 'self guided'. A lovely experience as we could take as long as we liked without feeling that we were holding the rest of the party back. Wonderful easy slopes down 850 feet and then thankfully a lift back up.... More

I thought that Carlsbad was incredibly impressive. The Big Room was so much bigger than envisioned it to be. It was crowded when we were there, but people were so respectful of being quiet that you didn't even notice. A must-see! More

I was dissappointed initially when all the tours were sold out but after doing the natural entrance and the big room by ourselves I didnt feel like i was missing anything. The big room is huge and with so many different formations and things to see. The signs are very informative so they answered most of the questions I had... More

I can't begin to describe the cave formations. They are so impressive, and there's another amazing view everywhere you turn. We made four trips to the Big Room while we were at Carlsbad and were awestruck every time. If you are on a tight schedule, take the shortcut (not wheelchair accessible). You'll still see all the major formations. Stop at... More

If you have any issues with your feet, knees or legs, take the elevator! If you are on a time schedule, at least do the self tour of the Big Room, using the $5 "Ranger in a box". We so much enjoyed the whole experience and were awestruck by the scenic wonders of the cavern decorations. The staff was knowledgable... More

Well educated staff and a well designed self-guided tour. Small entrance fee. My only complaint are those who don't keep their kids under control and let them scream, yell and run rampant in the caves. I have kids of my own and know that kids will be kids but the guides ask us to talk no louder than a whisper... More