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"Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico " a Carlsbad Caverns National Park Travel Page by MarkJochim

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"Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico " a Carlsbad Caverns National Park Travel Page by MarkJochim

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MarkJochim   
...only on the road can you see that yesterday lies behind you and tomorrow waits on the path ahead"


Real Name: Mark J. Jochim
Lives In: Phuket, TH
Member Since: Feb 10, 2003
VT Rank: 1893

 

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Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

by MarkJochim - last update: Jun 18, 2003

Carlsbad Caverns is probably the most visited tourist site in all of New Mexico. More than 85 caves underlie the park, two of which — Carlsbad Caverns and Lechuguilla Cave — are among the largest and most magnificent underground formations in the world.
Carlsbad Caverns is actually a Permian-age fossil reef. Over a period of millions of years, sulfuric acid ate away at fissures in underground limestone and fossil shelves that were at one time under a vast sea. At undetermined dates partial cave-ins occurred and created immense underground chambers, like the Big Room — 25 stories high and a third of a mile wide.

The National Park is also home to the Carlsbad Caverns Wilderness Area, which at 33,000 acres boasts enough hiking trails to keep you busy for an afternoon, or a week. The park is part of the northern Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem, where grassland vegetation and desert shrub give way to pine woodlands at the highest elevations. You'll find a dazzling palette of desert flowers if you set out after a recent rainstorm. Wildlife abounds-with luck, you may see golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, even elk or cougar tracks.
I have many wonderful memories of visiting Carlsbad Caverns while on family vacations in the 1970s (when we lived in western Texas). I also remember seeing slides of visits my father made to the park in the 1950s while serving with the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss; this was before he returned to California and married my mother.

Unfortunately, I haven't yet been able to return to Carlsbad since moving to Albuquerque. I hope to get down there some day soon!

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Comments for MarkJochim about Carlsbad Caverns National Park
kymbanm Sun Jun 26, 2005 22:27 UTC
 So, when are you going to go down there yourself???? I loved it as a kid, and again as an adult .... just got back from there AGAIN!!!

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