  Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Click to get the inside scoop from
real travelers here at VirtualTourist. See the Carlsbad Caverns National Park Travel GuideInside advice from real people on:Overview, Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping, General Tips, Transportation, Off the Beaten Path, Tourist Traps, Warnings or Dangers, Local Customs, Packing Lists or Sports Travel.
 108 Carlsbad Caverns National Park Tips.285 Carlsbad Caverns National Park Photos.0 Carlsbad Caverns National Park Videos. Carlsbad Caverns National Park Pages by KimberlyAnn Sponsored Links for Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad NM Hotels
The Official New Mexico Hotel Site. 110% Best Rates Guaranteed
Carlsbad, NM Hotels
Get Our Best Price Guarantee on All Hotels in Carlsbad at Expedia.
Carlsbad Hotels
Smart accommodations in Carlsbad. Call 800-315-2605 or book online.
Carlsbad Garden Inn
Official Site. Our Best Rates! Book Your Hotel in Carlsbad CA Now.
Carlsbad Hotels
Find Cheap Rooms & Exclusive ORBITZ Rates at Top Carlsbad Hotels.
|
 KimberlyAnn's Carlsbad Caverns National Park Travelogues | | | | Title [Click to view] | Travel Year | Pictures | | The Best Way to See the Cave | April, 1999 |  6 |
|
| Page Views: 124 Last Visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park: April, 1999 | The Best Way to See the Cave by KimberlyAnn - last update: Feb 5, 2006 |
This wonderful formation is just one that can be seen as you walk through Big Room route, each with their own wonderful size and shape. I could hardly believe it when a couple marched swiftly past us and the wonderful formations as though they were hurrying along a city street in a rush to get somewhere important. The woman said, “We saw those back a ways.” The man said, “Yah, its more of the same thing.” Each formation is different, even if they are of the same type. Maybe if these folks had slowed down and begun to take a closer look they might have noticed that just because you have seen one type of formation once, that doesn’t mean that they all look exactly alike. At the rate that they were moving, they were going to finish the route in less time than the park estimates for this walk. |
|  | This formation is named Lions Tail, I am sure you can see why. It was in this area where the couple who seemed to be in such a hurry passed by us. |
| | I love the way some of the stalagmites and columns look like they have been covered in fresh, sparkling white snow. Even though the Big Room and Natural Entrance routes are lighted, we still carried a small flashlight with us so that we could shine it onto formations that were not well lit. |
| Stalactites and Witches Finger |
| | The next three photos were all taken on our combined Big Room and Natural Entrance route walk. While you are viewing them I will tell you about how we got into someone else’s behavior. Normally I stay out of other peoples business, but this was one of the rare cases where along with my husband, we just couldn’t help ourselves. When we took our wonderful “Lower Cave” tour, the ranger explained to us that when people throw coins into the natural pools or the deep dark holes of the cave, the coins introduce unnatural elements into the cave environment and this does damage to the cave and the pools. We were shown some pools below the Big Room route where people had throw n coins over the side of the walkway into the pools below. Workers have to go down periodically and clean out the pools. We also saw an area where a tightly woven net had been stretched over a crevice and water area as so many people learning over from far above have thrown coins down. This net protected the water and prevented the coins from getting into the crevices where they are hard to retrieve. Our ranger said that a few times a coin has come down and bounced off his hard hat in the places on our Lower Cave tour where we emerge out into a couple of dark areas that appear to be deep, dark holes to those above on the general “Big Room” walk. There is a rule about not throwing any object into the cave. In the exhibit in the Visitors Center there is a display of items---mostly coins picked up from below and explanations on how these objects damage the cave. |
| | A day after our “Lower Cave” tour we were walking back through the “Big Room” after one of our other ranger led walks when we came upon a group of four people who were getting ready to throw one or more pennies over the side into a deep cavern recess for “good luck.” My husband said, “Please don’t throw coins into the cave.” The oldest guy in the group who had made the original suggestion said, “Why not?” My husband said, “It can harm cave formations.” I said, “And some ranger has to go down and clean them all out.” The old guy in the group said, “Yah, like they would do that!” I said, “As a matter of fact they do. We were down there yesterday and the ranger showed us places where they have to clean out coins thrown down.” The old fellow said, “Yah, and they get to keep the money, I suppose.” I said, “A few pennies don’t add up to much money.” The older man just didn’t get it at all! We went on by, and I am sure the fellow was really mad at us. His other three companions had not said a word, so I am hoping that they understood the message and decided that throwing the pennies was not the thing to do. |
| | Of course throwing coins no matter where you are, does not bring you good luck, it is just a fun thing to do. In a case like Carlsbad were the act of throwing coins can cause real damage to the environment, and where there are a number of postings of this rule within the visitor center, I would hope that people would not do this. So I am asking you, please respect this wonderful fairyland and help to preserve it for future generations. |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| KimberlyAnn's Carlsbad Caverns National Park Travelogues | | | | Title [Click to view] | Travel Year | Pictures | | The Best Way to See the Cave | April, 1999 | 6 |
|
 Comments for KimberlyAnn about Carlsbad Caverns National Park | | | | |
SLLiew Wed Apr 23, 2008 15:08 UTC
Amazing page of Carlsbad Caverns NP. I saw that bat flights at the Mulu National Park in Sarawak, Malaysia. The bats are incredible mammals adapted to living in the caves and hunting at night. | corcatk Wed Jul 11, 2007 22:49 UTC
Thanks for all the great information & pics. We are thinking of taking a trip there next year, we're hoping to see the bat flight. | atufft Sun Apr 22, 2007 07:17 UTC
Nice work again Anne. I need to take my significant other on these tours. The last time I did this, I barely passed the minimum age requirement. | nickandchris Sun Feb 5, 2006 22:53 UTC
Absolutely stupendous.!!! What fantastic photos and tremendous information here. I'd love to see this one day, perhaps without the tourists...... |
|
More Sponsored Links for Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad NM Hotels
Get more ways to save on hotels in Carlsbad, NM at Priceline.com
Carlsbad Suites
Official Site for La Quinta Inns. Book Rooms Starting at $49/night!
New Mexico Hotels
Save Up To 70% On Hotel Rates! Book Online Or Call 1-800-359-7234
|
email me
add as friend
