The largest cave measured in the park, Lechuguilla Cave, stretches more than miles, with a depth of more than 1, feet. Stalactites, many as long as 60 feet, drip from its ceiling, and spectacular stalagmites, some six stories tall, rise from the floor.
At times it can feel like walking on another planet β and in some ways you are. Above ground is spectacular, too. Thanks to this merging of ecological zones, it teems with life, including plant species and 67 mammals, ranging from black bear and mule deer to the Chihuahuan Desert pocket mouse. The flights have become such an attraction that the park built amphitheater seating and created a Bat Flight Program so visitors can take in the sight more comfortably, with rangers on hand to answer questions and offer insight into the phenomenon.
For example, if you select a a. But the effort is more than worth the exhilaration inspired by venturing into its depths. Most visitors come from El Paso, miles to the west, but another option is Albuquerque, miles northwest. From here, you can take an elevator down into the cavern system. When touring the cavern system, wear proper footwear closed-toe shoes with good traction ; the caves are humid, and the paths can be slick in sections.
In general, the self-guided paths inside the caverns are easy to navigate, and parts of the Big Room Trail are wheelchair-accessible. If you require accessible services, the park has a good map for assessing options above and below ground. The park is busiest in the summer when the bats take flight each night. During this time of year, the viewing area gets crowded, especially around holidays and weekends. See Gateway towns. As you walk, imagine what it must have been like more than years ago when cowhand Jim White, likely the first Westerner to explore the caverns, descended into the darkness.
The various rock formations are generally all stalagmites or stalactites, and the Big Room has more than its fair share. You descend 82 feet by walking through four chambers and see all manner of rock formations, including helictites, draperies, columns and soda straws.
