Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico

Ranger-Guided Tour Fees

Lower Cave. In 1924, National Geographic expedition members wrote about the wonders of Lower Cave. Visitors today can see the evidence left behind from these and other explorers. Highlights of this tour include The Rookery, with countless nests of cave pearls, the Colonel Boles Formation, and an incredible diversity of cave formations that compete for your attention almost everywhere you look. Ladders at the entrance to Lower Cave sometimes cause participants to back out. If you have a fear of heights or difficulties with ladders, you may wish to consider visiting Left Hand Tunnel instead.

Hall of the White Giant. If you don’t mind getting dirty, crawling through tight passageways, and climbing some slippery flowstone, you might want to try the Hall of the White Giant tour. Ladder climbing, slippery surfaces, and free climbing will be encountered on this trip. Highlights include tight, narrow passages including Matlock’s Pinch, and the White Giant formation. The prolonged amount of time spent in narrow cave passages requires a special attention to group communication and safety. This trip is not recommended for anyone afraid of tight spaces or heights.

Spider Cave. Spider Cave is a three-dimensional maze cave—a caver’s paradise. Even veteran cavers will enjoy the adventure of Spider. Participants will hike a half mile down beautiful Garden Grove Canyon to get to the cave, where excessive crawling and climbing will ensue. Highlights of this tour include the Mace Room, Medusa Room, and Cactus Spring, as well as a stunning variety of cave formations and dirty cave crawls. This trip is not recommended for anyone with a fear of enclosed spaces, heights, or getting a little cave dirt in your ears.

As much as I would love to puff my chest out and say I’m
taking the Hall of the White Giant tour… I know thyself and ummm yea ya know
Lower Cave sounds pretty cool. I don’t have a problem with getting dirty, as a
matter of fact when I read that my first words were

“Right on!”

Than I read “This trip is not recommended for anyone afraid
of tight spaces or heights.” Tight Spaces? Maybe but heights without a guardrail…
ummm lower caves… that sounds nice, maybe even dity.