THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD: THE CARLSBAD CAVERNS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GET READY TO BE AMAZED
DID YOU KNOW? Most people go through the Caverns "self-guided." You don't have to be on a tour, although there are several guided options available. Going in on your own allows flexibility for start times and duration. Keep in mind that the Caverns are HUGE, an indescribably large system. (For point of reference: in just one area of these amazing caves, you could put 14 Astrodomes!) By far, the most beautiful way to go in is via the Natural Entrance. This is a long, winding walk down - paved with handrail - that gives a spectacular sense of the vastness of this underground wonder. Native American tribes first went into the caves about 1,000 years ago. They left no written record, of course, but later explorers found mysterious markings and drawings left by the first visitors. In the 1800's, settlers going west made tentative forays into the darkness and, finally, in 1915, the first B&W photographs were taken. Word of the discovery spread east like wildfire. Renowned cave explorer Jim White went in via drop bucket and the rest is history! Click on the picture at left to learn more about the Carlabad Caverns.
Two of the most popular guided tours are through The Left Hand Tunnel and The Kings Palace. These are small group walking tours, accompanied by a guide. The tours go out at intervals, through the day, and usually have space available. The Kings Palace Tour offers the "dark experience" when the lanterns are extinguished for several minutes. You can really get a sense of what it was like for the first explorers. IMAGINE: deep underground in a complete and total darkness.
THE UNIVERSE BELOW
One of the most amazing sights on earth: "Bat Flight" at the Caverns. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The bats are with us from spring to autumn, then fly to Brazil for the winter.
Every evening at dusk, thousands of Mexican Freetail bats go out to feed on moths and other nocturnal insects. In the peak summer season, their numbers can go as high as 750,000. These small creatures exit the Bat Cave in a swirling ribbon, unfurling silently across the sky. Leave all of your preconceived notions behind. If, like many of us, your knowledge of bats is grounded in myth and legend and old horror movies, you are in for a wonderful surpise. Bat Flight is a quiet experience -- no screeching or calling or sudden shifts, only the sound of air moving, as thousands of winged animals lift into the sky.
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The National Parks Service rangers provide an excellent presentation prior to the exodus of the bats. This outdoor event is free to the public, every evening, from mid-May to October.
THE BAT CAVE AMPITHEATER
*B*A*T* *F*L*I*G*H*T*
*Formal Bat Flight presentations begin in May, when all of the bats have come home from their winter in Brazil. Our bats leave us in October. Ask at our Front Desk for updates on 2012 Bat Flight programs.
CARLSBAD KOA 2 Manthei Rd * Carlsbad NM 88220 Carlsbad KOA Office: 575-457-2000 Reservation Line: 1-800-562-9109 E-mail: carlsbadkoa@gmail.com Scott & Susan Bacher - Owners Bobby & Elizabeth Kilpatrick - Managers
