We had always wanted to tour Carlsbad Caverns National Park, one of the oldest and largest cave systems in the world.  Knowing we were coming during spring break and anticipating larger crowds, I researched months ahead to maximize our experience.  My trip report follows:

March 2013:

Unfortunately there are no nearby adequate hotels. We wanted to spend time at Guadalupe National Park as well, so we chose to stay in Carlsbad at the Hampton Inn and Suites. This is one of the nicest hotels in Carlsbad, but at $250/night it is no resort. Unfortunately, you pay for location, location, location!

Arrive early for multiple reasons! We  entered the park at  9:30am which allowed us to park fairly close by . We spoke with a park ranger about recommendations, picked up our tickets with a only a short line, and headed down the natural entrance. If you are in reasonable shape, take this entrance as opposed to the elevator. It is such a unique way to enter and you will see parts of the cave that you do not see on the other tours. It is steep and long, though. I purchased the audio guide for $5, but honestly most of the display boards in the room gave similar explanations. We spent an hour walking down, and then another hour in the big room. I also recommend bringing a small flashlight for  dark paths and illluminating portions of the cave walls. There are bathrooms and a restaurant at this level. Because we finished by 11:30am, we were able to ride up the elevator with only five minute wait. Lines in the afternoon were about an hour and a half wait time! We have been to many caves but the size of this one tops them all! Well worth the $6 admission price.

There are also options of scheduled private tours which I highly recommend.  I read rave reviews about the Lower Cave Tour and with two teenage boys, I knew this would be a big hit! I booked about two months in advance since we were coming at spring break. This is so worth the $20 ticket price. It begins in a separate room on the main level with  a safety orientation and distribution of helmets with headlamps, and gloves. You will need three AA batteries (no longer four).

For the private tour, you ride the elevators (bypassing the long lines) to the big room level. You then descend down a knotted rope to navigate about a 45 degree flowstone. I had heard some people bow out of the tour  at this point, but we all thought it was easy. You then descend down a series of three metal ladders (about five feet, twenty feet, thirty feet) to reach the lower cave about ninety feet below. I was nervous that I might be afraid of the heights but it was better than expected. They claim this is a strenuous tour but other than the floor being slippery, I didn’t really think it was difficult.

The experience of walking with such a small group (limited to twelve) and having two park rangers to ourselves was awesome. We spent about two hours investigating formations, learning history and exploring. You have a moment where they turn out all the lights and you sit in silence to experience the true nature of a cave. There is also an opportunity to crawl through a small tunnel if you like. My teenage boys loved this! You are able to walk around  though. I recommend wearing a light jacket, rugged pants and shoes with a good grip. This experience was so different than the Big Room and probably the coolest cave tour I’ve undergone. It was the highlight of our vacation!