Yesterday Barbara and I explored Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We took the self guided tour through what is known as the Big Room. This is supposed to be a 1.5 hour stroll through the largest open area in the cave. However, it took us 2.5 hours to complete our tour. Honestly, I could have spent the entire day in the cave exploring, but I had to get Barbara out of there because after about an hour she started hallucinating. She started seeing things like dragons and Disney characters in the rock formations.
The geologic story of Carlsbad Caverns began 265 million years ago when a shallow sea covered this area. What became Carlsbad Caverns was then a 400-mile-long, horseshoe shaped, reef composed of mostly algae and sponges. Several million years later tectonic forces lifted the reef out of the shallow sea that covered this area.
Around 15-20 million years ago tectonic forces started pulling the southwest portion of this country apart like that seen today in the state of Nevada called the Basin and Range geomorphic province. This tectonic activity created the faults which created the parallel mountains and valleys seen in today’s Guadalupe Mountains. Over time caves developed in the area of the shallow sea and reefs. Hydrogen sulfide gas, sulfuric acid, water, bacteria all worked together to form what today is known as Carlsbad Caverns. Carlsbad Caverns is not the only cave in the Guadalupe Mountains. There are hundreds of caves in the area, known and unknown.
Carlsbad Caverns is also a sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats. Not to worry though as they only come out at night and head outside to get their fill of insects. This time of year they are gone due to their annual migration to Mexico.
Carlsbad Caverns is by far the most beautiful cave I have ever been in and I have been in a few. Take a look!
RV There Yet? 