Carlsbad Cavern is one of over 300 limestone caves in a fossil reef laid down by an inland sea 250 to 280 million years ago. In modern times the cave was "discovered" by a young man named Jim White in 1898. See the link for details of his explorations: http://www.nps.gov/cave/blogs/Jim-White-Cave-Explorer.htm
Carlsbad Caverns were formed by sulfuric acid within the Guadalupe Mountains. A hydrogen sulfide gas solution rose from petroleum deposits thousands of feet below the surface and mixed with the water table to create an aggressive chemical that dissolved holes in the subterranean limestone. As the mountains rose over 20 million years, water drained from the caves, revealing the incredible wonders of the caverns.
And wonderful they are!
The caverns are 755' below the entrance...and can usually be accessed via an elevator. The elevator is currently out of service meaning that if one wishes to see the caves, one walks!
Down....and then up!
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| The 'natural' entrance to the cave, 12 switchbacks, only the beginning of the descent |
The caves are among the largest in the world. The perimeter of the cave referred to as "The Big Room" is 1.25 MILES around! We took 2.5 hours to get down (distance 1 mile and 755' deep), walk the length of the "Big Room" and walk back up. The highest part of the ceiling inside the Big Room is 600' high. That is a BIG room!
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| You can see Dave's silhouette, giving the formations some perspective |
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| Buddhas in Asia? |
The caves have several interesting and unusual formations.
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| Draperies |
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| The "chandelier" |
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| The formation known as "The Rock of Ages" |
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| Let's meet in the middle...in a million years! |
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| Pillars |
The word "awesome" was invented for experiences such as this!!!
I agree -- awesome. I am looking forward to our own visit in a few weeks ... those steps are something else, but I bet they are worth negotiating for what you find once you get into the caverns.
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