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Carlsbad Caverns National Park Lake Chandelier in Lechuguilla Cave.
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Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Park Fun
Three new Junior Rangers show off their patches to Flat Stanley.
NPS Photo
Three new Junior Rangers show off their patches to Flat Stanley.

If you and your family are planning a visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, here are just a few of the fun things you can do while you're here...

Bat Flight
From mid-May to mid-October, watch as several hundred thousand Brazilian (or Mexican) free-tail bats exit Carlsbad Cavern right around sunset.

Cave Tours
Everyone in the family can go on the self-guided tours of Carlsbad Cavern. Strollers are not allowed in the cave, so you might want to bring a baby backpack.

Children must be at least 4 years old to go on the Kings Palace tour; 6 years old to go on the Left Hand Tunnel; 8 years old to go on Slaughter Canyon Cave tours; and 12 years old to go on the Lower Cave, Hall of the White Giant and Spider Cave tours.

Junior Ranger
The Junior Ranger program teaches children about the parks surface and underground resources. Younger children will color and draw, and find objects in a visual scavenger hunt. Older children will complete word searches, and write stories and poems. The Junior Ranger booklet is available at the Visitor Information desk. Just ask a Ranger for you copy!

KidsCorner
KidsCorner is our summer visitor center program, designed for elementary-aged kids. They'll learn about bats, caves, plants and animals of the desert. Then they'll participate in a fun activity that might include an arts and crafts project or a game.

ParKids
Three weeks of summer day camp in June for kids ages 7-15. The day camp teaches children about the natural environment and the need to protect its resources, while helping them become better stewards of the land.

To take a peek at the 2011 ParKids day camp, check out our flyer and to register click here.

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Lake Chandelier in Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Did You Know?
Scientists are studying "extremophile" microbes in the highly protected and almost pristine Lechuguilla Cave that are leading scientists towards generating a possible cure for cancer.

Last Updated: June 02, 2011 at 11:50 MST