• Photo of the steep natural entrance of Carlsbad Caverns

    Carlsbad Caverns

    National Park New Mexico

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  • Elevator Renovations

    Allow more time to visit and expect lines for small elevators while large elevator system is renovated. Walking exit is steep.

Directions

To access Carlsbad Caverns National Park's only entrance road, New Mexico Highway 7, turn north from US Hwy 62/180 at White's City, New Mexico - which is 20 miles southwest of Carlsbad, NM and 145 miles northeast of El Paso, Texas. The entrance road stretches a scenic 7-miles (11.3 km) from the park gate at White's City to the Visitor Center and cavern entrance. The address for the park's Visitor Center is 727 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM, 88220 even though it's located 27 miles from the town of Carlsbad.

Carlsbad is served by Greyhound and TNM&O bus lines. New Mexico Airlines offers passenger service between Carlsbad and Albuquerque. Major airlines serve Roswell and Albuquerque, New Mexico; and El Paso, Lubbock and Midland, Texas. Rental cars and taxi service are available from the airport in Carlsbad.

Driving Distances (in miles)
Albuquerque - 304 Lubbock - 206
Amarillo - 329 Midland - 194
Dallas - 500 Odessa - 174
Denver - 626 Phoenix - 581
El Paso - 151 Roswell - 103
Las Cruces - 197 San Antonio - 461

 

GPS coordinates to Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Coordinate System: Lat/Long

Datum: WGS 1984

Longitude: 104.445855° W

Latitude: 32.174212° N

 
Walnut Canyon drive is a seven-mile scenic drive to the park visitor center.
Walnut Canyon drive is a seven-mile scenic drive to the park visitor center.
NPS Photo

Did You Know?

Permian ocean bottom.

The limestone rock that holds Carlsbad Cavern is full of ocean fossil plants and animals from a time before the dinosaurs when the southeastern corner of New Mexico was a coastline similar to the Florida Keys.