Fees & Passes

COVID-19 Operations

Click for information about what to expect when visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Entrance Fee

All visitors who enter Carlsbad Cavern are required to purchase an entrance ticket, which is good for three days. If you are entering with a pass, please visit the ticket counter for your free admission ticket.

Adults (ages 16 and older): $15 per person

Children (ages 15 and under): Free

America The Beautiful—The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes

The America The Beautiful—The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series is your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the United States. Passes cover:

• Entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges

• Standard amenity fees (day-use fees) at national forests and grasslands and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Army Corps of Engineers

In general, one pass covers the fees listed above for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas or up to four adults at sites that charge per person. Children age 15 or under are admitted free. Some passes provide additional benefits, such as a 50% discount on camping at some sites for holders of Senior or Access Passes. Always check with individual sites for details.

Available passes include:

• Annual Pass

• Annual Pass for U.S. Military

• 4th Grade Pass (Printed voucher required)

• Temporary 5th Grade Voucher (Printed voucher required)

• Senior Pass: The price of the lifetime Senior Pass increased to $80. A $20 annual Senior Pass is also available. See more information about changes to the Senior Pass.

• Access Pass

• Volunteer Pass

More information about the America the Beautiful–The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series, including available passes, costs, benefits, and how and where they may be obtained, is available. Learn More About National Parks and Federal Lands Passes.

Free Entrance for U.S. Military Veterans with Identification

Free entry is available to veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and is able to present one of the following forms of identification when entering a national park:

• Department of Defense Identification Card (CAC Card)

• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

• Veteran ID Card

• Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card

Learn more about free entrance to National Parks for veterans

Free Entrance for Gold Star Families with Voucher

Free entry is available to Gold Star Families, who are next of kin of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a “qualifying situation,” such as a war, an international terrorist attack, or a military operation outside of the United States while serving with the U.S. Armed Forces.Qualifying families must download a voucher to fill out before arriving at the park.

Learn more about free entrance for Gold Star families

2021 Fee-Free Days

• January 18: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

• April 17: First Day of National Park Week

• August 4: One year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act

• August 25: National Park Service Birthday

• September 25: National Public Lands Day
• November 11: Veterans Day

Ranger-Guided Tours

All tours are temporarily suspended until further notice.

Reservations are highly recommended for all ranger-guided tours, to make reservations you may call 877-444-6777 or go to Recreation.gov.Children under the age of 4 are not permitted on any ranger-guided tours. Other age limits apply depending on the tour.

King's Palace: $8 for adults, $4 for children, under 4 not permitted. Must also purchase entrance ticket. $4 for Senior and Access Pass holders.

Left Hand Tunnel: $7 for adults, $3.50 for children, under 6 not permitted. Must also purchase entrance ticket. $3.50 for Senior and Access Pass holders.

Slaughter Canyon Cave: $15 for adults, $7.50 for children, under 8 not permitted. $7.50 for Senior and Access Pass holders.

Lower Cave: $20 for adults, $10 for children, under 12 not permitted. Must also purchase entrance ticket. $10 for Senior and Access Pass holders.

Hall of the White Giant: $20 for adults, $10 for children, under 12 not permitted. Must also purchase entrance ticket. $10 for Senior and Access Pass holders.