Lost Cave

About Lost Cave

Lost Cave is a limestone cave near the city of Carlsbad. It was the site of an isolation study in 1989 and contains two main rooms, filled with breakdown, and various side passages. The cave is horizontal, but the entrance is negotiated by a 15 foot ladder. It is co-managed by the BLM and the Pecos Valley Grotto, an internal organization of the National Speleological Society. Due to sensitive historic and biological resources in the cave, all trips must have a trip leader from this grotto. What to Bring Helmet with headlamp for safety and hands-free movement. Gloves for hand protection. Elbow pads to help in tight climbs. Kneepads for protection in crawls. Sturdy boots to provide good support and traction.

How to Get There

Contact the Pecos Valley Grotto to arrange a trip.

Plan Your Visit to Lost Cave

Heading to Lost Cave? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)