Visitor Center

About Visitor Center

>> RESERVATIONS REQUIRED to enter cavern and must be purchased at recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. The reservation is only for selecting the entry time. Entrance tickets will need to be purchased at the visitor center. << The visitor center offers many services, including a bookstore, gift shop, cafeteria, restrooms, a park movie, information desk, ticket counter, and hands-on educational exhibits.

How to Get There

To access Carlsbad Caverns National Park's only entrance road, New Mexico Highway 7, turn north from U.S. Hwy 62/180 at White's City, New Mexico—which is 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico and 145 miles (233 km) northeast of El Paso, Texas. The entrance road stretches a scenic seven miles (11 km) from the park gate at White's City to the visitor center and cavern entrance. The park's visitor center is located 25 miles (40 km) from the town of Carlsbad.

Plan Your Visit to Visitor Center

Heading to Visitor Center? 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)