Carlsbad Caverns is a landmark located in the state of New Mexico, in America. And this is not only an interesting place that should be visited by guests in this part of the USA. These are also the largest cave systems that are of wild interest to archaeologists and lovers of such natural finds.
Global Value
All people with even the slightest interest in archeology know where the Carlsbad Caverns are located. Speaking more correctly, this is the National Park, which is a long chain of eighty caves of various sizes. Their total length is more than 12 kilometers. One has only to imagine how great this distance is. This immediately makes it clear that Carlsbad Caverns is a National Park that is truly impressive in its scope. In addition, do not forget that all this is located deep underground. By the way, the depth of occurrence is also quite large - more than 500 meters. So it is not surprising that many people are interested in the question of where the Carlsbad Caverns are located. If possible, you should definitely visit them.
Art,created by nature itself
It is worth noting that not only the huge scale is attractive to tourists. After all, inside the caves themselves - indescribable beauty. A variety of rocks that appear on their walls are intertwined and form incredibly picturesque drawings and patterns. This is a creation of nature itself, and you can look at these creations for hours without stopping. As if some artist painted these walls with his brush. The drawings combine different colors - this is purple, and gray, and blue, and golden. Shimmering in different shades, they play on the ceilings and vaults. All this can be seen with your own eyes by visiting the Carlsbad Caves. Photos of this attraction, no matter how high-quality and bright they may be, will not be able to fully convey its luxury and scale.
Interesting facts
All this is certainly interesting, but there is something else that attracts attention. For example, the age of these caves. Scientists claim that they are over 250 million years old! This figure seems simply unrealistic. After all, it turns out that the Carlsbad caves existed before the moment when the new era came, even before the birth of Jesus Christ, Buddha and Mohammed! Such data is really impressive, and this is direct evidence that the caves will stand still for a very long time. Who knows, maybe they are eternal? After all, they existed even when there was no Tire, Babylon, pyramids and Stonehenge (and these ancient sights arose a very long time ago, the latter, for example, arose in the III-II century BC).
By the way, it is also interesting how this cave system arose. According to the research conducted by scientists, in ancient times the sea splashed in these places. And where the caves are now, there was a coral reef. Naturally, the sea dried up over time - a desert formed. But the reef hasn't gone anywhere. It was covered with lime and hardened. And thanks to natural phenomena, the current caves were formed. By the way, these ancient caves are by no means lifeless. Bats live in them - there are 16 species in total, and the total number is more than a million! Such living creatures scare some tourists, while others, on the contrary, inspire. Many people come here specifically not to admire the caves - they prefer to see the fluttering of bats. The most impressive flights of these creatures can be observed in August and September - it is at this time that the offspring that was born in early summer are just beginning to join their parents and relatives, after which they leave the caves, migrating south.
How to get there?
So, it was said that the Carlsbad Caverns (USA) are located in New Mexico. This state is called the mountain state for a reason. A bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge, an outcrop, caves, a petroglyph, Aztec ruins, Capulin Volcano - and this is not the whole list of attractions that the nature of New Mexico has awarded. The most convenient way to get to the Carlsbad Caverns is from the city of El Paso (Texas). This is a large metropolis, which during the time of the development of the Wild West became known as a favorite place for robbers and adventurers. From the cavesis quite far away - 190 kilometers. But it is from here that they usually get to them - along Highway-180 Street. It leads to the National Park. Or you can fly to Albuquerque (administrative center of Bernalillo), and then rent a car and get there on your own.
Interesting places
Of course, the whole cave chain is very interesting. However, some places deserve special attention. For example, the Cave of Massacre near the canyon. There is no lighting and paths - absolutely wilderness. The ranger of the park shows her to tourists. Also of interest is the Lechugia cave, which was discovered quite recently - in 1986. It is still being explored, because it is the deepest of the existing ones. It is still closed for public tourist visits. This is done in order to keep the cave intact. Lechuguia takes the fifth line in the ranking of the longest caves in the world. And in the United States - the third.
Official Status
Of course, the caves have not always had such a prestigious status as the National Park. It must be earned, but they succeeded. In 1930, the US Congress approved Carlsbad Caverns as a National Park, and since then this title has stuck with them. Since then, this natural attraction has been monitored by the National Park Service. By the way, she is not just being watched. Caves are regularly studied, various studies are carried out in their depths (of course, they are safe, because no matter how long theystanding, care must be taken to avoid critical situations). Expeditions involve only speleologists, who are highly qualified specialists in their field. They continue to show the world new caves, delighting ordinary people and scientists with unexplored discoveries. Such finds include the Guadalupe Room. This is not just a discovery. This is the second largest room in the Carlsbad Cavern.