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Carlsbad Caverns 3D

Carlsbad Caverns

Welcome to New Mexico! Carlsbad Caverns is a huge network of underground caves, decorated with giant stone formations that took hundreds of thousands of years to grow.

Why is it famous?

It has one of the largest cave chambers in North America, called the Big Room.

Every summer evening, hundreds of thousands of bats swirl out of the cave entrance at sunset.

How was it formed?

The caves formed inside an ancient underwater reef, dissolved slowly by acidic water over millions of years.

Dripping water left behind mineral deposits that grew into stalactites, stalagmites, and columns.

Quick facts

  • The Big Room is so large that 14 football fields could fit inside it.
  • Over 400,000 Mexican free-tailed bats live in the cave during warmer months.
  • The cave system has more than 119 known caves.