Carlsbad Caverns National Park — Interstate Access, 2026 Fees & Truck Notes

01 Park overview

Carlsbad Caverns is one of the largest cave systems in the world, over 120 mapped caves dissolved into the Permian-age Capitan Reef limestone, with the main Carlsbad Cavern containing the Big Room, a single chamber 4,000 ft long, 625 ft wide, and 255 ft high. The cave is entered either by the Natural Entrance trail (a 750-ft descent on a paved switchback path) or by the Bat Cave elevator that drops 754 ft to the underground rest area at the Big Room level. From late May through October, hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats stream out of the Natural Entrance at sunset, one of the longest-running ranger-led wildlife programs in the National Park System. From I-10 the access is Exit 24A in El Paso, then 145 mi east on US-62/180 through Carlsbad to Whites City and the 7-mile park road.

Big Room is the largest single cave chamber in North America by volume
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995
Hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats roost in the Natural Entrance May to October
754-ft elevator descends to the Big Room, wheelchair accessible underground
Daily timed-entry reservations ($1) are required for the cave; no walk-up entry

02 Photos

A glowing sunset over the rugged Guadalupe Mountains landscape of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico. Gary M. Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domain

03 Don't miss

Big Room loop trail (1.25 mi, paved, accessible)
Natural Entrance descent (750 ft, paved switchbacks)
Bat flight program at sunset (May to October)
Kings Palace ranger-led tour (booking required)
Walnut Canyon Desert Drive (above-ground scenic loop)

04 Getting there & truck/RV access

Route from interstate

From I-10

Exit 24A (US-62/180 East / El Paso, TX)

145 mi east on US-62/180 to Whites City, then 7 mi west on the park access road

Big rigs & RVs

Truck access

US-62/180 from El Paso is paved and unrestricted. The 7-mile park access road from Whites City to the visitor center is paved and accommodates RVs and trailers. The road is steep in places (6% grade) but has no length restrictions.

Parking: Visitor center lot is RV-capable and rarely fills. Truck-friendly fuel is at Carlsbad, NM (15 mi north) and El Paso, TX (I-10). Whites City has limited fuel. Inside the park, no commercial services, bring food and water.

Restrictions: No commercial vehicle restrictions on the park access road. Inside the cave, no bags, food, drinks (water excepted), tripods, or strollers, only the elevator descent accommodates strollers and wheelchairs.

05 Seasonality & road closures

Best months: April to May and September to October, milder above-ground temperatures, full bat program (May to October).

Closures: Park is open year-round (except Christmas Day). Bat flight program runs from late May through mid-October only.

Notes: Cave temperature is a constant 56°F year-round, bring a jacket even in summer. Cell service is unreliable; reservations must be made online before arrival.

06 Entrance fees (2026)

Pass	Price
Individual / walk-in (7-day, age 16+)	$15 (per person, age 16+; valid 3 days)
America the Beautiful (annual, all NPS sites)	$80 U.S. residents · $250 non-residents

2026 nonresident fee — does not apply here

The $100 NPS nonresident surcharge applies at 11 specifically named parks. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is not on that list, so non-U.S. residents pay the same standard entrance fees as U.S. residents.

Fee-free days available for U.S. residents only beginning January 1, 2026.

Note: Per-person cave-entry fee; no vehicle pass. Mandatory $1 timed-entry reservation in addition to the entry fee. Ranger-led tours (Kings Palace, Left Hand Tunnel, etc.) require additional fees.

Official NPS fee page →

07 Current alerts (9)

Active National Weather Service alerts and FEMA disaster declarations affecting Carlsbad Caverns National Park's state(s). Alerts are read every 15 minutes and this page is rebuilt every 30 minutes.

HIGH WIND WARNING

High Wind Warning issued October 14 at 1:18PM MDT until October 17 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

Lowlands of the Bootheel; Uplands of the Bootheel

HIGH WIND WARNING

High Wind Warning issued October 14 at 1:18PM MDT until October 16 at 12:00PM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

West Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet; Sacramento Mountains Above 7500 Feet; Otero Mesa; East Central Tularosa Basin/Alamogordo; Southeast Tularosa Basin; Western El Paso County; Eastern/Ce

FREEZE WATCH

Freeze Watch issued October 14 at 12:16PM MDT until October 16 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Union County

HIGH WIND WATCH

High Wind Watch issued October 14 at 8:55AM MDT until October 17 at 1:00PM MDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County; Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet; Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains

WIND ADVISORY

Wind Advisory issued October 14 at 1:18PM MDT until October 16 at 12:00PM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

Sierra County Lakes; Northern Dona Ana County; Southern Dona Ana County/Mesilla Valley; East Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet; West Central Tularosa Basin/White Sands

WIND ADVISORY

Wind Advisory issued October 14 at 1:18PM MDT until October 17 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

Upper Gila River Valley; Southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres Valley; Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley; Southwest Desert/Mimbres Basin; Eastern Black Range Foothills; Central Grant County/Silver Ci

WIND ADVISORY

Wind Advisory issued October 14 at 12:16PM MDT until October 16 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Union County

WIND ADVISORY

Wind Advisory issued October 14 at 12:16PM MDT until October 16 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass; Harding County

08 FAQ

How do I get to Carlsbad Caverns from the interstate?

145 miles east of I-10 Exit 24A in El Paso on US-62/180 to Whites City, then 7 miles west on the park access road. Total ~150 miles. The route is fully paved and unrestricted.

Do I need a reservation?

Yes. Every visitor needs a timed-entry reservation ($1, valid for the chosen 30-minute entry window) booked at recreation.gov. Reservations are released up to 30 days in advance and routinely sell out for summer weekends.

Does the $100 nonresident fee apply?

No. Carlsbad Caverns is not on the 2026 NPS nonresident-surcharge list. The standard $15-per-person cave entry applies to all visitors.

When is the bat flight program?

Late May through mid-October, every evening at sunset (program time varies seasonally). Check the daily NPS Bat Flight Forecast, flights can be cancelled in cold or stormy weather. Photography and electronic devices are prohibited during the program.

From I-10

Truck access

2026 nonresident fee — does not apply here

High Wind Warning issued October 14 at 1:18PM MDT until October 17 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

High Wind Warning issued October 14 at 1:18PM MDT until October 16 at 12:00PM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

Freeze Watch issued October 14 at 12:16PM MDT until October 16 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

High Wind Watch issued October 14 at 8:55AM MDT until October 17 at 1:00PM MDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

Wind Advisory issued October 14 at 1:18PM MDT until October 16 at 12:00PM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

Wind Advisory issued October 14 at 1:18PM MDT until October 17 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

Wind Advisory issued October 14 at 12:16PM MDT until October 16 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Wind Advisory issued October 14 at 12:16PM MDT until October 16 at 12:00AM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park on the live map