Big Room
North America's largest chamber.
apasciuto — CC BY 2.0 · apasciuto — CC BY 2.0 · John Manard — CC BY-SA 2.0 · John Manard — CC BY-SA 2.0 · apasciuto — CC BY 2.0
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a park in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico, about 34 km southwest of the city of Carlsbad in a straight line. Its main attraction is the show cave, Carlsbad Cavern. The cave holds a vast limestone chamber called the Big Room, about 1,220 metres long, 191 metres wide and 78 metres high at its highest point, the largest chamber in North America. Around 250 million years ago the area was the shore of an inland sea, where a reef formed from the remains of marine life. It became a national park in 1930 and a World Heritage Site in 1995, and about two-thirds of the park is protected wilderness. Thousands of stalactites hang from the cave ceiling and stalagmites rise from its floor, their forms lit in soft golden and brown tones, some mirrored in small clear pools. Visitors walk down into the cave from the natural entrance on a steep trail, or take the elevator from the visitor centre, then follow a trail around the Big Room. The cave stays cool all year, so bring a light jacket.
North America's largest chamber.
Thousands of forms.
A steep trail.
Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, United States
Yes, from the visitor centre.
A light jacket.