Please help find lodging near Carlsbad Cavern

[catman]

mike0421: I think those are excellent photos, but there are just some things that a photo can't completely convey, at that's one of them! Those are great, though.

I'm usually been slightly disappointed with photos I've taken of landscapes in NM. The size of it all just can't be reduced that far. They always seems two-dimensional (flat) and, well, dinky when I look at them. I suspect that is what happens with photos in Carlsbad Caverns

[chicagomama]

Wow, thank you all so much! You've been extremely helpful! I cannot wait to go. I see that it is best to reserve tours beforehand? Do you recommend a certain tour for kids or is it best to explore the caverns yourself? We may go this fall...

[joqua]

Originally Posted by chicagomama

Do you recommend a certain tour for kids or is it best to explore the caverns yourself?

Once upon a time, tourists were not allowed to enter unless accompanied by a Nat. Park ranger - which meant everyone went in as a group. In more recent years this policy changed to self-guided tours as the norm - no escort needed.

Whether it's "better" to tour with a group or on your own depends on a number of factors:

Physical condition.
Age.
Claustrophobia.
Feelings of insecurity.
And last, but not least, the ability to ask questions of a tour guide.

Self guided tours offer portable audio guides that are designed to give information when a person stops at the numbered "stations" along the way, but you can't ask questions of a recording.

[mike0421]

The 'big room' tour is self-guided as an option, however, you must arrive before 2 pm to descend from the ampitheatre down the 1 mile portion of the hike from surface level to the big room. Once in the big room, the loop is 1.2 more miles. You have to arrive before 3:30 pm to be able to tour this section by yourself. You will be brought down on an elevator if you arrive after 2.

I would advise arriving before 2 so you can experience the full descension into the big room. You take the elevator back up after the big room tour is over.

[Sarahsez]

Kids have to be over 6 years to go on some of the tours. My kids weren't that old so we usually just did the Big Room tour when we lived there though we did walk down the Natural Entrance a few times. Last time we went to visit we did the King's Palace Tour. It was by candlelight, but I'm not sure if it is done that way all of the time. They also turned off all of the lights so we could experience total darkness.

As far as hotels, we prefer the Holiday Inn. I've never stayed at the smaller non-chain type hotels. The Carlsbad RV park south of town that has some really small cabin type lodging. Not sure of rate, but they always looked interesting. The pool was clean and maintained when I was there a few years ago.