In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, Carlsbad Caverns National Park’s visitors’ center and cave will be closed Thursday, Nov. 26.
Regular business hours will resume Friday, Nov. 27, with the visitors’ center open daily from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (first cave entrance is 8:30 a.m.).
The park’s passenger elevators remain out of service for an undetermined length of time. Visitors must hike 1.25 miles each way in and out of the Natural Entrance as part of the self-guided tour to access the Big Room, which also has a walking distance of 1.25 miles. Because the Natural Entrance descends 750 feet on a steep pathway, wheelchairs and scooters are not permitted.
The last entrance into the cave is 2:30 p.m., giving visitors time to view the Big Room. The Natural Entrance and Big Room are both self-guided tours. One ranger-guided tour of King’s Palace is offered daily at 10 a.m.
All entrance fees, including King’s Palace, are waived temporarily during the elevator shutdown.
The annual Rock of Ages Program, scheduled to take place in December, has been postponed due to the elevator situation and will be rescheduled in 2016.
For more information about Carlsbad Caverns hours, cave tours, and other activities, call 575-785-2232 or visit www.nps.gov/cave.
