1From Above

When the traveler finally decides to include a visit to the Carlsbad Caverns in his itinerary, or perhaps make a trip to the Caverns an end in itself, he procures a map of the Southwestern United States and searches for the little town of Carlsbad. Far down in the southeast corner of the state of New Mexico he will find this colorful little community, resting serenely some 40 miles north of the Texas—New Mexico line, about a hundred and sixty miles east of El Paso, and about a hundred miles northeast of the Mexican border.

Carlsbad is now a thriving little city of approximately 20,000 people, situated on the banks of the Pecos River at an altitude of slightly over 3100 feet. It is often referred to as the potash capital of America, and the growth of the potash mines has had a direct influence on the increase in population, which has been quite rapid in the past few years.

Carlsbad was settled in 1888 and at that time was known as Eddy. In 1906 the Government purchased what remained of a private irrigation system which had been destroyed by a flood of the Pecos River two years before, and developed it into the Carlsbad Reclamation Project. This assured adequate irrigation to the surrounding fertile lands and reduced to a great degree the danger from subsequent floods. As a result, agriculture flourished and has continued to be of prime importance in and near the area. The soil is especially adapted to the growing of alfalfa and cotton.

The visitor can reach Carlsbad by air, rail, or automobile. Continental Airlines provides daily airplane service to the Carlsbad Airport, and connections can be made with nearby cities on all of the major airlines flying through this section of the country.

The Santa Fe Railroad operates regularly scheduled trains to Carlsbad from Clovis, connecting with transcontinental trains to Clovis from coast to coast. The Southern Pacific connects at El Paso, as does the Texas & Pacific, and the Rock Island.

But there is little doubt that the great majority of visitors come via the family automobile. From U. S. Highways 60 and 380 to the north the motorist turns south on Highway 285 through Roswell and Artesia to Carlsbad. Here Highways 62 and 180 intersect, going from Carlsbad to Whites City, 20 miles south of Carlsbad, where a turn-off on State Highway 7 takes the traveler seven miles to the Caverns' entrance.

Airplane passengers and those coming by train will take the same motor route from Carlsbad, since it is direct, and the only route from that city. Special busses known as the Carlsbad Caverns Coaches make the trip at frequent intervals, and also operate from El Paso, which is about 145 miles away.

As the Caverns-bound sightseer heads toward his objective from Carlsbad or El Paso, he will find himself in the heart of the desert. There is hardly a tree that is more than head-high. Visitors seeing the desert for the first time will marvel at the yucca and sotol along with other less majestic desert vegetation. The stately yucca points its bloom skyward and is a thing of beauty in the spring. Among its grass-like leaves are often found mockingbirds, thrashers or cactus wrens, who like to build their nests amid the security afforded by the spine-tipped bunching of the limbs and branches. The uppermost point of the sotol sometimes reaches as high as 15 feet in the air, while the yucca, often referred to as the Spanish bayonet, occasionally looms to 25 feet. Indians used its leaves for baskets and its roots for soap, and the sotol served the Indian as food, both cooked and raw, the crisp rich centers tasting much like celery hearts.

There are several other species of cactus, and to the newcomer these will be a new experience. Besides the Devil's Head and the branching cane, one sees the thousand-headed cliff cactus, the large leaf "prickly pear", various kinds of mescal, and numerous smaller varieties. The octopus-like ocotillo, spreading its fingers outward to the sky, is numerous, picturesque, and unforgettable.

The traveler who is fortunate enough to make the trip during the spring months will be extra rewarded by seeing this desert flora in bloom. Every color of the rainbow will be noticed, but primarily the desert blooms of cacti are for the most part quite pronounced in the lighter, soft colors, especially in the light pinks and yellows. A few give forth edible fruit, and many are known for their ability to hold moisture, often a lifesaver to man and beast.

What trees there are will be found mostly along the banks of, or adjacent to, small streams or rivers which supply them with the water their roots must have. Besides several species of oak are the black walnut, black cherry, New Mexico maple, junipers, Mexican buckeye, the small green ash, an occasional pine struggling for existence, and numerous mesquites. There are also several nut and berry trees which have long been helpful in preserving the wild life that inhabits the area.

Desert wild flowers accentuate the land in spring with their dots of red, yellow and blue. In places they are so thick as to resemble a crazy quilt of many hues and shades.

Although the area gives the impression of a barren wasteland to the inhabitants of less arid regions, there are many forms of wild life which for countless centuries have made the area their home. Although the Red man's arrows and the white man's bullets have reduced the herds of wild game which once roamed the hills and valleys, there are still a sizeable number which may occasionally be seen.

Among these are the gray mule deer, still found in the narrow gulches and on top of rocky ridges, jack rabbits which continue to multiply and dart rapidly hither and thither, being most noticeable at dusk, rock squirrels which dwell primarily in the rocky cliffs, and numerous kinds of rats which seem to have little trouble eking out an existence.

Occasionally an antelope is seen, but the great herds of buffalo are now almost entirely gone, as are the mountain sheep, the Merriam elk, the bear and wild turkey. The latter two were sacred to the Red man and were protected during his inhabitation of the Western United States, but the coming of the white man left no bird nor beast in safety.

Along the banks of the nearby Pecos River one may see geese and ducks, and occasionally one can find a crane, a heron and perhaps a soft-shelled turtle. Scaled quail are in the vicinity, as are Mearns or fool quail. Buzzards, several varieties of owls, swifts and flickers are a few of the many wild birds which dot the countryside.

On the ground there are several kinds of snakes and lizards. There are several varieties of non-poisonous snakes such as the bull snake, the Mexican black snake, the coachwhip, the ring-neck, and several species of water snakes. Three poisonous snakes are found, the black-tailed or "Texas" rattler, the prairie rattlesnake, and the large western diamond-back.

Lizards are quite numerous and will be seen by any traveler who keeps his eye peeled along the roadside from which they suddenly dart, running swiftly to the other side of the highway. There are several species which consist of the rough, scaly rock lizard, the smooth, slender whip-tail, the brilliantly colored collared lizard, and the bar-tailed lizard. There are several smaller species including the horned lizard, often referred to as a horned toad. Scorpions and spiders are numerous, and there are many other smaller insects that inhabit the area and serve as a source of food for the birds, reptiles, and small animals.

As the journey to the park continues the visitor passes by small adobe shacks which may serve some cowboy or sheepherder as the necessary shelter while tending his herds. Range cattle are numerous and occasionally several goats will be seen. An old prospector or "desert rat" who can't stand the hustle of city life may perchance be found out on the dry, arid wasteland hoping for a find within the hills or neighboring Guadalupe Mountains which by now are quite plainly visible to the west.

Stretches of the land are alkaline, white as though touched by the fingers of Jack Frost, and now and then a dry lake reveals only the sodium given up as the water evaporated and left its soft white lining.

Beyond, the Guadalupes loom up a deep purple on the horizon, darkened by the foliage of pine trees that populate the peaks of this mountain range which reaches a height of almost 9,000 feet. It is the first mountain range to be encountered by the traveler coming from the east after having journeyed across the flat plains of Texas and the other midwestern states.

For the visitor who is coming from El Paso, the Guadalupe Range must be crossed, and the pass is located next to Guadalupe Peak, the highway reaching an altitude of 5,288 feet at this point. Guadalupe Peak is the highest mountain in the Guadalupe Range and it is also the highest point in the state of Texas.

It was near this spot that the Butterfield Stage passed on its way from St. Louis to San Francisco. The famous trail passed the southern tip of the Guadalupes near Guadalupe Peak, coming this far south in order to avoid the snow covered Rockies which made winter travel impossible and summer travel difficult. In 1857 the Butterfield Stage brought mail to the little settlements in southern New Mexico, giving the people there a more frequent contact with the rest of the world. The Butterfield Line was discontinued four years later, yet the history of its brief existence lives on in the minds of New Mexico residents today.

The Guadalupe foothills are covered with shrubs and hardy vegetation, growing above the limestone, shale and gypsum below which are harbored numerous caves similar to the Carlsbad Caverns. There is Deep Cave, appropriately named by Carl Livingstone, its discoverer, and Slaughter Cave, also known as New Cave, which is one of the best known. It has been explored and contains many beautiful and unique formations. Some of the cavern sequences in the motion picture "King Solomon's Mines" were filmed in New Cave. Difficult access to its entrance keeps it closed to the public.

McKitterick Cave is located near McKitterick Springs, some 18 miles west of Carlsbad, and holds fond memories for many of Carlsbad's older residents. They recall how, as long ago as 1885, the gay young blades would take their ladies fair on a trip to the cave as a form of amusement, leaving early in the morning and packing a mid-day lunch.

Others, not as famous, are Hidden Cave and Cottonwood Cave—part of more than thirty in the area well enough known to have names, and only a few of more than a hundred smaller caves which perforate the foothills in the area. Many of these are located within the park boundaries.

At the edge of the boundary, the traveler arrives at the turn-off point to the Caverns' entrance. If the journey is made in winter, zero temperatures can be expected at the coldest times. In summer the desert heat may reach 100 and often does. Winter or summer, the route is open, for the Caverns never close, being open to the public the year 'round. In winter the sandy soil may be buried under a blanket of freshly fallen snow, the air with a light snap and crystal clear 'neath a warm winter sun. In the summer months a bluish desert haze often filters down on the surrounding countryside, but it does not stop even the slightest breeze from whipping up a soft funnel of dust from the dry, parched earth, or sending a tumbleweed rolling along a haphazard path towards an undetermined destination.

But the traveler's destination by this time has almost arrived. Highway No. 7 leads seven miles up Walnut Canyon road through rocky mesas covered with choice examples of desert flora, and well they might be nice, for now, inside the park boundary, park laws protect their safety and no one is allowed to touch them. They live their normal lives secure and aloof from man's sometimes destructive inclinations.

The visitor is now within the more than 45,000 acres that constitute Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The paved highway that leads to the Caverns' entrance is indeed a decided contrast to the wagon wheel trail followed by Dr. Willis Lee and his party of explorers which first covered the route by automobile in 1923. His engine was overheated and steaming after taking two hours to make the trip from Carlsbad.

Now, at last, at the entrance to the famous Caverns, the visitor is excited at the thought of what he is to see, but few anticipate the real treat that is in store for them underground.

Here, at an altitude of 4,350 feet above sea level, is found the natural entrance to the cave. Park regulations are studied in order that no bounds may be overstepped. No living thing may be touched or disturbed, thus assuring protection and perpetuation of plant and animal life within the park. The walls of the Caverns may not be touched, defaced, scratched or marred in any way. Canes or walking sticks may not be carried except upon permission of a park official, who will decide if such cane or stick is necessary for the owner to make the Caverns trip.

No dogs are allowed in the Caverns. They may be kept in the kennels provided for the purpose at a nominal charge. Cameras may be used on the surface, but within the Caverns they may be used only on the special photographic tour, full information concerning which may be obtained from the superintendent's office.

There are no accommodations for camping or overnight lodging within the park, but motels are available at Carlsbad and smaller communities along the highway in either direction from the Number 7 turn-off.

Tiny children will not appreciate the beauties of the Caverns and their lack of interest will detract from full enjoyment of the trip by their parents and older members of the family. Accordingly, the park service maintains a day nursery where children may stay during the trip of their families below ground. The charge is $1.50 per day, which includes lunch.

Before going below the visitor should make certain his clothing is adequate. The temperature in the Caverns remains at a constant 56 degrees the year around. The winter visitor is usually well equipped with proper clothing, but the summer visitor, dressed for the hot summer temperatures above ground, may become quite chilled after a few moments in the sudden change of some 30 to 40 degrees. Consequently, warm clothing should be worn for the Caverns trip, which should include a medium weight coat or sweater plus heavy skirt or trousers. High heeled shoes are not recommended for the journey, and a change to the low heeled variety is strongly suggested.

The trip through the Caverns requires approximately four hours, and a box lunch may be taken if desired, but the added inconvenience it imposes is hardly worth the trouble since a large lunchroom with a capacity for serving 1,200 people per hour has been established in one of the rooms below and each tour stops 40 minutes for lunch at this spot.

And now, armed with all of the essential information concerning the park, the Caverns, and the regulations concerning the forthcoming visit to Nature's fairyland, the visitor is eager to get on his way.

Park rules prohibit anyone entering alone or without a guide. Trips are conducted every day in the year, beginning hourly in the summertime when the tourist season is at its height, and being less frequent during the winter months.

Children under 11 years of age are admitted free when accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for their behavior. The admission for adults is $1.50, including tax, and with the ticket in his hand the visitor waits for the next tour to begin.

As the guide collects the many sightseers together who will form his party, the enthusiasm for the trip within each individual mounts to a high tension. At his beckon the members of the party move toward the natural entrance—ready to begin an experience not quite like anything they have ever seen or known—an experience that will linger in their memories as long as they shall live.

A view of the Caverns is just ahead!

A park ranger briefs the party on the early history of the Caverns, describes its geological aspects, and reviews once again the rules visitors must observe on their trip below. Then, as he flicks a switch, the first section of the black hollow in the earth becomes illuminated. With a swish of his flashlight he directs the members of his party to follow.

The trip through the Caverns has begun!

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