lower cave tour

We had so much fun wandering around for hours having fun & taking in all the beauty hidden underground. It was amazing! Loved it!

we visited this December after Natural Bridge Caverns near San Antonio. The Carlsbad Caverns are. Simply huge! Simply wonderful caverns this big exist 800+ feet under ground.The self guided tour takes a couple hours taking your time. You take the elevators down and walk along pathways in a loop around the caverns. We walked I awe to how huge the caverns are. I him I read somewhere only 8% of these caverns' formations are still growing while at Natural Bridge almost all of its' formations are still growing.Probably the best $10 I have spent in a long time. They also have some food and water. A gift shop and book shop are in the visitor center.It was raining ice outside so everyone was careful going down the hill but the all wheel drive on our vehicle handled the icy roads like a champ.

This is the last tour I did when I went to Carlsbad Caverns. It was about 2-3 hours long and starts at 8:30 am.This tour also had an orientation. The rangers discussed what to expect during the tour. They also provided headlamps and gloves. You need to have batteries with you for this tour but in case you don't, they are willing to loan you batteries. The tour starts with climbing down a short rope to the next level. The rope climbing was fairly easy. It was just something to hold on to, making it easier to go down a semi-step slope. After the rope, there are three flights of steel ladders. However, these ladders are wide and can definitely fit two feet at once. You just have to be careful in navigating it, as they only allow one person at a time, per ladder. Once you make it down to the floor of the cave, you get to walk through different cave formations. We got to see cave pearls and crickets that live in the cave. Then there is an open area where if you were in the Big Room and you look down, you will be able to see the people doing the Lower Cave Tour. There was a point when Ranger Phil and Ranger Steve split the group and took us to different rooms. We saw the National Geographic area where early explorers entered the cave using rope ladders. Then there was an area where it appears that part of the cave fell from the ceiling. The formations reminded me of the barnacles and other things attached outside the Titanic when they were showing the image of it submerged in the sea for several decades. Part of the tour was going through a narrow passage by yourself and then turning off your headlamp when you reach the end. There you wait for other people to go through the tunnel themselves. It was a pretty cool experience. It made me feel like I was Indiana Jones trying to find the Temple of Doom. When everyone made it through the tunnel, we have the lights out moment. I love this part of the tour.Afterwards, the rangers gave us a choice to walk out of the space or to crawl out of the space. Ranger Phil led the folks who decided to crawl out. All but two of the guests decided to crawl out. Ranger Steve led the folks who decided to walk out. Ranger Steve led this tour. After attending the Left Hand Tunnel tour he led previously, I must say he is my favorite guide. He is knowledgeable and engaging. He makes an effort to know the people in the tour and talks about the different cave formations along the way. What makes his tours different are the personal stories he tell that relates to the information he provides about the cave. It makes the tour feel more personal instead of rehearsed. If you can sign up for tours led by Ranger Steve, I highly recommend it. Ranger Phil trailed the tour. He was also very knowledgeable. He entertains questions and provides information the best way he can. He is also very helpful especially when I need assistance in some of the pictures I took. This is a fun tour that gives you a sense of adventure without the bruises and muscle pains provided by Hall of the White Giant. It's a happy medium. If you have time, definitely make sure to sign up for this tour.

Really nice cave tour. Exceeded my expectations. Lots of formations to see up close. Part of the fun is the beginning. A gate off the Big Room leads you to a hole in the cave you probably never noticed. You get gloves a helmet with a light (BRING 3 AA batteries which you can buy in the visitors center up top) included. Rangers led the tour. So fun. You start off with a rope assisted walk down an inclined slope. Then you go down a series of almost connected 3 ladders. The advertising makes it sound steep and scary - but it turns out to not be. The gloves you get provide great traction and it wasn't too scary - and I'm afraid of heights. It was quite fun, actually. It seems a little slippery at times, but isn't anything too bad. Some more older ladies on my tour did this just fine, too. The lower cave itself is great to see. The whole process takes a 1/2 day you won't regret and remember forever.

Rangers were very good on this tour and also very concerned about our safety. Descending down the rope and ladders was done in a very controlled and safe manner from the big room. We saw bats that were entombed in the cave in different manners. The Rookery was an amazing sight and the place where the old Jim White ladder ends in the Lower Cave and used by the early National Geographic explorers.

The ranger led lower cave tour is a great way to experience Carlsbad Caverns away from the crowds. The number of participants on each tour is limited, so we reserved ahead on recreation.gov to make sure we had a spot. Our tour was co-led by two rangers who talked about geology, climate, discovery, and preservation of the cave. In our opinion this tour was superior to the other two tours we did (Kings Palace and self-guided Big Room). There are a rope and a few ladders at the beginning/end to get in/out, but nothing that required more than average physical condition. They provide gloves and helmet with a lamp (they recommend to bring your own batteries). Overall a great experience!

We took this guided tour the Tuesday after Labor Day and enjoyed our ten person tour group. After a fitting for gloves and helmets, the elevators whisked us down into the caverns. We backed down a sloped rock face via a knotted rope and then scaled down three ladders of varying lengths. Any person of average strength and no serious physical conditions can accomplish the rope and the ladders. The tour continued with our two rangers pointing out all the fascinating cave formations, allowing plenty of time for photos. At one point each caver traversed through a slot portion of the cavern alone guided only by the light of their helmet! Another point had us experiencing the absolute blackness and silence of the caves as we turned off our helmets and enjoyed the solitude. Only two members of our group did not experience another part of the tour where we crawled through a tight tunnel of about 25 feet... Definitely not for the claustrophobic but definitely a must-do for any adventurer! This part is completely optional but we are very happy we did it! You may want to wear pants if you do this tight tunnel as most of it is on your hands and knees. I cannot recommend the Lower Cave tour enough; it is three hours inside the earth that you will never forget!

If you have never been on a guided tour and are kind of leery, you might try the King's Palace first. It's less strenuous with no climbing required but just as enjoyful. This tour is awesome and definitely not for those afraid of heights, darkness, or that are claustrophobic (even though there is no crawling or tight squeezes). If you like adventure this tour is perfect for you. The rope climb and the three ladders are kind of intimidating at first, but if can get passed that this tour is definitely worth it. There is lots too see and it is so much fun. The guides are very helpful and knowledgeable. We are going back this year (2014) to check out the Hall of the White.

It was a 3 hour tour with two rangers and 10 visitors. The rope and ladders were a little unnerving at first, but nothing to worry about. If you have average physical strength, you shouldn't have a problem. Rangers were very informative, although we didn't care for the narrative style of our lead ranger. She made the tour a "treasure hunt", as in, all the information and stories would have been a great experience for a child. All the visitors were above 30, so we'd have benefited from a more adult version of her narrative. Many slippery spots on the hike, so please wear shoes with a good grip. Take 3 new AA batteries for the helmet they provide. Optional crawl space, just do it!

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the Lower Cave Tour. Limited to 12 guests with 2 rangers it was a world apart from the Big Cave self guided tour. It is listed as an introductory adventure tour, however it was not difficult at all to use the very limited rope and ladders on the tour. The pathway through the tour was easy enough as well. Plan and book in advance as all the guided tours were all sold out the day of our arrival. Highly recommend for the mildly adventurous.

After not particularly loving the big room, I was not looking forward to the lower cave tour, but I was pleasantly surprised. The tour starts off walking down a steep slope with assistance of a rope and then down 3 ladders. From above, it was hard to see where the opening in the rock even was! Our guides then led us through natural formations. Hightlights included walking along a passageway one by one (to allow for some alone time) and an optional crawl though a tight space.

Worth the tour price? Debatable…At the beginning you climb down a couple of easy to navigate ladders, then it is pretty much an easy walking tour from there on out. The temperature is a steady mid-50’s (like the rest of the caverns). Recommend a light jacket unless you think mid-50’s is swimsuit weather.They provide you a helmet and gloves (knee pads not needed), you provide three AA batteries for the helmet light.Overall, I would say they could cut the tour length in half and you would still get a good viewing of the lower cave.Of the three guided tours (Lower, Spider, Kings Palace), I liked this one the least, not because of the sites to see but due to the slowness of the tour and it seemed like our guide had never been down there either. Questions concerning the lower cave were not well answered.It is worth seeing but if it is a choice between this tour and another, I would try the other one.

Out of the 3 guided tours and one self guided bigroom tour with audio rentals ( well worth the $5) we didnt really enjoy this tour that much. Tour guides were friendly, but didnt really appreciate the extra time spent being treated like children in a classroom talking about "our favorite adventures" instead of just taking us on the tour and pointing out the more scientific and historical aspects of the cave.

The Lower Cave tour goes eighty feet below the main public area of Carlsbad Caverns. The tour costs an extra $20 dollars per person and is worth every penny. Tour lasts about three hours and is ranger led. The park service provides miner helmets with a head lamp. You climb down a short rope and three ladders. The ranger rated it moderately strenuous, however we didn't feel that it was very difficult. My wife and I are active 50+, so if you are a complete couch potato or really claustrophobic then you might struggle.During the tour you get to see all kinds of fantastic formations. The rangers that led our hike were very informative and made the tour really fun. Be sure to reserve this tour months in advance, because it will probably be sold out when you arrive at the park.

We visited Carlsbad to see the lower caves - a lift takes you down 18 floors to the bottom in seconds! "Awsome" is the american word for this place the stalactites and stalagmites are weird and wonderful and it is accessible and lighted. I have never seen anything like it - I have vertigo and claustrophobia but I made it round the whole of the route ( there is a short route and that has the best bits) so quiet trickling water in the background - as well as the wonderful outcroppings there is also a deep chasm that goes who knows how deep below.