Posted in New Mexico Caves, Nature October 25, 2019 by

The Candlelight Cave Tour In New Mexico Is A Unique Way to Experience Carlsbad Caverns

New Mexico is home to not only some extremely unique landscapes but also some truly unique ways to explore this state. From spooky haunted trolleys to riding one of the longest ziplines in the country, there are plenty of uncommon ways to tour the Land of Enchantment.

One such example? An intriguing candle-lit lantern tour through an undeveloped section of Carlsbad Caverns.
David Fulmer/Flickr
Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? This two-hour tour will allow you to explore remote portions of the caverns in the same manner as early cave explorers.
Rob Taylor/Flickr
So, grab your best hiking shoes and be prepared to be enveloped in absolute darkness beyond your lantern because this is one tour you will never forget.
Known as the Left Hand Tunnel Tour, you’ll follow a lonesome dirt trail down into the caverns with a small group of fellow explorers.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park/Facebook
A guide will lead the way with a single candle-lit lantern, introducing you to the geological history and stories of the early exploration of the caverns.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park/Facebook
Don’t worry, you’ll get your own lantern as well!
Tread lightly; the environment on this particular tour is especially fragile.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park/Facebook
Some of the sights you’ll see include delicate pools, fragile formations, and steep pathways.
What kind of incredible things do you think you may encounter on this journey?
Carlsbad Caverns National Park/Facebook

The candle-lit lantern Left Hand Tunnel Tour is offered exclusively at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Reservations are required and can be made online here. The tour costs $7 for adults and $3.50 for children, seniors, and Access Pass holders.

Details: National Park Service website
Phone reservations: 877-444-6777

Want to embark on another strikingly unique tour in New Mexico? If you love the combination of history and beautiful views above ground, then you just might be interested in visiting one of the state’s many ghost towns. Read more in You Will Feel A Thousand Miles Away From It All in The Isolated Ghost Town Of Chloride, New Mexico.

Address: 727 Carlsbad Cavern Hwy, Carlsbad, NM 88220, USA