Carlsbad Caverns

For six exciting years Doug Thompson worked as a park ranger at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. In Underground Ranger he passes along the essence of what he learned on this unusual job and in his related adventures exploring the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. He overcame his fear of tight spaces and heights, learned to climb rope, and went on to explore many of the deep vertical caves in the Guadalupe Mountains of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico—including Lechuguilla Cave, one of the most spectacular underground wonders of the world. He even became a member of the park’s technical rescue team and made a fifty-story rappel into one of the deepest underground pits in the United States. In visceral detail, Thompson shares the physical and mythical stories of caves and shows what it’s like to experience the extravagant beauty of nature’s underground realm.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico is renowned for its amazing system of limestone caves. Both Carlsbad and the nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park, just across the state line in Texas, are also blessed with spectacular above-ground trails. This thoroughly revised edition is the authoritative and the only comprehensive guide to all of the hiking trails in both parks.

Describes the special physical features and the plant and animal life of this national park located in the New Mexican desert.

Describes the formations and plant and animal life of Carlsbad Caverns and examines the history of the national park which they have become.

Created by the visionary Charles B. Eddy, Carlsbad rose from the humble beginnings of a tent city to become a vital community on the banks of the Pecos River. One of the largest irrigation projects known at that time made the transformation possible. The Carlsbad Caverns, discovered by James Larkin White and documented by local photographer Ray V. Davis, introduced the world to the wonders that lay beneath the desert surface. World War II saw Carlsbad members of the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery units being thrown into the midst of the Bataan Death March. With the discovery of a large deposit of potash east of town, agriculture flourished nationwide and prosperity returned to the town. As the country moved into the nuclear age, Carlsbad once again played a significant role. The detonation of the Gnome Project in 1961 and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant of the present day have provided the country with vital knowledge and nuclear waste storage.

Carlsbad Caverns is one of the world's largest caves with a series of magnificent, enormous rooms. These began forming 60 million years ago in limestone reefs through the action of percolating ground water. Major cavern sections open to tourists lie at 750 and 829 ft. below the surface. The area surrounding the cave is a picturesque and semidesert country with many cacti. There are several nature trails. The Guadalupe Mountain area to the west lies in the southern portion of the Lincoln National Forest. The surrounding area provides many opportunities for camping, hunting, and fishing. While Carlsbad Caverns park has no overnight accommodations, many motels, restaurants, and other tourist facilities are found nearby. Detailed information is available from the Chamber of Commerce in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

An introduction to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, discussing its location, history and formation, featuring a tour of some of the caves, and looking at local plants and animals.