Greatheart Press

America’s National Parks

Puzzle 53 · The Desert Southwest · Page 77 in print

Carlsbad Caverns

The humorist Will Rogers called Carlsbad Cavern, home of the Big Room, “The Grand Canyon with a roof over it.”

Jump to a word
Formations in Big Room

The Big Room contains a great variety of cave formations.

NPS/Daniel Leifheit · Public domain (U.S. federal government work) · Original record
Image changes

Resized and converted to JPEG for display; no subject alteration.

Bats in Flight

Brazilian free-tailed bats emerge from Carlsbad Cavern.

NPS / Nick Hristov · Public domain (U.S. federal government work) · Original record
Image changes

Resized and converted to JPEG for display; no subject alteration.

The words

  1. Bat Flight

    The Bat Flight, the bats' evening departure interpreted by the park's Bat Flight Program.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  2. Big Room

    The Big Room, the great chamber and self-guided trail in Carlsbad Cavern.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  3. Capitan Reef

    The Capitan Reef, the Permian fossil reef in which the park's caves developed.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  4. Carlsbad

    Carlsbad Cavern, the well-known cave giving the national park its name.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  5. Cave Pearls

    Cave pearls, the mineral formations documented in Lechuguilla Cave.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  6. Guano

    Bat guano, the bat droppings historically mined from caves in the park.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  7. Hall of Giants

    Hall of Giants, the named feature area on the Big Room Trail.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  8. Jim White

    Jim White, the explorer who helped bring Carlsbad Cavern to public attention.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  9. King's Palace

    King's Palace, the decorated cave chambers explored on the King's Palace Tour.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  10. Lechuguilla

    Lechuguilla Cave, the extensively explored cave within the national park.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  11. Queen's Chamber

    Queen's Chamber, the named chamber in Carlsbad Cavern beside the Mystery Room.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  12. Soda Straws

    Soda straws, the mineral formations hanging from cave ceilings.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  13. Stalactite

    A stalactite, a mineral formation growing down from a cave ceiling.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  14. Stalagmite

    A stalagmite, a mineral formation growing upward from a cave floor.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  15. Whale's Mouth

    Whale's Mouth, the named cave formation on the Natural Entrance Trail.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

Sources

  1. Bat Flight Program - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service
  2. Explore the Cavern at Your Own Pace - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service
  3. Geologic Formations - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service
  4. Cave / Karst Systems - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service
  5. Lechuguilla Cave - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service
  6. Carlsbad Caverns National Park Brochure in Large PrintNational Park Service
  7. Big Room Trail Map Accessibility RouteNational Park Service
  8. Cavern Trails and ToursNational Park Service
  9. High Adventure in Carlsbad CavernNational Park Service

How we choose sources and photographs