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Viewed from the outside the Carlsbad Caverns, which are located in New Mexico, are nothing to write home about and consist of a few gray rock formations and a little scrub brush covering a less than impressive cliff. But, step inside and this is one of the most astonishing landscapes to be found anywhere on Earth and, with more than 100 limestone caves for you to explore, you can wander here for years without ever seeing the cave thing twice.

The Bat Cave is not for the feint hearted and is the home of many thousands of these flying mammals. The Bifrost Room will take your breath away and, named after the Bifrost bridge into Valhalla from a Scandinavian myth, the colors truly echo those of the rainbow spectrum of this mythical crossing. The Hall of the Giants, which is the largest open chamber in the system, covers an incredible 360,000 square feet. Within all of these, and the many other rooms, you can discover Mother Nature at her most creative.

A giant stalagmite – The Witch’s Finger – is a corkscrew structure that is over five times the the average person’s height and the Rock of Ages is truly impressive as it makes stationary rock appear to move and the numerous outcroppings of flowstone look like a demon’s lair glowing from within.

Within the caverns you can either take self guided or staff guided tours with varying degrees of difficulty from easy hikes through large open spaces to scaling ten foot high walls and crawling through narrow openings into large chambers.

One particular takes you through part of Lechuguilla Cave which, at more than 1,600 feet below ground, is America’s deepest cave. The cave covers more than 112 miles winding through the Guadalupe Mountains.

If you are not quite so active then you can visit the Big Room by taking an elevator which descends 900 feet and look up and be awestruck by this 25 story high open space. You can then walk around this 250 by 1,800 foot room filled with remarkable rock formations. Also take the time to visit the Temple of the Sun and view dozens of eerily lit pools.

If you do want to see the bats though you will need to visit between April and September as the three hundred thousand Mexican free tailed bats fly south for the winter. A half mile walk from the entrance will take you to a plateau from where you can descend the 750 feet into the Bat Cave.

Remember too to pop on your favorite pair of discount hiking boots and explore the area outside the caves as there are a number of fascinating things to both do and see. In spite of its name, along Rattlesnake Springs you are far more likely to come across dozens of birds and harmless reptiles than you are to encounter the snakes from which the place gets its name.

A final favorite with visitors to the area is the 10 mile scenic drive through Walnut Canyon. This drive takes you along Guadalupe Ridge and the views along the way are simply stunning.

The Carlsbad Caverns are of course just one of many splendid hiking areas in America and rank alongside such other great pleasures as Yosemite day hikes.

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