Brave the Cave
Tours of the caverns range from the well-lit and easy-to navigate - even for children as young as six - to some that the faint of heart simply should not endeavor. Do we even have to tell you which are the most fun? Some tours will have you scaling 10-foot walls and maneuvering sheer faces of rock three feet from gaping, seemingly bottomless holes. You'll be required to wear a helmet and knee pads, as you will undoubtedly knock your head and scrape your knees many times. Any experience in the caverns is incredible and well worth all this, unless you're claustrophobic.

Drive the Desert
If you have a car, the Walnut Canyon Tour is a great way to spend a couple of hours. The self-guided scenic drive is only about 9.5 miles long, but there are some great views and photo ops you may want to stop for along the way. The tour will take you along the Guadalupe Ridge, then into upper Walnut Canyon on the way back. Informational guidebooks are available at the Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center.

Hike into Solitude
Once you've resurfaced and your pupils have returned to their normal size, don't miss the chance to visit the park's rugged backcountry. The Carlsbad Caverns Wilderness Area has many miles of largely untrodden primitive trails. A hike here will be rough and often strenuous but also a great opportunity to achieve the ultimate hiker's high: complete solitude.

Take a Spring Break
Rattlesnake Springs has been the main water source for Carlsbad Caverns National Park since the 1930s. Although altered by human development, the spring's stream and wetland system forms a veritable oasis used by a wide variety of reptiles, mammals, and butterflies. Among birders, the springs are renowned as a stopover for migrating birds. Rattlesnake Springs has a lovely picnic area with tables and cooking grills, and while camping is not allowed, it's an ideal spot for an afternoon picnic with the kids.

To the Bat Cave!
What is a cave, after all, without bats? In addition to its fantastic rock formations, Carlsbad is also famous for being home to hundreds of thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats, which take flight from the caves and into the desert nightly . . . en masse. The sheer number of these elusive creatures, the massive, whirling, fluttering black blur disappearing into a dazzling southwestern sunset, is an unparalleled wildlife viewing experience.