Carlsbad Caverns National Park is secluded and away from city lights, and is a great place to see the stars. Because of this, the national park hosts stargazing events throughout the summer, from March to early October every year. What will you learn at these events? It all depends! Every stargazing adventure that takes place in the park is a little different.
Stargazing takes place as soon as total darkness falls. If you are going to be in the park for a while, why not participate in the bat flight event at the mouth of the cavern at sunset? From there, you can head to the west parking lot where your stargazing adventure will begin. You do not have to pay to participate in this event. Just bring a flashlight to make sure you can see where you are going. Don’t forget to dress for the weather too! Even when the days are still warm, the nights turn cold here by the cavern! You may want to dress in layers just to make sure you’re not too cold or too hot. How are you supposed to enjoy looking at the sky when you can’t feel physically comfortable?
The events to start observing at Carlsbad Caverns are actually quite simple. You will be guided by one of the park’s expert rangers and learn all kinds of interesting things. The event, of course, will focus on the night sky. You can learn a lot about astrology that you have never known before. At the very least, you can enjoy spectacular views of the icy, sparkling stars that you just can’t get in the city – or even anywhere near it!
Other topics of interest may include nocturnal creatures that live in the park, as well as local folklore about the stars and nocturnal creatures. It is very likely that you will see some of those bats that come out of the cave at sunset. They will swoop silently through the night, devouring the mosquitoes before the mosquitoes eat you!
It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling to Carlsbad Caverns National Park on your own or with your family, these stargazing events are certainly something you won’t want to miss. While you can enjoy the stars around the caverns at any time, watching one of these events will help you gain more knowledge and really understand what you are seeing.