There are no accommodations within the park, but there are two concessionaire-operated restaurants (tel. 575/785-2281). A family-style full-service restaurant at the visitor center serves three meals daily in the $5-to-$10 range. The restaurant is open from 8:30am to 5pm most of the year, with extended hours from Memorial Day to mid-August and on Labor Day weekend. The Underground Rest Area, located inside the main cavern 750 feet below-ground, has a cafeteria-style eatery offering snacks and box lunches. Its hours are coordinated with cave hours.
The closest lodging properties are 7 miles east of the visitor center at White's City, which contains a variety of businesses under one management, including two motels, restaurants, shops, a museum, gas station, and an RV park. The Best Western Cavern Inn, 17 Carlsbad Cavern Hwy. at N. Mex. 7 (tel. 800/228-3767 or 575/785-2291; www.whitescity.com), along with its sister property across the street, offers spacious rooms with Southwestern decor. Double rates are $72 to $80. The White's City arcade also contains a couple of restaurants, a post office, a small grocery store, a gift shop, a museum, and a theater for weekend melodramas.
The next closest services are in and near the city of Carlsbad, 30 miles northeast of White's City on U.S. 62. Here you'll find several chain and franchise motels and a number of independent and chain restaurants. Motels on the southwest edge of the city, on the road to Carlsbad Caverns, include Best Western Stevens Inn, 1829 S. Canal St. (tel. 800/730-2851 or 575/887-2851), with double rates of $80 to $100. Also in this area are the Comfort Inn, 2429 W. Pierce St. (tel. 800/228-5150 or 575/887-1994); Days Inn, 3910 National Parks Hwy. (tel. 800/325-2525 or 575/887-7800); and Super 8 Motel, 3817 National Parks Hwy. (tel. 800/800-8000 or 575/887-8888), with similar rates.
For more information, contact the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, 302 S. Canal St., Carlsbad, NM 88220 (tel. 575/887-6516; www.carlsbadchamber.com).
Camping
There are no developed campgrounds or vehicle camping of any kind in the national park. Backcountry camping, however, is permitted in some areas; pick up free permits at the visitor center.
The closest camping is White's City RV Park, 17 Carlsbad Cavern Hwy. at N. Mex. 7 (tel. 800/228-3767 or 575/785-2291; www.whitescity.com), located in the White's City complex at the eastern edge of the park boundary, about 7 miles east of the visitor center. In addition to RV sites with hookups and shade shelters, the campground has practically unlimited tent camping. There's a dump station and a clean bathhouse. Because the campground is part of the White's City complex, campers have access to its pools, restaurants, and other services. Rates for both RVs and tents are $20 to $28 per night.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
