Slaughter Canyon Cave is home to massive formations such as the Christmas Tree, the Monarch, and the Mushroom (pictured here).
NPS / Pam Cox
Slaughter Canyon Cave is a moderately strenuous adventure tour. This tour will take you into an underground wilderness without electricity, paved walkways, or modern conveniences. The cave trails are narrow, uneven, and very slippery. In this wild cave, darkness is broken only by the flashlights and headlamps of rangers and tour members. Highlights of the tour may include the 89-foot high Monarch, one of the world's tallest columns; the Christmas Tree, a sparkling, crystal-decorated column; and the Chinese Wall, a delicate, ankle-high rimstone dam. Old bat guano mining excavations attest to the human history and impact in the cave.
Reservations are required for the Slaughter Canyon Cave Tour. Make reservations by calling 877-444-6777 or visit Recreation.gov.
Cost:
Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $7.50 for children, Senior and Access Pass holders.
Duration:
5.5 hours
When:
Check the tour schedule posted online.
Where:
The tour meets at the visitor center where you will caravan in your vehicle.
The strenuous half-mile hike up to the cave entrance takes 30-45 minutes.
Age Limit:
Minimum age is 10 years old. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Requirements:
You will receive a mandatory safety orientation before you venture into the cave.
Hiking boots or hiking shoes with good aggressive tread are required.Hiking boots with ankle support are recommended. No sandals, flip flops, tennis shoes, or similar.You will not be allowed to participate in the tour if you are not wearing proper footwear—no exceptions. Click for more details.
It is strongly recommended you bring water and snacks for the trail, as well as a hat and sunscreen.
Walking sticks, backpacks, fanny packs, bags, and similar items are allowed on the hiking trail to the cave entrance, but NOT allowed inside the cave. There is an area for safe storage of your personal items inside the cave.
The park will provide helmets, headlamps, and gloves. Due to the possibility of carrying the lethal fungus that causes White-Nose Syndrome in bats, we do no allow anyone to use their own personal caving gear.
In an effort to keep the fungus that causes deadly White-Nose Syndrome in bats out of Slaughter Canyon Cave, all participants are required to wear freshly laundered (clean) clothing on the tour. Even if the clothing has only been worn on another tour at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, the clothes must be freshly laundered. There will be no exceptions. Participants must also decontaminate their footwear before the tour. Tour leaders will provide the needed supplies. Click for more information.
Maximum Group Size: 16
Note: Caving is inherently risky and cave rescues are difficult, dangerous, and take hours to accomplish.
