Do I need a reservation for Carlsbad Caverns?

No. Nothing is required to enter Carlsbad Caverns National Park itself in 2026, but parts of the park are booked separately: Carlsbad Cavern timed entry reservation, between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. It applies to Carlsbad Cavern (Natural Entrance route and elevator). You still pay the entrance fee or show an accepted pass.

Is there an entrance fee at Carlsbad Caverns?

Yes. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Carlsbad Caverns reservations & entry requirements, 2026

The 2026 season at Carlsbad Caverns

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

Carlsbad Cavern timed entry reservation applies on every date in 2026.

An entrance fee or accepted pass is required on every visit, separately from anything below.

Park entrance
Required
You must pay the park entrance fee or show an accepted pass.
- Per person on foot or bicycle: $15.
- An America the Beautiful pass covers this entrance fee. It does not cover any reservation or permit below.
- Carlsbad charges PER PERSON only - there is no vehicle or motorcycle entrance fee, and no park-specific annual pass is offered (the fees page lists only the Standard Pass and America the Beautiful). Everyone over 16 pays, including vehicle passengers. The page does not state how many days the pass is valid. The entrance fee is separate from and additional to the $1 timed entry reservation.
Timed entry
Required all year
Carlsbad Cavern timed entry reservation applies on every date in 2026.
- Carlsbad Cavern timed entry reservation
  Dates
  Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  Hours
  9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  Fee
  $1
  Opens
  Rolling window · 7 a.m. Mountain Time
  Applies to Carlsbad Cavern (Natural Entrance route and elevator)
  - $1.00 per ticket, non-refundable Recreation.gov reservation fee, in addition to the $15 per-person park entrance fee. An America the Beautiful pass does not cover it.
  - Carlsbad Cavern is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years days.
  - The reservation only selects an entry time - an entrance pass must still be purchased at the visitor center on arrival.
  - Last cavern entrance ticket sold 2:15 pm; last cavern entrance 2:30 pm; last elevator out of the cavern 4:45 pm.
  - There is no in-park campground or lodge, so nothing covers this reservation.
Book on recreation.gov(opens in a new tab)
Vehicle, road, or corridor
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- Park closed on three holidays (visitor center, cavern, roads and trails). Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's days - 2026 dates are November 26, December 25 and January 1. Entire park including the visitor center, cavern, roads and trails
- Cavern entry window and last-entry cut-offs. Visitor center 9 am-5 pm. Elevator descending 9:30 am-2:30 pm; last elevator OUT of the cavern 4:45 pm. Hiking route entry 9:30 am-2:30 pm, complete hike out by 3:30 pm.
Shuttle
Not applicable
Carlsbad Caverns National Park has no shuttle system.
Your campground or lodging
Not applicable
Carlsbad Caverns National Park has no in-park stay that changes what you need to enter.
Selected activity
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- Ranger-guided cave tours - all temporarily suspended until further notice. Self-guided visits to the Big Room and Natural Entrance trails are unaffected and still need the $1 timed entry reservation plus the entrance pass.

Fees and passes

Entrance fee rates at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Per person, on foot or bicycle	$15

Carlsbad charges PER PERSON only - there is no vehicle or motorcycle entrance fee, and no park-specific annual pass is offered (the fees page lists only the Standard Pass and America the Beautiful). Everyone over 16 pays, including vehicle passengers. The page does not state how many days the pass is valid. The entrance fee is separate from and additional to the $1 timed entry reservation.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

CRITICAL: an America the Beautiful pass covers the $15 entrance fee but does NOT cover the $1 timed entry reservation required to enter Carlsbad Cavern. Pass holders still have to book a timed entry reservation. The 2026 fee-free-day banner explicitly warns that timed entry or reservation fees may still apply.

Fee-free days

Feb 16, 2026
May 25, 2026
Jun 14, 2026
Jul 3, 2026
Jul 4, 2026
Jul 5, 2026
Aug 25, 2026
Sep 17, 2026
Oct 27, 2026
Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

Rules that apply to one area only

These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.

Visitor centerCarlsbad Caverns entrance fee ($15 per person, no vehicle fee) · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
Carlsbad Cavern (Natural Entrance route and elevator)Carlsbad Cavern timed entry reservation - required to enter the cave · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

Nothing at Carlsbad Caverns changes based on whether you have an in-park campground or lodging booking.

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Carlsbad Caverns?: No. Nothing is required to enter Carlsbad Caverns National Park itself in 2026, but parts of the park are booked separately: Carlsbad Cavern timed entry reservation, between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. It applies to Carlsbad Cavern (Natural Entrance route and elevator). You still pay the entrance fee or show an accepted pass.
Is there an entrance fee at Carlsbad Caverns?: Yes. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Official links, coverage, and sources

When reservations are released

Carlsbad Caverns entrance fee
Carlsbad Cavern timed entry reservationReleased on a rolling window. Release time: 7 a.m. Mountain Time. Reservations are available 30 days in advance on Recreation.gov, with same-day booking cut off at 7 am MT on the day of the tour.

Official booking and park information

Book Carlsbad Cavern timed entry reservationrecreation.gov(opens in a new tab)$1 reservation fee
Official park alerts and conditionsnps.gov(opens in a new tab)Alerts override anything on this page.
Official fees and passesnps.gov(opens in a new tab)

What this does not cover

Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.

Effective dates and sources

Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entrancePer Person $15.00 Entrance fee provides access to Carlsbad Cavern by elevator and hiking in. Ranger-guided tours are an additional fee and can be reserved on recreation.gov. ... All visitors over the age of 16 need an entrance pass, including vehicle passengers.
Fees & Passes - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Carlsbad Caverns entrance feeAn entrance fee is required to enter Carlsbad Cavern and provides access by elevator and hiking in. ... Per Person $15.00 ... All visitors over the age of 16 need an entrance pass, including vehicle passengers.
Fees & Passes - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Carlsbad Cavern timed entry reservationCarlsbad Cavern Reservation Jan 1-Dec 31 Required to Enter Carlsbad Cavern ... Cost $1.00 A timed entry reservation must be purchased to access Carlsbad Cavern. In addition, an entry pass must be purchased at the visitor center.
Fees & Passes - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Ranger-guided cave toursRanger-Guided Tours: All tours are temporarily suspended until further notice.
Operating Hours & Seasons - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park closed on three holidaysCarlsbad Caverns National Park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's days. This includes the visitor center, cavern, roads, and trails.
Operating Hours & Seasons - Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-31 · applies to Cavern entry window and last-entry cut-offsLast Cavern Entrance Ticket Sold 2:15 pm. Last Cavern Entrance 2:30 pm. Elevator descending 9:30 am-2:30 pm. Last Elevator OUT of the Cavern 4:45 pm. Re-checked 2026-07-31 against the park's structured-data feed at https://www.nps.gov/cave/structured_data_cave.json, which drives this page: the "All Park - Hours" block reads "Carlsbad Caverns National Park is open 24-hours a day. Visitor center hours and cave tour schedule vary throughout the year." So these hours gate cavern entry, not entry to the park.

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-31

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Carlsbad Caverns, not by editorial preference.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park entry requirements