Government Shutdown: Review

After the uproar of the 2013 government shutdown which laster 16 days, the National Park Service developed a contingency plan that allowed many national park service sites to remain partially open, but without any form of visitor services (concessions, tours, visitor center, restrooms, etc). However, NPS sites with vulnerable or fragile resources such as Native American ruins, historic buildings, and caverns were locked and closed. In addition, no fees were collected.

This is the situation we found ourselves in as we entered Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Yes, we could explore the park, access all road and trails unimpeded, but the famous caverns which make this site exceptional were shuttered and not accessible to the public. Considering, we had already drove the 14 hours from Los Angeles, there was no turning back at this point, and we were determined to make the best of the situation.

Carlsbad Caverns like its southern counterpart Guadalupe Mountains National Park are located in the Chihuahuan Desert. From the National Park website it states, "High ancient sea ledges, deep rocky canyons, flowering cactus, and desert wildlife—treasures above the ground in the Chihuahuan Desert." Previous visitors (rightfully) occupied with the wonders below-ground might be unaware that there is a 9-mile dirt road called Walnut Canyon Desert Drive, which introduces you to the parks wilderness. Rattlesnake Canyon Trail offers some excellent views and an opportunity to see limestone ledges that harken back to the parks past as an inland sea. Furthermore, there are plenty of cacti species as you traverse a small canyon/wash.

We made sure to hike as many trails (however small), since we had about 4-5 hours to explore the park. We saw plenty of deer and jackrabbits throughout the park. Moreover, there were several outdoor "exhibit area" stops along the main park road (paved) that included panels that either describe some of the biodiversity of the Chihuahuan Desert or informed visitors about the ancient indigenous peoples who lived here. Eventually, we made our way to the main cavern entrance (Big Room). The view only reminded us of what could have been. We had in fact, reserved a tour using recreation.gov well beforehand to make sure we could enjoy the King's Palace Tour. While we left disappointed, we did make the best out of the circumstances. The desert environment while interesting, is not outstanding when compared to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and the already inscribed Gran Desierto de Altar National Biosphere Reserve. I hope to visit and tour these amazing caverns one day in the future, but sadly it won't be anytime soon.