- Best time to visit Carlsbad Caverns: February and September to November. The weather is at its most comfortable then, and crowds are lighter than at the peak.
- Busiest month: July, with about 51,557 visits in a typical recent year. That is 2.6 times as many as January.
- Quietest month: January (20,131 visits).
Bar height: visitors that month, compared with the busiest month. Temperatures: average daily high and low (°F); rain and snow: monthly averages. Best marks the months we suggest.
Month by month
| Month | Crowds | Visits (typical) | High / low (°F) | Precipitation | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Quiet | 20,131 | 56° / 34° | 0.3 in | 0 in |
| February ★ | Moderate | 21,737 | 61° / 37° | 0.4 in | 1 in |
| March | Busiest | 51,313 | 68° / 43° | 0.6 in | 0 in |
| April | Busy | 38,321 | 76° / 49° | 0.5 in | 0 in |
| May | Busy | 35,057 | 84° / 58° | 1.2 in | 0 in |
| June | Busiest | 47,765 | 92° / 66° | 1.2 in | 0 in |
| July | Busiest | 51,557 | 91° / 68° | 2.2 in | 0 in |
| August | Moderate | 30,787 | 90° / 66° | 2.0 in | 0 in |
| September ★ | Moderate | 27,025 | 83° / 60° | 2.9 in | 0 in |
| October ★ | Busy | 35,854 | 75° / 52° | 1.2 in | 0 in |
| November ★ | Moderate | 29,246 | 65° / 42° | 0.7 in | 0 in |
| December | Busy | 31,361 | 57° / 35° | 0.6 in | 2 in |
Weather figures are NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Carlsbad Caverns station (4,435 feet above sea level), 0 miles from Visitor Center. Visitor numbers are the median of 2022 to 2025 monthly recreation visits from the National Park Service.
By season
- Spring (March to May): 30% of the year’s visits; average highs 68° to 84°F.
- Summer (June to August): 31% of the year’s visits; average highs 90° to 92°F.
- Fall (September to November): 22% of the year’s visits; average highs 65° to 83°F.
- Winter (December to February): 17% of the year’s visits; average highs 56° to 61°F.
Weekends and holidays
Even in a quiet month, holiday weekends fill parking lots and campgrounds. The 2027 federal holidays to plan around:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18
- Presidents Day: Monday, February 15
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 31
- Juneteenth: Saturday, June 19
- Independence Day: Sunday, July 4 (observed Monday, July 5)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 6
- Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day: Monday, October 11
- Veterans Day: Thursday, November 11
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 25
Entrance is free for U.S. residents on the park service’s fee-free days. The last one in 2026 is Veterans Day, November 11; the 2027 dates had not been announced when we checked. Free days are often busier. See the crowd calendar for all 64 parks.
Weather, in the park service’s words
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in the Chihuahuan Desert in southeast New Mexico. Summers are hot with temperatures between 90°F (32°C) and low 100s °F (38°C). Windy conditions and mild temperatures are common in early spring (March-May) with frequent rain in early fall (August-September). This part of the country also sees cold temperatures in the winter with occasional snow and icy conditions. Most days, the park is enveloped by a gorgeous blue sky with very few clouds, 278 sunny days a year!
From the National Park Service (public domain).
Today at Carlsbad Caverns
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Alerts: National Park Service, checked hourly. Forecast: National Weather Service, for Visitor Center. Always confirm on the official park site before you set out.
Sources
- National Park Service visitor use statistics (IRMA): monthly recreation visits, 2022 to 2025
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991 to 2020 (monthly)
- National Park Service Data API: weather overview (public domain)
Last checked 1 November 2026.