Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, USA May 14, 2024

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, USA

With deep rocky canyons and high ancient sea ledges, Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, USA, boasts some of the most unique rock formations in the world. Hidden beneath its desert scenery are more than 119 caves—formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone. This national park, founded on this day in 1930, is also home to North America"s largest underground chamber—the Big Room. From colossal stalactite formations hanging like chandeliers to stalagmite structures reaching for the ceiling, every nook and cranny is a masterpiece crafted over millions of years. This UNESCO World Heritage Site also organises events like bat flight viewings, which allow visitors to watch thousands of bats as they swoop in and out of the cavern. So, are you ready to explore the depths?

© Doug Meek/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Happy Mothers Day!
Trusty water-shifters
May 14, 2025Porto Flavia, Sulcis-Iglesiente, Sardinia, Italy

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Straight out of a fairytale
Commemorating Indigenous Peoples
Sep. 3, 2023Skyscrapers in Manhattan
Dec. 27, 2023Kirkjufell, Iceland
Jun. 11, 2025Greater flamingos, Lüderitz, Namibia
Dec. 2, 2025Whistler, British Columbia
Aug. 28, 2023Dubrovnik, Croatia
Mar. 18, 2025Red Rocks, Sedona, Arizona, United States
The sun sets on the Valley of the Moon
A ghost on the mountain
A glimpse of Yoho National Park
Jan. 7, 2026Old Rock Day
Jan. 11, 2025Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
Fly me to the moon
Nov. 27, 2024Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
Mar. 16, 2026Spirit Island on Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta
Oct. 14, 2023Ring of fire solar eclipse
Jan. 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
Jun. 11, 2024A group of Southern gemsbok in the savannah, Botswana
Aug. 26, 2024Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Central Pacific Ocean
A glowing square of squares
Nov. 4, 2023American bison
Nov. 18, 2024Porthcawl lighthouse, Wales, United Kingdom
Peek-a-boo, I see you!
Oct. 22, 2023Astoria-Megler Bridge, Oregon
May 13, 2024Fish River Canyon, Namibia
Nov. 5, 2023Playa del Silencio, Spain
Oct. 10, 2023Mount Sopris, Colorado
More of a moustache than a beard?
Mar. 13, 2026Church of Notre Dame de Bon-Port, Les Sables-dOlonne, France