The 88 caves that make up the Carlsbad Caverns cover an area of 73sq mi and reach depths of up to 1 542ft - the largest cave is 255ft high, 1 804ft long and 803ft wide. Here you can admire draped formations, stalactites and stalagmites, and the signs of a colony of 250 000 bats (from April to October) which fly out of the cave every night in their hunt for insects. The caves can be entered through their natural entrance or via an elevator, which leads to the main caves. These two routes can be followed consecutively.