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 | Carlsbad Cavern Visit, 1928 & 2001
On her 1928 flight across America, Amelia visited Carlsbad Caverns National Monument (it was made a National Park in 1930). She is pictured here with the Carlsbad's superintendent during that visit. [National Archives photo]
On her 1928 flight while visiting Hobbs, New Mexico and Pecos, Texas, Amelia took a day trip to Carlsbad Cavern.
Carlsbad Cavern, with one of the world's largest underground chambers and countless formations, is now highly accessible and even has elevators unlike when Amelia visited. Tours are offered year-round.
The Carlsbad Caverns were designated as a National Monument in 1923 and then a National Park in 1930. This was done to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains over 94 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave?the nation's deepest limestone cave at 1,567 feet (478m) and third longest.
When Amelia visited the caverns, she wrote at length about in her dairy. The three-paragraph excerpt was provided to the Amelia Flight by the Seaver Center for Western History Research in Los Angeles. Here's a brief excerpt from Amelia?s dairy:
"We started for Carlsbad to see the caverns. After driving for about eighty miles, I think we arrived in time for the grand entry. Everyone starts in the large hole as one, i.e., in one party. There were several hundred of varied humanity. Old women, who puffed and crept slowly, and young girls who tripped lightly in the deep dark in extremely high heels. The entrance is a yawning blackness, which is so regular as to look artificial. Ugly wooden steps lead one down to the first passageways. The present agent in charge is going to have more suitable ones put in - rough unskinned logs I told him.
"The electric lights were off as we wound slowly into the damp interior. Every third or fourth one carried a lantern. I trust we were lucky to see the shadowy hole without the lights for as we came back they were on. Of course, we saw more with them and as they were well placed the effect was really lovely instead of being garish, as I had feared. The superintendent came over and met us as we were eating lunch in the interior. Soggy doughnuts, sandwiches and coffee with an orange tasted very good. He asked if he could mention my presence to the crowd. I said go ahead and in a little talk he told of distinguished visitors. Immediately, the crowd demanded a sight of the creature and I had to stand on a rock and shake paws.
"At this meeting a young man with a large torch came walking through the dark chambers. It is a magnificent sight to see the cavern ceilings and the vast vault of white walls illuminated by the tiny figure. Then the agent, told us to hold back and he would take us to a lower level not open to the public. We followed slowly the chain gang and then stepped off down a wire ladder to another huge cave 900 feet under ground. It is really the most beautiful and dainty so far. The stalactites and stalagmites are colored and delicate. Each one has a tone when struck. Some very clear, others a little blurred. If the general public knew they would be beaten to pieces regardless of guards. As it is, even after warning there are always some individuals caught taking rocks, etc. as souvenirs and fined therefore. Seven the day we were there."
When we were in Hobbs, we too visited the caverns and found them to be as awe-inspiring as Amelia did. If you are ever in the area near Hobbs, New Mexico or Pecos, Texas, don't miss the chance to visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Calrene at the Caverns with a ranger
The Avian over west Texas, heading for Hobbs and the caverns
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