Carlsbad Caverns National Park marks our 23rd national park visit as a family. I failed to make reservations in time for a guided hike, so we did self-guided hikes. I think we could have seen everything we wanted to see in one day, but we opted to spread out our visit over two days. This allowed us to take our time and not feel rushed.

Before you enter the Natural Entrance, the park ranger gives a short spiel to everyone about not touching the cave formations and safety precautions. On our first day we decided to hike down through the Natural Entrance and take the elevator back up to the visitor center.

Once you enter the caverns, the temperature is in the mid 50’s. There are several lights showcasing the different formations, but much of the path is fairly dark. The path is well-paved and there are handrails throughout.

I could not believe how big the caverns were. They seemed to be endless. I commented that they looked like the Knott’s Berry Farm Mine Ride, but k reminded me that it is actually the Mine Ride that was made to look like the caverns.

The second day we took the elevator down. We were planning to take the elevator back up as well. However, D overheard a ranger say that hiking back up was only for those in “good shape”, which D took as a personal challenge. The kids were up for the challenge as well and I reluctantly went along. D struck up a conversation with a solo hiker who was also making her way out of the caverns. It turns out that she is a 5th grade elementary school teacher and has visited many national parks as well. By the end of the hike the kids and D were racing her to the top.

It was a relief once we made out of the caverns, but it really was not too bad if you take rest breaks.

We certainly worked up an appetite for lunch! The cafeteria served up some surprisingly good Mexican food made with local fresh ingredients.

We shared a plate of the tostadas, soft tacos and nachos. I would say the carnitas were the standout protein.

Since the restaurant options outside the park near our hotel were nearly non-existent, we thought we would be smart and return to the cafeteria for dinner to go (it closed at 4 p.m.) One of the employees told us that was not possible, but a couple of other employees took pity on us and provided us with a couple pieces of foil and paper trays so we did end up eating there twice in one day!

We all agreed, Carlsbad Caverns National Park landed on the Lim Family’s Top Five List of Best National Parks!

The next morning we did an easy hike around Manzanita Lake.

One nice thing about visiting less-popular parks is that you have the views to yourself.

Next we did the Devastated Area Interpretive Trail.  There were solar powered boxes at various stations that provided information about what we were looking at.

After our hike we drove to Summit Lake for lunch.  (We had picked up sandwiches from the camper store at Manzanita Lake in the morning).

Taking a dip.

At this point, D had a big headache.  As D likes to say, it was “no bueno”.

We set up camp at Summit Lake South and D took a short nap.

Then we drove to Cold Boiling Lake.  I have to admit, I was bit disappointed when I saw the size of this “lake”.

I would say a more appropriate name would be Cold Boiling Big Puddle!

But, it was cool to see the gas bubbles, and the whole area was quite scenic.

I did not know there was geothermal activity like this in California!  This sulphuric mudpot reminds me of Yellowstone.

We ended up buying a snack and dinner at the Kohm-Yah-Mah-Nee Visitor Center.  The selection was quite limited, and again, I must say I am disappointed with Xanterra’s food service.

This was our pulled pork sandwich.  There was actually a good amount of meat heaped onto the bun.

This was the “pizza”.  A frozen DiGiorno single that you have to heat up yourself in the microwave.  Really??  We really had no other dining options, so they have a monopoly.

We took a post-dinner hike near our campsite.

Although it might not be on the top of anyone’s National Park bucket list, we thought that Lassen Volcanic National Park is still worth a visit.

Originally, I had planned to take a boat tour around Crater Lake.  I had made reservations months in advance AND had pre-paid Xanterra, the park operator.  Because of our last minute change in plans due to the smoke, we decided to cancel.  The boat tour requires a steep hike down the caldera and back up, and I did not think that was a good idea given the poor air quality.  Luckily, we were able to use the phone in the Camp Store and Xanterra graciously refunded our money even though they usually require more advance notice! Instead,  we returned to Rim Village to see if we could have a less-smoky/hazy view of Crater Lake.

Unfortunately, it really was not any better than the day before.

We were able to do the short Lady of the Woods hike near the Steel Visitor Center.

Someone likes having his picture taken!

A k-sized tree.

We did not encounter any other hikers.  It was so peaceful.  But, D and I did receive some mosquito bites.

Next stop: Lassen Volcanic National Park.

We needed to leave Sacramento early in the morning because we had reservations for the Crater Lake Trolley tour at 3 p.m.  Then, at one of our rest stops I realized that I had a message from the trolley company that asked if we could make the 2 p.m. tour instead because the smoke from the wildfires had been rolling in around 3 p.m. the past few days.  As we drove through Northern California, the sky was an ominous gray from the other numerous wildfires.  We kept our windows rolled up and made minimal stops.  Thankfully, we were able to make the tour on time.

The tour is run in conjunction with the National Park Service.  A knowledgeable ranger narrated the tour which made for an educational experience.

I was grateful that the tour company provided cushions for us to sit on since the wooden seats were pretty uncomfortable.

The trolley circled the entire lake in about two hours, with numerous stops.  I find it amazing that this lake was created by a volcano that imploded on itself and filled with rain and melted snow.

If I had known that k was squinting like that in our only family picture, I would have asked the trolley drive to take another one!  Oh well.

Although Crater Lake was pretty, I must admit that I was disappointed.  I had seen so many jaw-dropping pictures beforehand, so my expectations were high.  The haze from the smoke obscured the view and blocked the sun so the stunning blue color just was not there.  I told D that we need to go there again to see its true beauty, but I doubt we would ever make the drive again. 🙁

We had reservations to camp for two nights at Mazama Campground near Crater Lake, but it did not seem like a good idea with the poor air quality.  I was especially concerned for n, since he is small and has had asthma issues.  I do not like having to do things on the fly, but I was able to cancel one night of our camping reservations, and nab a room in one of the cabins instead.  I was not happy paying for $180 for one night in a very basic room, but it was worth it in order to decrease any health risks.

We decided to add another night of camping in Lassen National Park, our next stop.  Since we no longer had access to a fire ring, we had to microwave our pre-bought hot dogs in the camp store microwave.  What a sad dinner!