Carlsbad Caverns for Dummies

Sure, no problem! “Carlsbad Caverns” is the name of a really cool place, like a big underground cave, in New Mexico in the United States. It's a national park where you can go and explore these amazing, huge caves that are full of big, beautiful rock formations and stalactites and stalagmites. These formations are actually made of minerals and were formed over thousands of years. It’s like a whole other world down there! People from all over the world come to visit Carlsbad Caverns because it’s so famous and unique.

The word “Carlsbad” actually comes from a city in the Czech Republic called Karlovy Vary. Back in the day, when people were exploring and naming new places, someone thought the underground caves in New Mexico reminded them of the caves in Karlovy Vary, so they named the place after it. And “Caverns” is just another word for a big cave, like a really, really big cave. So when you put it all together, “Carlsbad Caverns” basically means this really amazing and beautiful underground cave system that’s known all over the world. It's definitely a place worth checking out if you ever get the chance!