Originally Posted by
azepine00
Stick around for bat flight at sunset - the number of bats is absolutely astonishing.
Not, however, in winter. The bats migrate south. They typically arrive in Carlsbad around April and leave in October. Of course, you might end up seeing one or two bats in November to March but not the huge mass of bats that live in Carlsbad in the summer. Also, it's illegal (without special permission for which you have to apply at least two weeks in advance) to take photos of the bats leaving and entering the cave.
This NPS page has more information for anyone interested:
https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvis...ht_program.htm