Specifically relating to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, this stamp is part of the group of stamps honoring the National Park Service Centennial.

High ancient sea ledges, deep rocky canyons, flowering cactus and desert wildlife - treasures above the ground in the Chihuahuan Desert. Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 known caves - all formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone leaving behind caverns of all sizes.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico contains some of the largest caves in North America—a must-visit stop for vacations in New Mexico.

As you pass through the Chihuahuan Desert and Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas, filled with prickly pear, chollas, sotols, and agaves, you might never guess there are more than 300 known caves beneath the surface. The park contains 113 of these caves, formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone. This includes Lechuguilla Cave, the nation's deepest and fourth longest limestone cave at 1,567 feet (478m).

Shaped by sulfuric-acid dissolving along fractures in an ancient limestone reef, Carlsbad Caverns boasts the largest single cave chamber in North America. Fanciful cave formations — stalactites, stalagmites, popcorn and columns decorate nearly every square inch of Carlsbad Caverns.