Posted on 11/02/2004 7:47:16 AM PST by cogitator
Here's the set-up; my toddlers are getting old enough to go to some interesting geological sites/sights. Because school's out for Election Day, we planned on taking them to Luray Caverns in Virginia (about 2.5 hours from here), but plans changed. Anyway, I came up with the idea to take a very unscientific poll about what are your favorite caves (mainly public access; I'd love to do Lechaguilla at Carlsbad, but that's not happening with kids and it's unlikely to ever happen for me.)
Here are caves that I've actually visited - not a real long list, which is why I'd like to see more.
Mammoth Cave, KY
Jewel Cave, SD
Wind Cave, SD
Luray Caverns, VA
Eagle Cave, WI
Russell Cave, AL (not really a cave)
Spring Mill Cave, IN
Thurston Lave Tube, HI
the cave featured in the WhereIsIt? challenge below
My GEICO magazine had a feature on caves, too, which mentioned a couple I hadn't heard of, notably Howe Caverns in NY and Natural Bridge Caverns, TX. Here are caves that I've heard of, which I'd like to see someday:
Carlsbad Caverns, NM
Lehman Caves, NV
Oregon Caves, OR
Karchner Caverns, AZ
And here are some that are located nearby my locale in central Maryland. Are they worth the admission price, anybody?
Endless Caverns, VA
Indian Echo Caverns, PA
Crystal Grottoes Cave, MD (this one is so close that I can't believe I've never been there!)
Natural Bridge Caverns, VA (I also want to visit VA's Natural Bridge)
So, VOTE! Tell me the best cave or caves you've been to in the United States.
Now for the WhereIsIt? challenge. Obviously you can check the source code and figure this out, but first try to use the (easy) clues to figure it out! Clues:
1. The name of the cave is based on the formations in the picture.
2. It's located in a swing state, but it's not on the U.S. mainland.
3. It's near the site of an important naval engagement.
4. A special type of grapes are grown nearby.
5. The name of the adjacent body of water is kind of spooky.
subterranean * ping *
Go armed, in case you run across OBL...you can use the $25 mill, I assume?
Shasta Caverns.
The Lost Sea, Tennessee
It's not that large but has an underground lake
I've not been in Crystal Caverns (the wait line was too long at the time I was visiting), but I was able to see Perry's Cave (not too bad).
The best "true" cave in Ohio, imo, is Ohio Caverns - the calcite formations are pure white, while the "beehives" are of tremendous size! There are some rare calcite/beehive combos too that are very interesting to see too.
The best show cave (outside of Lecheguilla, that is) in the mainland U.S., imo, that I've seen so far is Merimac Caverns in central Missouri. Wow!
Want-to-see caves are the river cave in south-central Indiana, Luray Caverns in VA, and numerous show caves in TN.
Good thread!
Timpanogos Cave National Monument, located in Utah, is a memorable cave I've visited. It's located in the American Fork Canyon, just east of Provo. What makes this cave especially fun is, you have to hike up a mile and a half trail...short, but very steep. The entrance to the cave is something like 1000 feet about the canyon floor, and a 1.5 mile hike at roughly 8000 feet above sea level is certainly memorable. Not for the faint of heart (or wind).
The cave itself has some great features, and it hasn't been commercialized like some caves, where you see lots of brightly colored lamps and such.
Toxic waste injection wells in Romulus, Michigan.
Not sure about the name but it would have to be crystal cave or something in Canada.
Only Cave I have ever been in was Tuckaleechee
Caverns in Townsend Tn. Very beautiful.
1. The name of the cave is based on the formations in the picture. crystals
2. It's located in a swing state, but it's not on the U.S. mainland. Put-in-Bay Island, Ohio
3. It's near the site of an important naval engagement. The Battle of Lake Erie, war of 1812, won by Oliver Hazard Perry. "We have met the enemy and they are ours."
4. A special type of grapes are grown nearby. Catawba grapes
5. The name of the adjacent body of water is kind of spooky. Erie = eerie
Crystal Grottoes is small but nice.
http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/features/cave/crystal.html
http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/showcave/md/crystal.html
http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/showcave/va.html
Luray Caverns, Endless Caverns and Skyline caverns are much bigger and more commercial.
Here's a fun cave website:
http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/virtcave/index.html
[well, you'd expect a salamander to dig caves, wouldn't ya?]....:)
Carlsbad Caverns wins hands down as the queen of caves. The place is unreal. There is a single room there something like 1000+ feet long by 300+ feet wide that is an entire tour by itself.
If you are interested in caves, not just the commercial ones, but wild caves as well, there is the National Speleological Society at caves.org. These guys are dedicated to the exploration, study, and preservation of the cave environment. They have chapters (called grottos) located all over the US and can help newcomers to cave exploration.
lechuguilla cave near Carlsbad Caverns:
http://www.nps.gov/cave/lech.htm
(visit the galleries)
-- lates
-- jrawk
I got stuck in a tight space in a cave south of Lancaster, Pa., for a while, then got free. I can think of no stupider way to die.
yup.
Die in the right cave though, and your bones could end up immortalized in the Natural History museum in the year 4020.
;)
-- lates
-- jrawk
Should go see Ruby Falls in Chattanooga. It's very interesting - especially the story of how it was discovered.
Here's Ohio Caverns' website: http://cavern.com/ohiocaverns/
It's not Caverns of Sonora in Sonora, Texas.
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