| Cave exploring has become a favorite adventure | | | | and pass a number of tests before being allowed on |
| activity for many Americans. Whether you're taking a | | | | the Spelunking Tour, including proving the ability to |
| short, self-guided or guided tour of a commercial cave, | | | | wriggle through an 18" X 24" passageway. Needless |
| or engaging in advanced spelunking of non-commercial | | | | to say, people with a fear of heights or claustrophobia |
| caves, there's just something magical about entering a | | | | definitely won't be comfortable on this tour. |
| cave. The feel of the cave air, the smells, the quite, the | | | | Reservations are required for the Spelunking tour. |
| utter darkness when the lamps are turned off. | | | | Kartchner Caverns State Park - Benson, Arizona |
| In caving you will discover the beauty of nature and | | | | Located in the southern part of Arizona, Kartchner |
| marvel at rock formations and crystals that took | | | | Caverns was discovered in 1974 by cavers and |
| thousands, and even millions, of years to shape and | | | | purchased as an Arizona State Park in 1988. What's |
| develop. Caves come in different shapes and sizes. | | | | cool about Kartchner is that it's a "living cave," in that |
| There are caves that are horizontal, dry, hot, humid | | | | the formations inside are still growing. It also contains |
| and sandy, while others are vertical, cold, flooded and | | | | 13,000 feet of passages, boasts one of the world's |
| muddy. There are even caves that are located under | | | | longest soda straw stalactites - 21 feet 2 inches, and is |
| rivers and seas. | | | | in near-pristine condition. Typical of most caves, |
| Another great thing about visiting a cave is that you | | | | Kartchner Caverns has its share of bats. In fact, during |
| are able to step back in time a bit, as many caves | | | | the summer the Cave's Big Room becomes a nursery |
| have served as dwellings for early humans, offering | | | | roost with over 1,000 female bats. |
| shelter from the outside elements. Another interesting | | | | Meramec Caverns - Stanton, Missouri |
| thing about caves - when you've toured one, you're | | | | Like your caves on the commercial side? Then you'll |
| going to want to tour another. Luckily there are | | | | love Meramec Caverns, which has a gift shop inside |
| numerous caves to explore in America that can keep | | | | the entrance of the cave. In fact, Meramec Caverns is |
| you busy year after year. Let's take a look at several | | | | the largest commercial cave in Missouri, which is |
| which offer guided and self-guided tours perfect for | | | | known as the "Cave State" due to it containing over |
| the whole family: | | | | 6,000 surveyed caves. In addition to its natural history, |
| Mammoth Cave National Park - Kentucky | | | | Meramec Caverns has some interesting recent history, |
| Since 1816, visitors have toured Mammoth Cave, one | | | | as legend has it that the cave was used as a part of |
| of the world's longest and most famous cave | | | | the "Underground Railroad" to aid escaping slaves. |
| systems. The name Mammoth was coined not from | | | | Legend also has it that Jesse James and his gang hid |
| the prehistoric wooly mammoth, but because the cave | | | | out in the caves after committing train and bank |
| system is so huge - more than 365 miles of it has | | | | robberies. |
| been explored so far. | | | | Meramec Caverns also has the distinction of having a |
| Cave tour prices range from $4 to $45 and include | | | | ballroom inside the caves which hosts many private |
| tours for all levels of experience, from a 30-minute, | | | | and public events, such as an Easter Sunrise Service. |
| self-guided discovery tour to a 6-1/2 hour "Wild Cave | | | | The ballroom is an interesting combination of chairs, |
| Tour" for more advanced cavers which involves | | | | sound system, lighting and, yes, limestone and |
| free-climbing cave walls and crawling through areas as | | | | stalagmites. |
| low as 9 inches high. Temperature inside the cave | | | | Other Missouri Caves and Caverns |
| usually stays around 54° Fahrenheit year-round. | | | | As long as you're visiting Meramec Caverns, why not |
| Jewel Cave National Monument - South Dakota | | | | check out some of the other caves in Missouri? Some |
| Located just east of the Wyoming border, Jewel | | | | notable ones include: |
| Cave is considered one of the best caves in the | | | | Fantastic Caverns - Springfield, Missouri |
| National Park system, and number three on the list of | | | | Fantastic Caverns is considered "America's |
| longest caves in the world! Much of the cave remains | | | | Ride-Through Cave" and is great for seniors, |
| unexplored today. But tours inside the cave offer | | | | physically-challenged individuals and people with small |
| breathtaking walks and intense caving adventure. | | | | children because you don't walk though the cave, but, |
| Aside from stalactites and stalagmites, several | | | | rather you take a jeep-drawn tram through the cave. |
| varieties of bats reside inside the cave especially | | | | Marvel Cave - Branson, Missouri |
| during winter. | | | | Again, if you like your caves on the commercial side, |
| Jewel Cave offers three different tour packages, | | | | then Marvel Cave is for you. Marvel Cave is another |
| each requiring a different level of experience. The | | | | "living cave" with formations that are still growing, and is |
| easiest tour is the Basic Tour, which most people | | | | now part of Silver Dollar City, an amusement park with |
| should be able to manage. Of course, you have to | | | | over 30 rides and attractions, the cave being one of |
| remember this is a cave, so there will be some steps | | | | them. |
| to climb. On the Basic Tour there are 723 steps to | | | | Mark Twain Cave - Hannibal, Missouri |
| manage, but you don't have to climb them all at once, | | | | The Mark Twain Cave was discovered in 1819 and is |
| they are interspersed throughout the 1/2 mile tour. The | | | | Missouri's oldest show cave, providing tours to the |
| next tour in difficulty is the Historic Tour which enters | | | | public for over 114 years. The cave is named after |
| and leaves the cave through an historic entrance and | | | | "Mark Twain," the pen name of Samuel Clemens, who |
| views the cave from an unpaved trail. You will carry | | | | explored the cave quite frequently and wrote about its |
| lanterns on this tour, which is considered strenuous. | | | | wonders. Again, legend has it that Jesse James and |
| Children under 6 are not allowed on the Historic Tour. | | | | his gang hid out in the caves. |
| For the experienced cavers, Jewel Caves offers a | | | | If you're looking for something interesting and unusual |
| Spelunking Tour, a 4 to 5-hour tour which snakes | | | | to do with your family on your next vacation, do |
| through 2/3 of a mile of the Cave. You are provided a | | | | consider visiting one of the many fascinating caves |
| headlamp by the park service, but you must provide all | | | | that America has to offer. You may discover a |
| your other equipment. In addition, you must be over 16 | | | | passion you never knew existed. |