![]() If you want to explore those mysterious, off-route areas which not many have some across before, then try out the Daytime Ladder Tour. Helictites, boxwork and flowstone are all other features that you can see as you journey through Colossal Cave! You'll find many of the same types of formations in Colossal Cave and Kartchner Caverns like the drapery room.Kids will be amazed at the stalactites that protrude from the ground, and those stalagmites that hang from the ceiling. Take an in-depth look at some beautiful art pieces at this. Click the image to see the original photo at maximum resolution (potentially large files). Moreno said the near-record monsoon has awakened the cave just a little bit. Colossal Cave Mountain Park is located near a parking lot, which many customers take advantage of. While nearby Kartchner Caverns is known as a wet, living cave- Colossal Cave is a dry or dead cave. Because of all the monsoon we were getting this year it's pushing about 83% right now." ![]() "The temperature stays about 71 degrees in our cave," Cave Lead Antonio Moreno said. Regardless of the origin, once inside, you'll quickly understand why it's called Colossal Cave and why it's a welcome relief from the heat. The history of Colossal Cave dates back millennia and includes a train robbery and hidden treasure waiting to be found. "From that statement it's believed the name Colossal Cave came from."Īnother theory, Leighton told KGUN 9, is that one-time UArizona President Byron Cummings gave it its name. "After exploring the cave for quite awhile he came out and when asked about it he said 'the cave was colossal,'" Leighton explained. A Boy Scout named Lynn Hodgson was asked by a potential developer to explore the cave. By 1917, it earned it's larger than life name. In 1905, the cave was actually mined for its bat guano, used as fertilizer. People are still on the look out for it to this day. What happened to the stolen loot is unclear. As the legend goes, he served almost two decades in prison in Yuma and never confessed to where the treasure was. After a shootout, just one of the train robbers survived. Gonzales said reservations at are highly recommended. The sheriff and his posse tracked the bandits to the cave. The ladder tours, which are only available to ages 12 and older are 40. They escaped with thousand of dollars in currency, gold and silver. Search the best Colossal Cave Mountain Park vacation deals & save more when you book your flight + hotel together. "On one of his tours around his property he discovered an opening that he thought was a mine, which turned out to be what we now call Colossal Cave."Īt the time, Solomon Lick's discovery was known as "The Mountain Spring Cave." Eight years later, in 1887, the cave played a major role in what became know as the "Legend of the Lost Loot."Īccording to Leighton's research, three men robbed the same Southern Pacific train twice in a four month period. The cave is one of the largest dry caves in the United States. "Around 1879, a guy name Solomon Lick took over the Mountain Springs Ranch," Leighton said. The address is 16721 E Old Spanish Trail, Vail, AZ 85641, USA. ![]() According to Tucson historian David Leighton, the area became known as Mountain Springs Ranch which had a stagecoach stop and a hotel. There's still evidence of a fire pit and smoke residue near the cave entrance.įast forward to the 1870s. Formed a couple hundred million years ago, the cave system was used by native tribes about a thousand years ago. ![]()
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