Moaning Cavern

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Moaning Cavern is a limestone cave located near Vallecito, California in the heart of the state's Gold Country. It was discovered in modern times by gold miners in 1851, but it has long been known as an interesting geological feature by prehistoric peoples. It gets its name from the moaning sound made by water dripping into small holes at the bottom of the "chocolate waterfall" flowstone formation, causing a drumming sound, which would echo off the cave walls and be carried by the wind out of the natural entrance of the cavern. While the nearby California Caverns are the largest network of caves in California, Moaning Cavern is the largest single cave on the west coast, tall and spacious enough inside to hold the Statue of Liberty. It is open to the public for walking tours, rappelling, and spelunking.

Moaning Cavern is also an archaeological site, where some of the oldest human remains known in America were discovered. The cave has long been the resting spot for the bodies of prehistoric people who fell into its opening. The bones were preserved by the mineral-rich water in the cave.

[edit] named rooms

• pancake squeeze

a narrow small room that is so small that it earned its name.

• meat grinder

a passageway that is full of small stalagmites so spelunklers have to be careful not to cut them self on the needle like stalagmites.

• godzillas nostril

a stinky sloping tunnel that is filled with mud

• santas nightmare

a 10 foot tall chimney like vertical cave shaft

• the gulliotine

a small hole in the wall connecting to the main chamber and other tunnels

[edit] External links

• Showcaves info page
• Moaning Cavern Tours