For general tourist appeal, it's hard to beat because you don't have to walk, guides tell colorful stories and the creators displayed commercial-cave boilerplate, a religious symbol (a woman holding a stone cross) to assure explorers who equate the depths with devilish influences.ĭetails: 13299 Spook Cave Road, McGregor. The largest room is 30 feet high and 110 feet long. It's low at places, so ducking is required. The cave is an elliptical rock tube with domes at intervals. He opened the cave to commercial touring in 1955 with an unusual underground boat tour, the only one in Iowa. Only after local resident Gerald Mielke blasted into the bluff in 1953 did he discover the flowing water that made the sound. SPOOK CAVE: Early settlers near McGregor heard strange noises coming from a spring at the base of a tall bluff and called it Spook Hole. (Note: Summer of 2018 road construction may require visitors to walk 200 yards to the cave). A steep trail leading up to other cave entrances, including Devil's Hole, is more challenging but allows a lofty vantage point before you can descend to the Ice Cave from above.ĭetails: Decorah Ice Cave, Ice Cave Road in Decorah. It's nearly impossible to keep your footing on the thick ice with standard hiking shoes. To the right is a steeper, shorter passage, barricaded for safety, so we stayed on the main passage. You won't travel far until you come to a rock fissure where you can look high above, crevices and shelves holding dangling icicles. Inside, scientists have found a rare species of wingless insect called the springtail, a relic of the Ice Age found nowhere else in Iowa. The Decorah Ice Cave entrance is 15 feet high and leads down a slippery, sloped passage narrow enough to brace yourself from falling with your arms on each cave wall. It's always a good idea to check ahead when exploring public caves in Iowa, since some have been closed in recent years to prevent the spread of white-nose syndrome in bats. It is easy to explore for even the most skittish, like other commercial and wild Iowa caves highlighted here on the advice of Greg Brick, the author of "Iowa Underground."
Hidden water cavern iowa series#
We all enjoyed our time here.We parked right off Ice Cave Road and climbed a short series of steps to the entrance, and within minutes felt the cold air coming from inside the largest ice cave in North America east of the Black Hills. It is something interesting and different. Overall it is a great attraction to visit to have some variety of things to do. You can take your pictures and ask your questions. It has lights, but is dimly lit at some places. It was really cool to go in and see the cave. She talked to us about the caves history/discovery/ownership, and well as pointing out the formations and cave features. Jenna was our tour guide and she was super social, passionate, and friendly. It feels slippery because it was wet, but it wasn't actually. The path is all paved concrete, but there is some texture to it, and since it is an active cave, water is constantly dripping so the floor is wet. It almost seemed harder for our tall family member to make it through the tighter spaces than the grandmother. Both of them were able to make it through. We came with a 6ft 4in tall person and an 80 year old grandmother. There are also 3 parts where you have to duck a decent amount unless you are short. I will say there are certain parts where the path narrows or slopes a little bit. There are handrailings at certain parts as well. You can bring strollers or wheelchairs as it is fully accessible. So it is 1 mile of walking and it takes 1 hour. The tour takes you 1/2 mile into the cave and then you turn around go and go 1/2 mile out of the cave. We were led into the cave and there was a noticeable temperature difference so definitely bring a light jacket because it is cool. I don't know where the money is going but I sure hope it is going to the upkeep of the cave. Otherwise it is $25/person which is a little pricey for the tour I think. It looks wrong but follow it all the way to the end to find the building and the parking lot. We followed google maps to the entrance, but then you go down a gravel road.
0 kommentar(er)
