The Mitchell Caverns, within the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, are three solution

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

caves Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance underground (such as rock ...

, only two of which are open to the public, located on the east side of the

Providence Mountains The Providence Mountains are found in the eastern Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, U.S. The range reaches an elevation of at Edgar Peak and is home to the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve in the Providence Mountains State ...

at an elevation of , within the

Providence Mountains State Recreation Area The Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is located in the Providence Mountains, within the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California. It is also home to the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve. Geography The Recreation ...

. The caverns are located in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...

, in

San Bernardino County, California San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a County (United States), county located in the Southern California, southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is locat ...

Geology

The caves lie within a thick sequence of marine

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...

. They were formed before the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

epoch In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured. The moment of epoch is usually decided b ...

, when ground water with a high

carbonic acid Carbonic acid is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . The molecule rapidly converts to water and carbon dioxide in the presence of water. However, in the absence of water, it is quite stable at room temperature. The interconversion ...

content ate into the surrounding

sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock formed by the cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or deposited at Earth's surface. Sedime ...

limestone.

Stalactites A stalactite (, ; , ) is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble and that can be deposited as a colloid, or is in suspension, or is ca ...

stalagmite A stalagmite (, ; ; ) is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically composed of calcium carbonate, but may consist ...

s, and other cave formations were formed from

calcium carbonate Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a common substance found in Rock (geology), rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite, most notably in chalk and limestone, eggshells, gastropod shells, shellfish skel ...

left by dripping mineral water.

History

Numerous paleontological and archaeological finds have been made in and around the caverns. Scientists have found the remains of several prehistoric animals, including a Shasta ground sloth. The caverns were a special place for the

Chemehuevi The Chemehuevi ( ) are an indigenous people of the Great Basin. They are the southernmost branch of Southern Paiute. Today, Chemehuevi people are enrolled in the following federally recognized tribes: * Colorado River Indian Tribes * Cheme ...

Indians, and a number of tools and material culture have been found. The Chemehuevi knew the caves as "the eyes of the mountain" due to their easily spotted dual entrances located on the side of the mountain. The caverns are named after Jack and Ida Mitchell, who owned and operated the caves from 1934 to 1954 as a

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...

attraction and rest stop for travelers on nearby

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

. The Mitchells also held mining rights to the area and dug several prospect holes and tunnels, some of which are still visible. The area became a state park in 1956. The surrounding lands became a part of the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

Mojave National Preserve Mojave National Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, US, between Interstate 15 in California, Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The preserve was established October 31, ...

in 1994, but the caves are still owned and operated by the state of California.

Cavern tours

The "Tecopa" and "El Pakiva" caves are connected by a man-made tunnel and are open to guided tours led by California State Park rangers. These caves are the only limestone caves in the California State Park system. According to a California tourism guide, “You enter the limestone caverns at an altitude of about above the desert floor. The higher view of the desert from the Visitor Center is magnificent…Not too spacious, these chambers contain strangely beautiful cave coral, stalactites, and stalagmites.” ;2011-2017 closure In January 2011, due to California's budget crisis, all tours were suspended and the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area closed. Vandalism plagued the caverns' visitor center and installations after their closure. Over a long period, major infrastructure upgrades took place. Mitchell Caverns and Providence Mountains SRA reopened, and the caverns resumed tours, on November 3, 2017, after being closed for nearly seven years."Reopening" http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=615

References

* http://Desertusa.com - Mitchell Caverns article. * Robert P. Sharp and Allen F. Glazner, ''Geology Underfoot in Southern California'', Missoula Mont: Mountain Press, 1993.

External links

Official Providence Mountains State Recreation Area websiteCommittee to Reopen Mitchell Caverns non-profit website
{{authority control Caves of California Limestone caves Mojave Desert Mojave National Preserve Protected areas of the Mojave Desert Protected areas of San Bernardino County, California Archaeological sites in California National Natural Landmarks in California Landforms of San Bernardino County, California Landmarks in California Chemehuevi

Geology

History

Cavern tours

See also

References

External links