Boyden Cave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boyden Cave |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Giant Sequoia National Monument, Fresno County, California |
| Length | 0.63 miles (1.01 km) surveyed |
| Geology | Mesozoic marble |
| Access | Public tours available |
Boyden Cavern is a cool show cave you can visit in California. It's found in the beautiful Giant Sequoia National Monument, which is part of the Sequoia National Forest. You can find it along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway in Fresno County. It's also very close to Kings Canyon National Park.
Contents
Exploring Boyden Cavern
Boyden Cavern is a special type of cave called a solutional cave. This means it was formed over a very long time by water dissolving rock. The cave is made from marble, which is a strong rock that used to be limestone. This marble formed during the Mesozoic Era, which was millions of years ago.
Amazing Rock Formations
Inside the cave, you'll see many natural rock formations. These are called speleothems. They grow slowly over thousands of years. Some of the formations here are very rare, like the "shield" formations.
Deep Canyon Location
Boyden Cavern is located in an amazing spot. It's in Kings Canyon, which is the deepest river-cut canyon in the United States! This canyon is about 8,200-foot (2,500 m) deep. The cave entrance is found right beneath huge marble walls. These walls are about 2,000-foot (610 m) tall. The entrance is also very close to the Kings River.
Taking a Tour of the Cave
You can take a guided tour of Boyden Cavern. These tours are offered by a special company. They usually run from late April until mid-November. A guide will lead you through the cave and show you all the cool sights.
What You'll See Inside
On the tour, you'll visit several interesting rooms and spots:
- The Pancake Room: This room has unique formations.
- The Upside Down City: This is a group of stalactites. These are rock formations that hang down from the cave ceiling.
- Mother Nature's Wedding Cake: This is a flowstone formation. Flowstone looks like frozen waterfalls of rock.
- The Bat Grotto: In this area, bats sometimes sleep during the summer days.
- The Drapery Room: Here you can see "curtains" of rock. You might also spot thin, hollow tubes called soda straws. Another cool formation is the helictites, which twist and turn in strange ways.
The tour usually finishes near a small underground stream. About 0.63 miles (1.01 km) of the cave has been explored and mapped out.
