Mercer Caverns facts for kids
Mercer Caverns is an amazing show cave located near Murphys, California. It is in Calaveras County. A gold prospector named Walter J. Mercer discovered these caves around 1885. The caverns are named after him. Inside, you can see many cool rock formations. These include speleothems, stalactites, and stalagmites. The cave formed in a type of rock called marble. It also has a lot of beautiful aragonite frostwork.
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Exploring Mercer Caverns
Mercer Caverns offers exciting tours for visitors. The standard tour takes you deep underground. You will go down about 160 feet. This involves walking down 208 steps. Then, you walk up 232 steps to exit. The path connects a natural entrance to a man-made one.
What are Caverns?
Caverns are large natural caves. They form underground, usually in limestone or marble. Water slowly dissolves the rock over thousands of years. This creates tunnels and big rooms.
Amazing Rock Formations
Inside Mercer Caverns, you will see many unique rock formations. These are called speleothems.
- Stalactites hang down from the cave ceiling. They look like icicles made of rock.
- Stalagmites grow up from the cave floor. They are formed by water dripping from above.
- Sometimes, stalactites and stalagmites meet. They then form a column.
- Aragonite frostwork is a special type of formation. It looks like delicate, frosty crystals. These crystals grow in many directions. They often look like tiny flowers or snowflakes.
Discovering the Caves
Walter J. Mercer found the caverns in 1885. He was a gold prospector. This means he was looking for gold. He stumbled upon the entrance to the caves. Soon after, people started exploring this hidden wonder.
Mapping the Underground World
In 1986, experts carefully mapped the cave. They found it was 3,389 feet long. This is almost three-quarters of a mile! The deepest part of the cave is 192 feet down. You can often see the cave map on the official website. This helps you understand its size.
See also
In Spanish: Cavernas de Mercer para niños
