Spring Valley Caverns facts for kids
Spring Valley Caverns is a cool cave system in southeastern Minnesota. It's located near the town of Spring Valley in Fillmore County. This area is special because it's part of the Driftless Area. This region has a unique landscape called karst topography. This means the ground is made of soft rock that water can easily dissolve. This creates amazing features like caves and sinkholes.
The Spring Valley Caverns are found on a private area called the Cave Preserve. This cave system is super long, stretching over 5¾ miles! That makes it the biggest privately owned cave system in Minnesota. It's also one of the longest caves in the entire United States.
Discovering the Caverns
The story of Spring Valley Caverns began in 1966. A man named Jon Henry Latcham found about half a mile of cave passages on his land. He thought it would be a great idea to share this amazing discovery with others.
Opening for Visitors
Latcham teamed up with his neighbor, Roger Winters. They decided to open the cave to the public for tours. They hired people to build a road to the cave. They also brought electricity into the cave. To protect the entrance, they even put a building over it. Finally, in 1968, Spring Valley Caverns welcomed its first visitors.
However, things changed quickly. Just one year later, Latcham lost the cave due to money problems. A new owner took over and kept the cave open until 1971.
A New Chapter
In 1989, John Ackerman bought the cave. He is still the owner today. John Ackerman is a real cave explorer! He has found five more miles of cave passages since he bought the property. He also works to get special agreements for cave rights on nearby land. This helps him explore even more. He has even added special entrances to make it safer to get into and out of the caves.
Spring Valley Caverns is just one of 38 caves located on the Cave Preserve. John Ackerman shares lots of details about the cave's history and discoveries on his website.
Visiting Spring Valley Caverns
Today, visiting Spring Valley Caverns is carefully controlled. It's not open to the general public for tours anymore. Instead, it's mainly for scientists who want to study the cave. Some special nature groups can also visit. Members of the Minnesota Caving Club are also allowed to explore. This helps protect the delicate cave environment.
