Cave of the Mounds

Cave of the Mounds, a natural limestone cave located near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, USA, is named for two nearby hills called the Blue Mounds. It is located in the southern slope of the east hill. The cave's beauty comes from its many varieties of mineral formations called speleothems. The Chicago Academy of Sciences considers the Cave of the Mounds to be "the significant cave of the upper Midwest" because of its beauty, and it is promoted as the "jewel box" of major American caves. In 1988, the United States Department of the Interior and the National Park Service designated the cave as a National Natural Landmark.

History

The limestone from which the cave was carved began forming approximately 488 million years ago, during the Ordovician Period.[] During this time, much of North America was covered with warm, shallow seas where shellfish thrived. Over millions of years, the shells they left behind accumulated, forming enormous quantities of limestone. The type of limestone in which the cave was formed is called galena dolomite because of its high concentration of the lead ore galena.

The cave began forming about a million to a million and a half years ago, in a manner similar to many caves. A large crack in the surface of the rock, called the cave's "lifeline", allowed rain water to seep into the stone. In the air, rain combines with carbon dioxide to form a weak carbonic acid. Though this acid is not very strong, it is strong enough to dissolve away the limestone after it seeps in through the "lifeline". Over time, large cavities were dissolved in the stone and as the water table dropped, the water drained out and the cavities filled with air. Now that the cavities are filled with air instead of water, the water droplets coming from the "lifeline", which are saturated with dissolved calcium carbonate, deposit solid calcium carbonate, which builds up over time to create speleothems. This is a very gradual process, usually taking 50 to 150 years to form one cubic inch of material, and continues to this day.

The area around the Blue Mounds, Dane County, was first settled in 1828 by Ebenezer Brigham, a successful lead miner from Massachusetts. He had traveled to Wisconsin to join in the lead rush of the late 1820s. After arriving, he set up operations just north of where the cave lies today. Ebenezer's house later became a trading post, an inn, a stagecoach stop, and the first post office in Dane County. Ebenezer Brigham later became a colonel and helped build and command Fort Blue Mounds during the Blackhawk War. He died after a long life, not knowing that a beautiful cave existed beneath his Brigham Farm.

On August 4, 1939, Cave of the Mounds was accidentally discovered when limestone quarry workers blasted a section of the quarry and exposed an opening to the cave. Work at the quarry then immediately stopped and was never continued. Soon after, the cave was closed to prevent damage from curious souvenir seekers who removed pieces of stalactites and stalagmites to take home. The cave was reopened in May, 1940, after lights and wooden walkways had been installed. Since then, the wooden walkways have been replaced with concrete ones to accommodate the many visitors. Theatrical lighting has also been installed to further highlight the colors and shapes inside the cave. In 1988, the cave was designated a National Natural Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. To be considered a NNL, "a site must be one of the best examples of a natural region's characteristic biotic or geologic features."

Formations

Cave of the Mounds is home to many varieties of speleothems. As with most caves, stalactites and stalagmites are common. Formations found inside the cave include:

  • Soda straws - Soda straws are formations characterized by thin, hollow tubes made of minerals. They have the potential to form into stalactites if the holes at the bottom of them become plugged.
  • Flowstones - Flowstones are created when water travels along a surface and deposits minerals. In limestone caves, flowstones are generally the most common type of formation.
  • Curtains - These are formed when water droplets run along the ceiling of the cave and gradually form sheets of minerals.
  • Lily pads - Lily pads are created when water droplets fall into a puddle and create a formation on the surface reminiscent of a lily pad.
  • Helictites - Helictites are an unusual form of stalactite that grow with bends or angles in them that seem to defy gravity. Their strange growth style is most likely caused by capillary forces acting on the water droplets.
  • Oolites - Also called "cave pearls", they are a beautiful but rare speleothem. These are spherical formations made when a droplet falls onto some sand and calcite forms around the sand, much like the way a pearl is formed.

These formations come in many different brilliant colors such as reds, browns, blues, and grays. The reds and browns are caused by the presence of iron oxide in the formation. Similarly, blues and grays are caused by manganese oxide. Some speleothems are even partially luminescent and give off light for a brief period after exposure to another light. Somewhere in the cave, there is a large orthoceras that you can spot

Tourism

The cave is located 20 miles west of Madison, off U.S. Highways 18/151 in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. Since its opening in 1940, the cave has hosted millions of tourists.

Footnotes

References

  • Ahlers, Joe. "Spelunking for amateurs: Cave of the Mounds; Geological wonder lets visitors get up close and personal with science." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 27 July 2006, MKE Edition, Sec. Z, p. 21.

External links

Listed in the following categories:
Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Avneesh Kohli
15 August 2018
Very cool hike through underground rock formations. Makes for some awesome pictures. Not overly strenuous so it’s great for the whole family.
Melody McMichael
5 October 2016
Nice little tour. Becky was a wonderful tour guide, plenty to do on the grounds as well if you're just wanting to get outside and enjoy the weather
Dana
4 January 2016
A little expensive, but I love caves so it was worth it to me. The tour guide was great and it is a pretty little cave. Worth a stop!
Amy Robertson
5 June 2016
The cave is small but makes for a good tour. Show up early on even a weekday, tickets sell out 1-2 hours in advance
Dave Sawyer
26 October 2014
Small cafe in the visitor center has snacks and beverages for moderately high prices (e.g., 20oz soda for $2.25).
Ashley M
2 September 2014
Neat place but the tour is very rushed and try to get in a group without kids.
Load more comments
foursquare.com
8.3/10
52,936 people have been here
Map
10825 Cave of the Mounds Road, Blue Mounds, WI 53517, USA Get directions
Fri 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
Sat-Sun 9:00 AM–6:00 PM
Mon 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Tue 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
Wed 10:00 AM–3:00 PM

Cave of the Mounds on Foursquare

Cave of the Mounds on Facebook

Other languages

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
Grandstay Hotel and Suites

starting $119

Fairfield Inn & Suites Madison Verona

starting $179

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Verona

starting $172

Best Western Dodgeville Inn & Suites

starting $128

Super 8 By Wyndham Dodgeville

starting $69

Super 8 By Wyndham Verona/Madison

starting $94

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
House on the Rock

The House on the Rock, originally opened in 1959, is a complex of

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Henry Vilas Zoo

Henry Vilas Zoo is a public zoo in Madison, Wisconsin, United States.

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Natural Bridge State Park (Wisconsin)

Natural Bridge State Park is a Шаблон:Convert state park of Wisco

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Ho-Chunk Casino

Ho-Chunk Casino is a Native American casino located in Wisconsin

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Fort Koshkonong

Fort Koshkonong (Fort Cosconong) was located at a site which today is

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Fort Atkinson Water Tower

The Fort Atkinson Water Tower is an unused water tower that was built

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Shot Tower (Dubuque)

The Shot Tower located in Dubuque, Iowa is one of the United States'

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is a museum

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Luray Caverns

Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a large, celebrated

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Grand Caverns

Grand Caverns, formerly known as Weyer's Cave, is located in the

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Marengo Cave

Marengo Cave is located in Marengo, Indiana. One of only four show

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Lewis and Clark Caverns

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park is located in southeastern

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Speedwell Cavern

The Speedwell Cavern is one of the four show caves in Castleton,

See all similar places