Minnetonka Cave

For other uses, see Minnetonka (disambiguation).
Minnetonka Cave

Minnetonka Cave, administered by the U.S. Forest Service
Location Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States
Coordinates 42°5′14″N 111°31′07″W / 42.08722°N 111.51861°W / 42.08722; -111.51861Coordinates: 42°5′14″N 111°31′07″W / 42.08722°N 111.51861°W / 42.08722; -111.51861[1]
Discovery 1907
Geology Karst cavern, Mississippian Limestone
Entrances 1
Difficulty Easy

Minnetonka Cave is one of the larger limestone caves in the state of Idaho. It is located in Cache National Forest in Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States, above the village of St. Charles (located at the north end of Bear Lake). Tours through the cave are offered from Memorial Day (weather permitting) through Labor Day by Scenic Canyons Recreational Services, the concessionaire that holds the special use permit from the United States Forest Service. The half-mile route through the cave is lined with stalactites and stalagmites.

The cave is a hibernaculum to five different species of bats.[2] One species, the Townsend's Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), while not on the endangered species list is on the lists of both the State of Idaho and the Forest Service as a species of concern.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Montpelier RD, Caribou-Targee NFs map
  2. ↑ "Minnetonka Cave on the Montpelier Ranger District" (PDF). United States Forest Service. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  3. ↑ "Drafts Species Account" (PDF). Yolo Natural Heritage Program. 2009. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
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