Colorado’s two “show caves” give visitors a bat’s-eye view of geologic features formed over many thousands of years. What lies beneath? Stalactites, stalagmites and a lot of formations named after food. Here’s enough info to help you cave- talk like a smarty.
Stalactites (1) – They hang down and are the product of billions of drops of calcite-filled water. Stalagmites (2) grow up from the cave floor when the water splashes down and spreads. Cocktail-party dazzler: Stalactites and stalagmites grow roughly the width of a human hair each year. After perhaps millions of years (and no human interference) they may grow together to make a column.
Flowstone (3) (also called “ice cream”) formations are created when water oozes over the cave walls or floors and the calcite in the water hardens into a smooth, shiny surface, giving it the look of cake icing or a frozen waterfall.
Soda straws (4) hang from the ceiling in long, hollow tubes. A plugged straw almost always becomes a stalactite.
Cave bacon (5) forms when water drops flow down a sloped ceiling and build up calcite in a thin line. The curving formations are sometimes colored by iron oxide or other dissolved ores, giving them the striped look of giant strips of bacon.
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SEE FOR YOURSELF: SUMMER HOURS END LABOR DAY WEEKEND
Cave of the Winds, Manitou Springs
DIRECTIONS FROM I-25
Exit 141 Six miles west of Colorado Springs on U.S. 24.
More information and interactive activities: caveofthewinds.com.
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, Glenwood Springs
DIRECTIONS FROM I-70
Exit 116 in Glenwood Springs North to Sixth Street Left (west) to Devereux Road Left (south) and immediately turn right onto Two Rivers Plaza Road. More information: glenwoodcaverns.com
