Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Timpanogos Cave [ ˌ tɪmpənəʊgəz keɪv ] ( German Timpanogos Cave) is the eponymous cave for a stalactite cave system in the northern slope of Mount Timpanogos. It is located in the Wasatch Range in Utah - American Fork close and far from the state capital, Salt Lake City. The caves were discovered in 1887-1921 and are designated as a National Monument, National Park Service.

The Park

The park is especially steep in American Fork Canyon in the Wasatch Range, a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains. The slope, in which lie the caves ranges from about 1,600 to about 3,000 m. Even on the surface of the parking area is particularly diverse considering the small size. In the valley of the American Fork River is a lowland forest with cottonwood poplars and ash - maple. The vegetation then changed with the increasing height above subalpine to alpine plant communities. The wildlife of the valley ranges from the Mountain Goat on bighorn sheep and mountain lions to black bear.

In the limestone are found both on the surface, as in parts of the cave fossils of Rugosa, feather stars and brachiopods.

The caves

The cave system consists of three large and several smaller caves that were artificially connected by tunnels. The Hansen - cave was found in 1887 by the settlers Martin Hansen in the Woodcutting. He was fascinated by the many stalactite formations and led visitors into the cave. After a few years the cave was looted, the stalagmites and sinter curtains were reached in museums and private collections, or processed into arts and crafts pieces.

1915, the Timpanogos Cave was discovered and initially forgotten. In 1921 she was re-discovered and a third - as " Mean cave " called - Cave found. Now, initiatives emerged to protect the caves, and the very next year presented U.S. President Warren G. Harding, the caves initially under the temporary protection of the United States Forest Service, before the National Monument was taken over in 1933 by the National Park Service.

The Hansen Cave today contains only a few remarkable formations, but is important because of their subterranean lake for the constant climate in the caves. In the Middle Cave fall to sinter curtains and pendant " Great Room " has a wide variety of sinter formations.

The core of the cave system is the Timpanogos Cave. Here hangs the coalesced from several stalactites "Heart of Timpanogos " and here are large parts of the walls with Excentrique (French for " eccentric" ) covered. It is the finest structures of calcite which form curved excesses in all directions. The origin is completely unknown, since the shapes of the gravity are unaffected. Some Excentriques are hollow so that capillary effects can come into play. In the more common massive Excentriques this explanation is insufficient.

Tourist Facilities

The Timpanogos Cave National Monument is a small reserve and consists of only one visitor information in the valley and the actual caves in the mountain. Commences with a 2.4 kilometers long, steep path. In the caves, only small differences in height are to deal with.

Visitors are guided by rangers in groups of up to 20 who have a minimum of 10 minute intervals. In summer it is recommended to make a reservation, as may occur for several hours waiting for the available space.

There is accommodation in the park itself does not, in the valley of the American Fork River, are several campsites of the U.S. Forest Service. Motels there are in the villages west of the mountains, hotels in Salt Lake City and suburbs.