Earth:Minnetonka Cave
| 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[1] |
| Discovery | 1907 |
| Geology | Karst cavern, Mississippian Limestone |
| Entrances | 1 |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Translation | Big/Large Water (Lakota/Dakota/Nakota) |
| Pronunciation | (Mini-Tah-“nasal n”-Kah) |
Minnetonka Cave is one of the larger limestone caves in the state of Idaho. It is located in Caribou National Forest in Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States , above the village of St. Charles (located at the north end of Bear Lake). “Minnetonka” is a misunderstanding of the words Mni and Tanka, derived from one of three Indigenous dialects: Dakota, Lakota or Nakota. “Mni Tanka”, pronounced (Mini-Tah-“nasal n”-Kah) translates into “Big/Large Water”. Tours through the cave are offered from Memorial Day (weather permitting) through Labor Day by Aud-Di 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
- ↑ Montpelier RD, Caribou-Targee NFs map
- ↑ "Minnetonka Cave on the Montpelier Ranger District". United States Forest Service. http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3_015684.pdf. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
- ↑ "Drafts Species Account". Yolo Natural Heritage Program. 2009. http://www.yoloconservationplan.org/yolo_pdfs/speciesaccounts/mammals/townsends-big-eared-bat.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
External links
- Bearlake visitors bureau
- Scenic Canyons - Photos and tour information
- Backcountry Secrets: Minnetonka Cave Idaho coordinates
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