Group Tour Magazine - August 2023 - 114

WES T
director of communications at Natural
Bridge Caverns. " People don't realize the
wonders that are right under their feet. "
In addition to the caverns, Natural Bridge
offers several eateries on-site, as well as an
adventure ropes course, an outdoor maze,
and shopping opportunities.
A sister to the Natural Bridge Caverns
and internationally recognized as one of
the most beautiful caves in the world, the
Caverns of Sonora, located in Sonora, Texas,
is also worth adding to your underground
itinerary. All tours offer an intimate group
setting, and guides lead visitors through
crystal corridors more than 150 feet below
the surface. Groups are welcome to personalize
their entire experience, too. Beyond the
beauty of the caverns themselves, the destination
is in a ranch-like setting, complete
with a gift shop, hiking, camping, and other
fun activities such as panning for gemstones.
For cave explorers looking for an outLehman
Caves, Great Basin
National Park, Baker, Nevada
UNDERGROUND
ADVENTURES
Caves and caverns draw novice and expert
spelunkers to the American Southwest
BY DANIELLE DEVOTA
T
114
AUGUST 2023
he Southwest is known for spectacular views of towering mountains,
deep canyons, and pristine lakes, but there's also a whole other world
beneath the surface waiting to be discovered. Adventure seekers can
safely experience the mystery and magic of the region's countless cave
systems on guided tours.
In Texas, groups can explore several cave landscapes, including
the largest one in the state, Natural Bridge Caverns. Located in San
Antonio, Natural Bridge Caverns offers tours with varying levels of
difficulty, recently adding the new Hidden Wonders Tour, which
explores two new chambers not previously seen, accompanied by
a sound and light show. " Our philosophy is based around stewardship
of these incredible natural spaces, " says Winter Prosapio,
of-the-ordinary experience, Lehman Caves
in Nevada's Great Basin National Park is
a must-visit. The caves are full of stalactites
and stalagmites, but they also have
some less commonly seen formations as
well. " Lehman Caves have some highly
unusual formations, including what is
known as shield formations ... over 500
of them, " says Christopher Amidon, acting
chief of interpretation at Great Basin
National Park. The national park gives
groups the opportunity to enjoy a wide
spectrum of Nevada's landscape at the highest
of heights down into the earth itself.
Another national park for underground
exploration is Carlsbad Caverns National
Park in New Mexico, also known as " the
Grand Canyon with a roof over it. " Among
other formations, Carlsbad Caverns is home
to the Big Room, the largest single cave
chamber by volume in North America. Above
ground, visitors can enjoy hands-on exhibits,
a bookstore, a restaurant, and more.
Meanwhile near Bend, Oregon, groups
can check out a diff erent type of " cave " experience
with a self-guided tour of the Lava
River Cave Interpretive Site. Th is is one of the
first lava tubes discovered in the state and
the longest. Th e trail is 2 miles round trip and
takes about an hour and a half to complete.
The cave is complete with large chambers,
caves within caves, and sand gardens.
PHOTO NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/RICK BOWERSOX
Group Tour Magazine - August 2023

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