Minnetonka Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Minnetonka Cave Rd, St Charles, ID 83272. Caribou-Targhee National Forest, St. Charles Canyon northwest of Bear Lake. 15 km west of St. Charles, on Forest Road 412. (42.0874057, -111.5187995)
Open:	Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day daily 10-17:30, tours every 30 min. [2019]
Fee:	Adults USD 8, Children (6-15) USD 6, Children (0-5) free, Family (2+*) USD 32, Golden Age Passport holders USD 3.50. Groups (30+): 10% off. Credit cards not accepted. [2019]
Classification:	Karst Cave Mississippian limestones.
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	T=4 °C, A=2,346 m asl.
Guided tours:	D=90 min, L=800 m, St=444. V=34,000/a [2010].
Photography:	flash photography allowed.
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	David E. Fortsch, Paul Karl Link (1999): Regional Geology and Fossil Sites from Pocatello to Montpelier, Freedom, and Wayan, Southeastern Idaho and Western Wyoming in: Hughes, S.S., and Thackray, G.D., eds., Guidebook to the Geology of Eastern Idaho: Pocatello, Idaho Museum of Natural History, p. 281-294. pdf
Address:	Minnetonka Cave, Montpelier Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 322 North 4th Street, Montpelier, ID 83254, Tel. +1-208-847-0375. Information and reservations: Tel: +1-435-491-0618.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1907	cave discovered by Ed Arnell while hunting a grouse.
1930s	developed by the WPA and opened as a show cave.

Description

Minnetonka Cave is said to be the longest cave of Idaho, which means the longest cave operated as a show cave. This is not as spectacular as it sounds, as the State has only three show caves. Much more impressive is, that it is one of the highest show caves in the world, with an entrance elevation of 2,346 m asl. This cave is famous for various speleothems, like stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, cave bacon, and the rare helictites. The biggest chamber seen on the trip is the Ballroom, which is more than 100 m long and 30 m high. The tour path crosses nine chambers and includes a total of 444 stairs. Minnetonka Cave is operated by the forest service.

The cave was discovered by a frontier woodsman named Edward Arnell. According to legend, he was working to help construct a saw mill in St. Charles Canyon. When he was out hunting, he shot a grouse. The bird fell close to the cave entrance, and he felt cool air when he collected the bird, and discovered the cave entrance where the cool air came out. He returned with friends and lamps the following day to explore the cave.

According to cave guide lore, the cave was named after the American Indian word Minnetonka meaning “falling water” or probably "flowing water." But actually this is right but wrong. And we were not able to find out how it actually is, but what Wikipedia says makes some sense. But even they do not know from which language.

“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”.

The start of the season of Minnetonka Cave is weather depending. If snow conditions allow, it is typically between Memorial Day weekend and the first weekend in June. From late June, the cave is visited by a high number of visitors, which may cause hour-long waits. Tickets are sold on a first-come first-served basis, the trick is to buy a ticket early in the morning. More comfortable is to reserve the tickets on Recreation.gov.

The cave is high up in the mountains and quite remote, there is no electricity at the cave until today. The necessary electricity for the cave light is made by a propane-powered 250-kilowatt generator.

Five different species of bats hibernate in the cave, one is the Townsend's Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii). So far, there is no White Nose Syndrome (WNS) at Minnetonka. To keep it so, visitors are requested not to wear clothing or hand-carried items that have been in any other cave or mine. This includes "boots, hats, purses, cameras, backpacks, jewelry, and cellphones." In other words, leave this stuff in the car when you visit a cave. And if you visit show caves in the U.S.A. and plan to take pictures, you should definitely buy one camera/smartphone per show cave, so you can use a different one for each cave.

The cave is reached on Minnetonka Cave Road which follows St. Charles Canyon from St. Charles to the west. The route climbs more than 500 metres in around 15 km. After about nine kilometres, there is a small car park on the left and the Blue Pond Spring Trail begins on the right, which leads to the beautiful karst spring Blue Pond Spring. As typical for karst springs, the water contains a high amount of dissolved limestone, hence the blue colour. It is surrounded by rocks of the Ordovician Garden City Formation. After four more kilometers, the canyon divides into three forks. Foot trails lead further up into the forks of the canyon. The road to the cave loops back on the mountainside to the cave on the southern slope of the canyon.