Caverns of Sonora, Show cave and National Natural Landmark in Sutton County, Texas, USA
The Caverns of Sonora is a cave system in Sutton County with passageways extending across several kilometers underground. The interior displays an impressive collection of limestone formations including stalactites, stalagmites, and rare helictites.
The cave formed in Segovia Limestone of the Edwards Group, a rock about 100 million years old, but the passages themselves were dissolved by acidic water between roughly 1.5 and 5 million years ago. Water drained out 1 to 3 million years ago, after which the calcite formations grew. Local ranch hands knew the first quarter-mile by the early 1900s as Mayfield Cave, after landowner Stanley Mayfield; in 1955 four Dallas cavers found a further seven miles.
The cave takes its name from Sonora, the Sutton County seat 8 miles (13 km) east. Local ranch-hands knew the first quarter-mile by the early 1900s as Mayfield Cave, after landowner Stanley Mayfield. In 1957 a steel gate was fitted and the site was briefly renamed "Secret Cave" to hide its location; it opened to guided tours on July 16, 1960.
Guided tours lead visitors through the cave while camping is available on the grounds and activities like gemstone panning are offered. The site is located near Interstate 10 and is easily accessible with parking available on-site.
The Butterfly was the only known formation of its kind worldwide, formed by two fishtail helictites sharing a single attachment point on the cave wall. In November 2006, about a third of its right wing was broken off.
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