Minnetonka Cave, Show cave in Cache National Forest, Bear Lake County, Idaho, US
Minnetonka Cave is a limestone cave in Cache National Forest, Bear Lake County, Idaho, above the village of St. Charles. Its half-mile guided route is lined with stalactites and stalagmites. The cave was discovered in 1907.
Edward Arnell discovered the cave system by chance in 1907 while hunting grouse. During the 1930s, a public works program made the cave accessible and developed it for visitors.
The name comes from Native American languages and likely refers to water in Dakota, Lakota, or Nakota dialects. This linguistic connection to the region's indigenous history becomes present as visitors walk through the underground chambers.
Tours run from Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting, led by Aud-Di Recreational Services under a U.S. Forest Service permit. The route covers about half a mile of stalactites and stalagmites, and the cave stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, so bring a jacket. Restrictions are in place to limit the spread of White Nose syndrome among bats.
The cave is a hibernaculum for five bat species, not six. One of them, Townsend's Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), is not endangered but is listed as a species of concern by both the State of Idaho and the U.S. Forest Service. Restrictions inside the cave aim to stop the spread of White Nose syndrome among the bats.
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