DUCK CREEK "MAMMOTH" LAVA TUBE CAVE, UTAH, UTAH
October 04, 2015
The Dixie National Forest has some interesting high
elevation features that come with this region in Utah. You will first notice the mountainous
plateau’s where pastel colors of red and
white mix in to create a palate of
cream and pink color to the sand stone where the pines grow in abundance. At
times, you can reach an altitude of over 10,000ft. on your way through the
Dixie.
Cedar Breaks is a great place to stop and view the vast vistas of spire formations and at times you can even see Zion in the distance.
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| Duck Creek "Mammoth" Lava Tube Cave, Utah |
Cedar Breaks is a great place to stop and view the vast vistas of spire formations and at times you can even see Zion in the distance.
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| Duck Creek "Mammoth" Lava Tube Cave, Utah |
Among these pines
and the sandy soil, lava beds have formed
through cracks in the earth and have spread across sections of the Dixie as
little as 2000 years ago. Some of these
lava Beds cooled where lava kept flowing creating lava tubes that extend for
quite the distance.
One in particular Lava Tube, which has been named “Mammoth Lava Tube” or Duck Creek Lava Tube, extends for over 2 miles with multiple entrances and thru trips from one side of the tube to another.
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| Duck Creek "Mammoth" Lava Tube Cave, Utah |
One in particular Lava Tube, which has been named “Mammoth Lava Tube” or Duck Creek Lava Tube, extends for over 2 miles with multiple entrances and thru trips from one side of the tube to another.
This particular lava tube sees a lot of heavy traffic and is
closed from October thru May to protect the bat population. Please respect these closures so we can
protect the bat populations and enjoy the lava tubes for generations to
come.
The Mammoth lava tube has four directions to go if you enter
from the main entrance at the parking lot location. There is some nice walking
passage that has been heavily travelled but there also is some breakdown
sections that I bet filter out a lot of people which helps control the human
impact and keep the cave in pristine condition.
There is a gate at the main entrance to protect the bat population on
effective closure dates.
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| Duck Creek "Mammoth" Lava Tube Cave, Utah |
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| Duck Creek "Mammoth" Lava Tube Cave, Utah |
Another direction in the cave takes people through some
interesting varnished walls and ceiling until finding themselves in crawl
spaces and breakdown piles to manipulate themselves around which can become a
challenge for some people. I
did not have a lot of time but the time that we did have, we enjoyed the cave
and got to see a few healthy bats flying around along with one of the fattest
rats we have ever seen.
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| Duck Creek "Mammoth" Lava Tube Cave, Utah |
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