Skip to main content

Route 66 Wednesdays; Grand Canyon Caverns

By
East of Peach Springs along Old US 66 in Yavapai County is the Grand Canyon Caverns.


Grand Canyon Caverns is a rare series of dry limestone caves approximately 200 below the surface of Old US 66.  Originally the Grand Canyon Caverns were called "Dinosaur Caverns" but the name changed once it was discovered that the roughly 60-mile network of caverns extended to the Grand Canyon.  Grand Canyon Caverns was known to the local Hualapai Tribe located in Peach Springs but they were discovered in 1927 by gold prospector Walter Peck (yes, the same name as the EPA agent in Ghostbusters).  Grand Canyon Caverns quickly became a tourist attraction with tours entering the natural entrance until a new entrance was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935.  The modern elevator shaft to the main cavern was installed in 1962 which was also the year that Grand Canyon Caverns was designated a fallout shelter.

The grounds around Grand Canyon Caverns have many displays of vintage cars and assorted dinosaur sculptures.




The visitor center has a large display detailing facts about Grand Canyon Caverns.  For a price, you can actually stay the night in the Crystal Cavern.


The Crystal Cavern is located 220 feet below the surface at the bottom of the main elevator shaft.  The temperature of the Crystal Cavern is a constant 56F.



There are many displays citing facts about the Grand Canyon Caverns.  The guided caverns are surprisingly well lit which should be obvious from the fact that I was able to pick up clear pictures with a Blackberry phone.



It isn't probably all that obvious but the shaft in the rocks overhead is the natural entrance which was sealed when the modern elevator was installed.


The actual Grand Canyon Caverns Inn is located directly below the natural entrance.


There are still underground food rations from the height of the Cold War still on display.



Apparently, things didn't go well when this bobcat fell down the natural entrance as it was mummified by the dry air of Grand Canyon Caverns.


As for Peach Springs, it is the current headquarters for the Hualapai Tribe and is located directly west of the Mohave County line near Grand Canyon Caverns.






Peach Springs dates back to the 1880s when it was created as a rail siding of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad.  Peach Springs can be seen on the 1882 A&P operating map.

1882 A&P Railroad Operating Map


Site Navigation:

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

By
The Crescent City Connection is a massive dual-span steel truss bridge that spans the lower Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans, about 95 river miles upstream from the mouth of the great river at the Head of Passes Light. If counted as a single bi-directional highway bridge, the parallel spans combine to form the single busiest bridge on the Mississippi River and its importance as a linchpin in the region’s transportation network cannot be overstated. While there have been various schemes over the years to construct bridges downriver from Algiers Point, this bridge has been the southernmost bridge on the Mississippi River since its initial construction in the 1950s. The years immediately following the end of World War II were a transformational period in the history of New Orleans. Already one of the great economic and cultural centers of the American Deep South, it was recognized at this time that major changes and improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure would b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old US Route 99 through Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch

By
This summer I had a look into the alignment history of US Route 99 through the Tulare County communities of Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch.  While this slab below might seem like much it is one of the few remaining reminders of how US Route 99 was during the 1920s in Tulare County. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Route 99 in Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch Tipton and Tulare were both founded in 1872 as sidings of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The Southern Pacific Railroad laid the groundwork for development of southern San Joaquin Valley.  Previous to the Southern Pacific Railroad travel via wagon or foot in Central California tended to avoid San Joaquin Valley in favor of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  The Stockton Los Ange...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 101 and California State Route 41 through Paso Robles

By
Paso Robles is a city located on the Salinas River of San Luis Obispo County, California.  As originally configured the surface alignments of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 converged in downtown Paso Robles.  US Route 101 originally was aligned through Paso Robles via Spring Street.  California State Route 41 entered the City of Paso Robles via Union Road and 13th Street where it intersected US Route 101 at Spring Street.  US Route 101 and California State Route 41 departed Paso Robles southbound via a multiplex which split near Templeton.   Pictured above is the cover of the September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works which features construction of the Paso Robles Bypass.  Pictured below is the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Luis Obispo County which depicts US Route 101 and California State Route 41 intersecting in downtown Paso Robles.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 i...
Post a Comment
Read more