The Underground World
Lehman Caves (a single cavern despite the name) extends a quarter-mile into the limestone and marble that flanks the base of the Snake Range. Discovered about 1885 by Absalom Lehman, a rancher and miner, this cavern is one of the most profusely decorated caves in the region.
What we see today began hundreds of thousands of years ago. Surface water, turned slightly acidic from carbon dioxide gas, mixed with water deep below the surface, dissolving the soluble rock at the horizontal water table. Evidence of the dissolving action from the slowly circulating water was recorded in the rock walls of the cave, in the form of spherical domes in the ceilings and spoon-shaped scallops on the walls. Eventually, the water drained from the cave, leaving behind hollow rooms and sculptured walls.
Then came the second stage of cavern development. Water percolated downward from the surface, carrying with it small amounts of dissolved limestone (calcite). Drop by drop, over centuries, seemingly insignificant trickles deposited wonders of stone. The result is a rich display of cave formations, or as scientists call them, speleothems.
Lehman Caves has such familiar cave formations as stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, flowstone and soda straws. There are also some rarities such as shields, which consist of two roughly circular plates fastened together like fattened clam shells, often with graceful stalactites and draperies hanging from their lower plate. Lehman Caves is most famous for its abundance of shields.
A shield called the Parachute and other formations make touring Lehman Caves an unusual and rewarding experience. Delicate helictites, small branching formations that defy gravity, and anthodites, small needle-like crystals of aragonite, are also found throughout the caves. Cave popcorn resembling the edible variety, adorns many walls
Lehman Caves can only be entered with a guided tour. Cave tours are 30, 60, or 90 minutes long. Longer tours go further along the same route than shorter tours. The full tour route is 0.54 miles round-trip. The First Room Tour (30 minutes) visits only the Gothic Palace, the first room in the cave. Because children under 5 years of age have a limited attention span, they are not permitted on the 90 minute tour. Cave tours are limited to 25 persons per tour. Cave tours often sell out during busy summer months. To ensure space, buy your tickets early in the day, or in advance over the telephone (775-234-7331 x242). Great Basin National Park is on Pacific Time.
Open daily year round except Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.
Great Basin National Park
