Carlsbad Caverns, Shinav's Wigwam, 1923

Carlsbad Caverns, Shinav's Wigwam, 1923

Photo was taken in 1923 inside Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico shows a wall in the chambers known as Shinav's Wigwam (from Shinav, a mythical deity of the Navajo Indians). The stalactites have grown together laterally to form a solid curtain-like mass. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains in southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park is the show cave, Carlsbad Cavern. The Carlsbad Caverns are an extensive cave system with over 80 known caves. It originated 250 million years ago as erosion started on a reef in an (evaporated) inland sea. Visitors to the cave can hike in on their own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center. Show caves - also called tourist caves, public caves, and in the United States, commercial caves - are caves that are managed by a government or commercial organization and made accessible to the general public, usually for an entrance fee. Unlike wild caves, they typically possess such features as constructed trails, guided tours, lighting, and regular opening hours.

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4200 x 3157 px | 37.9 MB

35.6 x 26.7 cm | 14.0 x 10.5 in (300 dpi)