Exploring the Secrets of the Lehman Caves at Great Basin National Park

With the sun-soaked meadows and panoramic vistas completed the day before, our next Great Basin National Park adventure went underground to finally embark on a tour through the incredible Lehman Caves. After exploring the forest landscape, this underground view provided a completely different perspective.

Our morning tour began with the hour-long Lodge Room tour. Lucking out with a small group size, we were one of only three families in the tour, led by our ranger guide, Liz. As we waited for our tour to begin,  we listened as rangers and visitors discussed previous cave exposure and needed sanitization procedures to avoid potential spreading of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS).

While I can’t speak on behalf of all cave tours, at Lehman Caves, White Nose Syndrome is taken very seriously. 

WNS is a fungal disease found in the cool temperatures of caves that attacks hibernating bats, messing with their bodies energy usage and leading to starvation. Thankfully, as of the time of our tour, Nevada and Lehman Caves haven't had any confirmed cases yet, and as a result, have strict screening procedures in place to keep it that way.

For those, like ourselves, who hadn't explored previous caves, we did not need to go through any gear sanitation processes. However, for the visitors with a cave visit in the past few years, rangers guided them to disinfect their gear to avoid accidentally bringing the fungus along for the ride during the tour. Insectivorous bats are especially vulnerable to WNS. Should we visit a new cave, going through the sanitization process to ensure no bacteria is transferred from cave to cave to help protect these natural pest controllers is a cause I can definitely get behind!

With screenings complete as needed, our exploration began. The caves maintain a constant temperature of 50-degrees Fahrenheit, which felt great compared to the outside heat. For the next hour, we followed Liz, who led us through the shadows, revealing underground formations and hidden chambers, all while teaching us about the natural and geological history nestled beneath the Nevada desert.

For this specific tour, we navigated through three different rooms in the cave; the Gothic Palace, Music Room, and Lodge Room. Entering the caves at 6,825 feet, we gradually descended, our eyes adjusting to the darkness and our senses heightened as we entered the caves by flashlight and lantern light alone. For a moment, Liz even shut off all lights for a moment allowing us to appreciate the disorienting darkness that the first explorers would have endured when discovering the caves. Soon after, with a flick of a switch, the cave's lighting system illuminated the majestic formations. Stalactites (icicle-like formations from the ceiling), stalagmites (similar formations rising up from the ground), cave bacon (long, thin sheet formations) and cave turnips (stalactites or stalagmites that forms a bulge in the middle), came into full view to show their full beauty. The fact that these formations grow only a few inches every century is mind-blowing.

This tour was beyond fascinating. Witnessing these majestic formations that have been created over millions of years, and learning about their history and human interactions left us in awe and the experience sparked discussions for hours afterward.

Touring Lehman Caves wasn't just a trip underground, it was like stepping into a new world. It's a humbling reminder of the beauty and complexity that lies hidden beneath our feet and hammered home the importance of the National Park System and preservation groups. 

These protected areas safeguard not only breathtaking sights like Lehman Caves, but also crucial ecosystems and irreplaceable pieces of history. Thanks to the tireless efforts of park systems and preservation groups, these wonders are preserved for us and future generations to explore, appreciate and learn from. 

Having seen the beauty of what lies underground who knows whether our next big adventures will include fun above ground or below.

For those unable to make it to Great Basin Nation Park and explore the Lehman Caves for themselves, the National Park Service offers virtual tours through the caves to digitally discover the wonders of the site, these virtual cave tours can be found here: National Park Service Virtual Lehman Cave Tours.