Published April 11, 2023, for State 48 A2Z
Just outside of Tucson in Vail, Arizona lies a cave that has seen its share of visitors from as early as 900 CE to the present day. It was once used by the Hohokam as a temporary shelter, but it didn’t become legendary until the late 1800s when it was used by train robbers as a hideout following a pair of heists. This week we head about 12 miles southeast of Tucson, to the Rincon Mountains and the town of Vail, Arizona as we tour the Colossal Cave Mountain Park.
Colossal Cave’s history started long before the Hohokam first used it as a temporary shelter from roughly 900 - 1450CE. While that may seem a long-time back findings inside the cave point back as far as 300 million years ago when most of the now American southwest was mostly a vast sea occupied by giant sharks, tetrapods, and many other vast primitive sea life.
Then, around 80 million years ago, limestone and granite layers collided together, pushing upward, and created numerous land formations including the Rincon Mountain range. After eons of water erosion Colossal Cave, which had previously been completely underwater managed to reach a dry state and is considered today as one of the largest dry caves in North America.
While little history is known about this cave prior to the Hohokam, other than evidence of former sea life, the early Native Americans did manage to come across the cave around 900 CE, and proof found inside and around the cave indicate that they did make it their home until sometime around 1450 CE. The Hohokam, whose name comes from the Piman term meaning “all used up” or “exhausted”, only used the area of the cave’s initial cavern as they considered the cave sacred, and no evidence exists to show they ventured any further. A peaceful people, the Hohokam farmed the valley below the cave, which is now known as La Posta Quemada Ranch. Today, the cave and ranch are a historical destination for adults and children alike while providing educational outreach for school children.
It seems that the cave may have been an amazing secret not found again until American ranchers and homesteaders started making their way to this area that we now call southern Arizona. Sometime in 1979, a local rancher and former Union soldier, Solomon Lick, was searching for stray cattle with a few companions when they came upon Colossal Cave. At first, they were unsure if it was an abandoned mine or a cave.
A short time following their discovery, an exploration team using candles to guide them, made the trek into the Cave to document their findings. A local newspaper at the time reported on their findings, “An arched entrance three feet wide and four feet high…At the mouth of the cave the air was terribly foul…discovered to be from the large deposits of bat excrement all through the cave…The finding of ashes and other indications of fire, evidently very old..(and) no doubt one of the haunts and resting places of the Apaches…Bones of all kinds lay scattered around, no less than 500 deer antlers being seen and other evidences of life destruction and feasting…They brought out with them many beautiful specimens of stalactites and some fine deer antlers which they brought with them to the city.”
A few years following the exploration, the Cave had its most infamous temporary residents when it was used as a hideout by a trio of train robbers, John Maier, Josiah “Kid” Smith, and George Green. The trio hit the Southern & Pacific Train Number 20 twice in a four-month period, making off the first time with $3,000 in currency. On their second hit, they made off with gold and silver Mexican dollars of unknown value. Following the second theft, the sheriff and his posse would track the trio to their cave hideout where a shootout ensued. In the end, both Maier and Smith were killed, while Green was captured alive and served nearly two decades in Yuma Territorial Prison, never telling anyone where they hid the stolen loot. Legend has it that it was buried in the cave, but it seems to have been just that, a legend, as no gold or silver has ever been found here in 140 years.
Then, in 1890, William Shaw took over operations of the then-called Mountain Springs Ranch and, along with a group of soldiers from nearby Fort Lowell, explored the Cave’s caverns for five hours using candles and magnesium wire to illuminate their path. They were amazed at their findings of finger and kidney-shaped stalactites and stalagmites in addition to holes that were so deep that they could only faintly hear a rock hitting bottom.
In the first decade of the 20th century, a business venture was formed to excavate the bat guano from the cave and sell it for use in manufacturing fertilizer. To accomplish this, a 75-foot tunnel was bored to access the area of the cave where the excrement was. It was reported that seven carloads were removed from the cave and shipped to Los Angeles before the supply was exhausted.
In 1917, Alfred A. Trippel laid claim to the cave and its surrounding land for use as a tourist attraction. Trippel would ask a local amateur spelunker, Lynn Hodgson, to explore the cave and provide a survey. It was Hodgson who reported back to Trippel that the Cave was “colossal”. According to Hodgson, this is where the name came from.
Frank Schmidt, a German immigrant who had personally explored the cave extensively, filed a lease for 160 acres of the state land around the cave, investing in a series of improvements including electric lighting and a ticket office. Then, in 1925, Schmidt would petition the State Land Board to extend the terms of his lease, citing improvements he made. But, as state law did not permit for land leases longer than 5-years at the time, Schmidt’s long-term plans for the cave were thwarted. In an attempt to compromise, Schmidt suggested that the state assume the park's operations.
But, by 1930, local leadership was increasingly concerned that the cave could pass into private hands and the Chamber of Commerce created a committee to address the issue. Meanwhile, the Arizona Daily Star was praising the park’s merits as a tourist attraction while blasting the lack of local initiative in promoting it. The newspaper’s editor heaped praise on the legislative effort to handle the land issue but showed little faith that the problem would be resolved by the state government.
Schmidt would finally agree to abandon his lease to the cave and surrounding land in 1934 so that federal resources could be used to help make necessary improvements. Once the improvements were made, the county assumed the lease and then hired Schmidt to run the operations of the cave as a park. Schmidt would remain in his position until 1956 when the county entered into a private partnership to operate the Park.
The early development of the park was done by the Citizens Conservation Corps (CCC), which included paving the park roads and adding lighting and walkways inside the cave. The stone building that currently houses the café and gift shop, was also built by CCC workers. Colossal Cave was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1934, thanks in large part to the effort of the CCC.
Today the park is open for tours seven days a week except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Days, offering its Classic Cave Tour in addition to the Ladder Tour.
The Classic Cave Tour will take between 40 minutes to an hour to complete. On this tour, you will learn about the Cave’s history and its legends (such as train robbers and ghosts) as well as take in its amazingly beautiful geology. You will descend nearly 60 feet into the cave and its caverns using 363 steps while taking in its beauty of stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, box work, and helictites, not to mention some of the cave’s inhabitants. Yes, bats still reside here but are more afraid of humans than we are of them. Your lanterns, provided by Colossal Cave, will be set to a light frequency that does not attract bats or confuse them (bat-friendly lighting). You will most likely see at least a few of these creatures on your tour, but they tend to just fly by.
The Ladder Tour will take you through seldom-seen areas of the Cave that have been limited to the public since the 1950s. The tour will last approximately one and a half hours and is restricted to those 12 years and older. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Hard hats and lights are provided. Full-fingered gloves are required but are not provided. You will either need to bring your own gloves or purchase a pair there. All tour participants must be physically fit and able to scale obstacles and navigate tight places.
Colossal Cave also offers discounts to groups and schools who make reservations at least two weeks in advance. You can view the google map for Colossal Cave here or visit their page at colossalcave.com.
That’ll wrap things up for this week. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy travels. Be sure to like and follow us on social media (links below), share our blog posts, and feel free to give us your feedback. We’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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