Mitchell Caverns are part of the California State Parks
system. Guided tours are available for a reasonable fee. Tours
are limited to 25 people at a time and reservations are
required for groups over 10 and recommended for all. All
reservations are done by snail mail so plan in advance.
Details on reservations and tour schedules are available at
the parks website.
Parking is limited and is located at N34 56.616 W115
30.803.
The formation of these caves can be thought of as beginning with
the formation of the limestone. In the Pennsylvanian and Permian,
roughly 250 to 300 million years ago, these mountains did not exist
and an ancient ocean covered the area. A variety of animals grew
shells that collected at the bottom of that ancient sea forming the
limestone that is now called the Bird Spring Formation. Later in
the Jurassic (136 to 190 million years ago), the precursor to the
current Providence Mountains, the ones Mitchell Caverns are in,
were formed by mountain building forces that created many of the
mountain ranges of Western North America.
These forces began to push the Bird Spring
Limestone back up to the surface. It is thought that sometime
during the Miocene (26 to 25 million years ago) the caves
began to form. At that time, rainfall was more abundant and
the ground water was above the highest part of the caves. As
rain falls through the air, it reacts with carbon dioxide
along with sulfur oxides, nitrogen, and other natural
compounds emitted by volcanic eruptions to form weak acids. As
these acids percolated into the limestone, they begin to
dissolve stone. Weak points along bedding planes dissolve
fastest forming cracks. Once the ground water dissolve the
cracks to a critical width, the flow of water becomes
turbulent increasing the rate that the limestone is dissolved.
Even more water is then channeled though these widened cracks
eventually creating the caverns. As long as the ground water
remains above the cavern, the caverns continue growing
larger.
Mountain building continued to push the Bird
Spring Limestone up and climate shifts decreased the amount of
rain. The ground water fell below the caverns and the variety
of speleothems (dripstone features) began to form. These
features are formed by water percolating down through the rock
and dripping off the cave roof. This water contains dissolved
limestone. When exposed to the air of the cave some of the
water evaporates and redeposits the limestone on the roof,
walls, cracks, and floor. Depending upon how the water falls
determines the type of speleothem that is made.
Logging requirements:
Send me a note with :
- The text "GC13Y60 Mitchell Caverns" on the first line
- The number of people in your group.
- the name of two speleothems found in the cave, other than a
stalactite and a stalagmite, and how they are thought to form.
- name the famous/rare speleothem that is found in the cave and
how it is formed (this can be used for 1 as well)
- find out if the cave formations are continuing to grow and the
term used to describe this kind of cave.
Additional Technical info:
The visitor center has a pamphlet with additional details on the
formation of the caves and regional geology entitled Geologic
Setting of Mitchell Caverns by Robert M. Norris, Professor of
Geology, University of California Santa Barbara.
Additional Sources:
Robert M. Norris, Professor of Geology, Universtiy of California
Santa Barbara, Geologic Setting of Mitchell Caverns Sharp and
Glazner, Geology Underfoot in Southern California
Placement approved by
Mitchel Caverns California State Park