Spelunkers found a previously unexplored section of Grand Canyon Caverns, on Route 66 west of Seligman, Arizona.
A reporter from KSAZ in Phoenix recently accompanied the explorers into the depths:
FOX 10 News | fox10phoenix.com
From the story:
Before this story, only 15 people had ever seen what is inside. Simply put it is beautiful, crystal formations that took tens and maybe hundreds of thousands of year to form a line on the ceiling. Other crystals litter the floor; it’s a result of ten years of hard digging to remove rocks and open up this Arizona treasure. The work was done by a small, but dedicated group of cave explorers.
“Nothing has been touched, everything is untouched, that’s the goal, to go into a virgin cave, to go where no man has gone before,” said Dashofy.
The exciting part is the caverns still contain unexplored sections.
The station reports the newly discovered cavern is expected to be open to the public later this year.
According to John McEnulty of Grand Canyon Caverns in its June newsletter:
This will be the first time since 1927 that a brand new, completely separate system of caves will be opened to visiting guests at the Grand Canyon Caverns. The explorers of these caves are the first humans to have ever set eyes on the amazing and beautiful rock formations and unique patterns of colors these caves possess. This is going to be a fantastic and very special tour we will be able to offer all the Friends of the Caverns next year, so please stay tuned and we will keep you informed of the details as they become available.
Grand Canyon Caverns already offers a 2 1/2-hour Explorers Tour in the existing cave system, if you can’t wait.
In the late 1920s or early 1930s, Walter Peck began offering tours to the caverns. In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration made an agreement with Peck to build a new entrance to the Caverns. It’s been a Route 66 attraction ever since.
(Image from a previously unexplored section of Grand Canyon Caverns, via Grand Canyon Caverns)