Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

At the World's End: Grand Canyon Caverns

Missing hiker in the caverns?
Missing hiker in the caverns?

After leaving the surreal and creepy ghost town of Chloride, AZ, we stopped for an obligatory chocolate malt at one of the many charming diners on Route 66 and considered the time.

With five hours to spare before hitting the Grand Canyon for sunset, we decided to take a gamble and swing by the gaudily advertised Grand Canyon Caverns, just east of Peach Springs. Despite the name, the only affiliation between the caverns and the national park is that they connect underground and share the same air. At a not-insignificant $16 a head for the tour, we half-expected it to be a serious rip-off and time sink.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Thankfully, it was actually a lot of fun.

After handing over the notes, our offbeat guide took us down a rickety elevator into the largest dry caverns in the U.S. Dry caverns are effectively dead caverns: no running water, no new rock formations and no forms of life. Frozen in time.

They are also fearsomely eerie places, with mummified bobcats and missing hikers (possibly) and the skeletal remains of a giant sloth (Gertie, they named her) that slipped into the network of caves several million years ago. You can still see scratch marks on the wall where the poor sloth tried to claw her way out.

The guide’s monologue was more amusing than the usual patter; she was refreshingly deadpan, joking in equal measure about the fake skeleton models and the quality of the air and the questionable integrity of the money-spinning prospector who first discovered the caverns and their lucrative potential. Clearly a woman who loved the informative side of her job as much as scaring the kids.

The man who discovered the caverns, Mr. Walter Peck, fell into a hole in the 1920s. After some ramshackle exploration with ropes and torches, he was convinced that he had found a vein of gold and proceeded to sink his finances into purchasing the "gold mine." After discovering his rookie mistake (rust apparently looks a lot like gold), he decided to think outside the box and charge people to come and look at his cavern instead, lowering them down into the darkness by a precarious length of rope. Hard to imagine, but apparently the rickety staircase he built for later tourists was far more terrifying.

Caverns Suite.

As we worked our careful way along the underground rocky paths, a strange sight opened up in the football-field-sized main cavern. For only $700 a night, you can stay in the glamourous "Caverns Suite" built into the center of the cavern, complete with TV, bathroom and shower, complimentary candy but no lights, no staff, no sounds – just you and the ghost of the prospector who still haunts the darkest corners. It doesn’t get more romantic than that.

Apparently, the comedian Billy Connolly once spent the night here. (Another well-loved British eccentric in these parts. We get everywhere).

Interestingly, the caverns also have a more recent history. They were appointed as a fallout shelter in 1962 for the presumed upcoming nuclear holocaust, and, surprisingly, one of the caves is still stacked with enough emergency rations to keep 2,000 people alive for several weeks.

The fallout shelter you can trust.

Our guide proudly showed us the gallon drums of water and scrappy boxes of barely-edible rations, the portable toilets and emergency blankets that would become home should the unthinkable happen. To be honest, if faced with the prospect of two weeks eating nothing but fifty-year old carbohydrate-substitute crackers and rancid candy, I’d take my chances with the radioactive zombies up top.

(I would like to add that I hadn’t expected this particular detour to be quite so apocalyptic. Sometimes the world’s end just follows me around).

The tour took about an hour, but we could have spent much longer chatting to the guide about her beloved caverns. Sure, it isn’t a national park complete with breathtaking views and the protection of government funding, but it’s a fun stop off on an otherwise achy and monotonous journey to the edge of the world.

And who knows, if this world keeps getting crazy we might need the caverns for more than just a cheap thrill – so probably best to mark them on the map while you can.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The Fellini of Clairemont High

When gang showers were standard for gym class
Next Article

Morricone Youth, Berkley Hart, Dark Entities, Black Heart Procession, Monsters Of Hip-Hop

Live movie soundtracks, birthdays and more in Balboa Park, Grantville, Oceanside, Little Italy
Missing hiker in the caverns?
Missing hiker in the caverns?

After leaving the surreal and creepy ghost town of Chloride, AZ, we stopped for an obligatory chocolate malt at one of the many charming diners on Route 66 and considered the time.

With five hours to spare before hitting the Grand Canyon for sunset, we decided to take a gamble and swing by the gaudily advertised Grand Canyon Caverns, just east of Peach Springs. Despite the name, the only affiliation between the caverns and the national park is that they connect underground and share the same air. At a not-insignificant $16 a head for the tour, we half-expected it to be a serious rip-off and time sink.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Thankfully, it was actually a lot of fun.

After handing over the notes, our offbeat guide took us down a rickety elevator into the largest dry caverns in the U.S. Dry caverns are effectively dead caverns: no running water, no new rock formations and no forms of life. Frozen in time.

They are also fearsomely eerie places, with mummified bobcats and missing hikers (possibly) and the skeletal remains of a giant sloth (Gertie, they named her) that slipped into the network of caves several million years ago. You can still see scratch marks on the wall where the poor sloth tried to claw her way out.

The guide’s monologue was more amusing than the usual patter; she was refreshingly deadpan, joking in equal measure about the fake skeleton models and the quality of the air and the questionable integrity of the money-spinning prospector who first discovered the caverns and their lucrative potential. Clearly a woman who loved the informative side of her job as much as scaring the kids.

The man who discovered the caverns, Mr. Walter Peck, fell into a hole in the 1920s. After some ramshackle exploration with ropes and torches, he was convinced that he had found a vein of gold and proceeded to sink his finances into purchasing the "gold mine." After discovering his rookie mistake (rust apparently looks a lot like gold), he decided to think outside the box and charge people to come and look at his cavern instead, lowering them down into the darkness by a precarious length of rope. Hard to imagine, but apparently the rickety staircase he built for later tourists was far more terrifying.

Caverns Suite.

As we worked our careful way along the underground rocky paths, a strange sight opened up in the football-field-sized main cavern. For only $700 a night, you can stay in the glamourous "Caverns Suite" built into the center of the cavern, complete with TV, bathroom and shower, complimentary candy but no lights, no staff, no sounds – just you and the ghost of the prospector who still haunts the darkest corners. It doesn’t get more romantic than that.

Apparently, the comedian Billy Connolly once spent the night here. (Another well-loved British eccentric in these parts. We get everywhere).

Interestingly, the caverns also have a more recent history. They were appointed as a fallout shelter in 1962 for the presumed upcoming nuclear holocaust, and, surprisingly, one of the caves is still stacked with enough emergency rations to keep 2,000 people alive for several weeks.

The fallout shelter you can trust.

Our guide proudly showed us the gallon drums of water and scrappy boxes of barely-edible rations, the portable toilets and emergency blankets that would become home should the unthinkable happen. To be honest, if faced with the prospect of two weeks eating nothing but fifty-year old carbohydrate-substitute crackers and rancid candy, I’d take my chances with the radioactive zombies up top.

(I would like to add that I hadn’t expected this particular detour to be quite so apocalyptic. Sometimes the world’s end just follows me around).

The tour took about an hour, but we could have spent much longer chatting to the guide about her beloved caverns. Sure, it isn’t a national park complete with breathtaking views and the protection of government funding, but it’s a fun stop off on an otherwise achy and monotonous journey to the edge of the world.

And who knows, if this world keeps getting crazy we might need the caverns for more than just a cheap thrill – so probably best to mark them on the map while you can.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Big swordfish, big marlin, and big money

Trout opener at Santee Lakes
Next Article

Jazz guitarist Alex Ciavarelli pays tribute to pianist Oscar Peterson

“I had to extract the elements that spoke to me and realize them on my instrument”
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader