Marble Mountain Caves Colorado

Pictured to the far left of the stunning sangre de cristo mountain range marble mountain is a hiker s paradise complete with beautiful views a butt busting distance 12 miles round trip and an elevation gain of a whopping 3 400 feet.

Marble mountain caves colorado.

Legendary marble cave extends several thousand feet but only the first thirty feet are safe for amateurs to explore. The marble mountains are home to several buddhist and hindu grottoes. How i heard the story of la caverna del oro the cave of gold. For more information o.

According to michael o hanlon the caves of marble mountain have produced more lore and tall tales than any other localities in the colorado sangres. Marble cave and the other caves of the area formed where slightly acidic groundwater slowly dissolved limestone bedrock along joints and fractures. Stories of hidden conquistador gold and skeletons in chains are associated with the caves of marble mountain. Finally the indians staged an uprising against the monks and two of them were killed.

While colorado is home to countless majestic mountains one of the most stunning of all would have to be that of the sangre de cristo mountain range near westcliffe with its colorful marble mountain. Of these caves marble cave and white marble halls cave are best known. A stairway of 156 steps leads to the summit of thuy son the only marble mountain accessible to visitors. Lloyd parris in caves of colorado notes that marble cave has also been referred to as spanish cave la caverna del oro and marble mountain cave.

It allows a wide panoramic view of the surrounding area and the other marble mountains. So here s two lost mines near or on marble mountain in south central colorado. La caverna del oro the cave of gold long before the white man ever came to the united states the legend of la caverna del oro the cave of gold was passed down from generation to generation by the indians. Marble mountain is located in the sangre de cristo mountains range in southwestern colorado about 11 miles from westcliffe colorado.

Caves are delicate and potentially dangerous places. However in 1541 three spanish monks from the coronado expedition forced the indians into slave labor to extract gold from the cave.