The Cave of the Mounds is a natural limestone cave located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, USA. It was discovered by accident on August 4, 1939 when blasting in a limestone quarry revealed a cavern over 20 feet high. It was opened to the public in May, 1940 and has now seen millions of visitors. Known for the quantity and variety of its speleothems, it was named a National Natural Landmark by the Department of the Interior and National Park Service in 1988. Blue Mounds is a village located in Dane County, Wisconsin. ... A speleothem (from the Greek for cave deposit) is a formal term for what is also known as a cave formation, or amongst cavers, collectively known as pretties. ... Caverns of Sonora National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmark (NNL) program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the United States natural history. ... The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally-owned land. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States Federal Government agency that deals with all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation properties with various designations. ...
Cave of the Mounds lies under the southern slope of the East Mound.
Cave of the Mounds is a natural limestone cave and exemplary of this type of cave which forms in a karst topography, such as is found in southwestern Wisconsin.
Cave of the Mounds is often referred to as the "jewel box" of America’s major caves because of the variety and delicacy of its formations.
Blue Mound State Park covers the West Mound; the cave is located at the base of the East Mound's southern slope.
Although the area around the cave was settled in the late 1820s, the cave itself wasn't discovered until 1939, when a dynamite blast from a nearby quarry revealed a limestone cavern more than twenty feet high.
In 1988, Cave of the Mounds was designated a National Natural Landmark by the US Department of the Interior.
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