For our first adventure of the new year, we decided to check out Black Chasm Cavern in Volcano. It was a truly unique cave, hosting some of the most peculiar formations, complete with glowing crystals.
Lately, the kids have been very interested in caves so we were all excited to see the natural wonders of the underworld.





Other-Wordly Formations
We participated in a 50-minute guided tour with an experienced cavern naturalist, in which we descended approximately 100 feet below ground. We were able to view three chambers in the upper levels of the vertical cave, which is home to the most spectacular formations. We were also able to catch a glimpse of a blue lake in the second chamber about 80 feet below the viewing platform.
Since we had to stay on the platforms and not touch anything, Aaron carried Maev pretty much the whole time while Magnus walked. We even removed Maev’s shoes while she wasn’t walking in case they fell off since we wouldn’t be able to retrieve them from the depths.
Going below the surface was like entering another world. The cavern was well-lit and featured beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, plus an impressive display of rare helictites. Helictites appear to defy gravity as they warp and twist in every direction imaginable.






A Natural Glow
Of all the known caves on earth, only around 5% contain helictites, which makes the Black Chasm Cavern particularly special since every chamber contains an abundance of these rare beauties. We saw hundreds of thousands throughout the chambers during our tour.
It’s because of the wealth of these helictites that Black Chasm Cavern was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1976. It was fascinating to see them twist and turn, forming different shapes reminiscent of different kinds of animals like dragons and reindeer antlers.
Certain minerals in the rocks of the cave, such as calcite and aragonite, absorb light, giving them a magical afterglow. At one point, the tour guide switched off the lights and we watched as she shone a flashlight across the wall creating a trail of afterglow like in some kind of fairy wonderland.





Back to the Surface
We were completely enchanted and awestruck at the beautiful formations and glowing crystals of Black Chasm. It was a unique experience seeing all the helictites and witnessing the world underground. We had a wonderful time.
As always, thanks for reading and be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already. Until next time!
Wow, what a great way to start your new year with an enchanting experience. It looks like you had lots of fun and everything down there looks strange and beautiful. It is a great activity to look for images in the rock formations with kids. They love doing thins like that.