THE SPELUNKER’S STRETCH: 500 FEET OF INTERPRETIVE KARST EXPLORATION IN EL CAPITAN CAVE, SE ALASKA

El Capitan Cave is located on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska and is the only cave in the state open for public tours. It is the longest mapped cave in Alaska, the length of its mapped passageways totaling just over 12,000 feet, and is part of the intricate karst system found on Prince of Wales Island. Cave guides lead public tours during the summer season and are responsible for interpretive outreach and education about the history of the Tongass National Forest, local plant and animal life, and karst environments, including the cave system. Guides are responsible for formatting their tour with respect to the educational background of their guests, who range from local children to fishing groups, and world travelers to serious spelunkers. The cave is formed from Silurian aged Heceta Limestone and contains abundant fossil fragments, including crinoids, brachiopods, and stromatolites. The cave system is geologically young, around 130,000 years old, but has a variety of formations and features including cave coral, flowstone, cave straws, and an exposed thrust fault. Along with its geologic history, it is home to an archaeological dig site whose artifacts indicate human use of the cave nearly 3,400 years ago. Both black and brown bear skeletons have also been discovered in the cave, along with a river otter den, and a troglobitic cave mite.