Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve has one of the largest ice caves in the Midwestern United States.[2] It consists of a 3-acre (1.2 ha) parcel of land at the edge of Barbara Barnhart VanPeenen Memorial Park in the northern portion of the city of Decorah, in Winnesheik County, Iowa.
Ice Cave is open to the public as an 'enter at your own risk' attraction. In the late 1990s, the Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey Bureau required a permanent barrier be installed due to some rock movement. Since then, a large rock has fallen and visitors are now only able to comfortably walk into the cave about 10 feet from the entrance.
Ice caves are one characteristic of karst topography, along with sinkholes and cave systems, all of which are present in the area, a portion of the Driftless Area of Iowa. From autumn and into early winter the cave is dry. Ice begins to form in January or February near the entrance and continues down to the lower levels. Several inches of ice on the north wall materializes by late May, and generally remains until late August.[3]
The cave was given to Decorah in 1954 and remains the property of the city. It was declared a state geological state preserve in 1973. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
^"Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve (Click on the link "State Preserves Guide (Listing of all 95 preserves)" in the text.)". Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
decorah, cave, state, preserve, largest, caves, midwestern, united, states, consists, acre, parcel, land, edge, barbara, barnhart, vanpeenen, memorial, park, northern, portion, city, decorah, winnesheik, county, iowa, decorah, caveu, national, register, histor. Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve has one of the largest ice caves in the Midwestern United States 2 It consists of a 3 acre 1 2 ha parcel of land at the edge of Barbara Barnhart VanPeenen Memorial Park in the northern portion of the city of Decorah in Winnesheik County Iowa Decorah Ice CaveU S National Register of Historic PlacesShow map of IowaShow map of the United StatesLocationIce Cave Rd Decorah IowaCoordinates43 18 38 N 91 47 3 W 43 31056 N 91 78417 W 43 31056 91 78417Area2 9 acres 1 2 ha Built1898NRHP reference No 78001269 1 Added to NRHPDecember 20 1978Ice Cave is open to the public as an enter at your own risk attraction In the late 1990s the Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey Bureau required a permanent barrier be installed due to some rock movement Since then a large rock has fallen and visitors are now only able to comfortably walk into the cave about 10 feet from the entrance Ice caves are one characteristic of karst topography along with sinkholes and cave systems all of which are present in the area a portion of the Driftless Area of Iowa From autumn and into early winter the cave is dry Ice begins to form in January or February near the entrance and continues down to the lower levels Several inches of ice on the north wall materializes by late May and generally remains until late August 3 The cave was given to Decorah in 1954 and remains the property of the city It was declared a state geological state preserve in 1973 It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 References edit National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve Click on the link State Preserves Guide Listing of all 95 preserves in the text Iowa Department of Natural Resources Retrieved July 5 2016 George E Knudson Decorah Ice Cave National Park Service Retrieved July 5 2016 nbsp This article about a property in Winneshiek County Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve amp oldid 1168961496, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
