- Moqui Cave
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Coordinates: 37°07′15″N 112°33′51″W / 37.120958°N 112.564201°W
Cave entrance
Moqui Cave is a sandstone erosion cave in southern Utah, United States.
Contents
Location
The cave lies along U.S. Route 89, about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Kanab. It extends roughly 200 feet (61 m) into a Navajo Sandstone formation in the bottom of Three Lakes Canyon.
Etymology
The name comes from the Moqui (or Moki), which some archeologists believe to be an ancient tribe in the Anasazi-Hopi area at an unknown time period. They are not attested historically. They originated as an explanation for moqui marbles, strange geologic concretions in the Navajo Sandstone Formation. More likely, the name comes from a Hopi language word meaning "[the] dead", moki, being related to religious beliefs.
For the cave, the name is more related to the myths of the tribe than to the 'marbles', the Hopi, or the dead.
History
Moqui Cave was once used by Anasazi people as a shelter, according to archaeological digs in the area. It was rediscovered by white settlers in the 19th century, and served as a speakeasy in the 1920s during Prohibition. Since 1951 it has belonged to the Chamberlain family, who operate the cave as a tourist attraction and museum. It currently contains a substantial rock collection, including many ultraviolet-fluorescent minerals, fossils, dinosaur tracks, and displays about the Anasazi.
References
- Mims, Bob, "Mormon Family's Generations Preserve Moqui Cave Attraction in Kanab, Utah", The Salt Lake Tribune, December 7, 2003
External links
Categories:- Caves of Utah
- Landforms of Kane County, Utah
- Museums in Kane County, Utah
- Natural history museums in Utah
- Show caves in the United States
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