Pam Powers

Recollections of the Grand Canyon Caverns Pam Powers

The Grand Canyon Caverns, located 230 feet below ground level, are the largest dry caverns in the United States. The caverns were discovered in 1927 by a wood cutter for the Santa Fe Railway named Walter Peck. Rumored that he was late for a poker came he stumbled upon a seemingly bottomless pit. The following day he was lowered by friends into the black hole. The light of his lantern revealed sparkling walls of what he thought were gold and diamonds. He thought he had struck it rich and secured the lease surrounding the hole and its subterranean caves. The beautiful sparkles turned out to be iron oxide and rust in the selenite crystals. Worthless. Determined to get a return on his investment, Walter decided to give tourists a chance to descend into the darkness for 25 cents by means of a large bucket. Since that time countless improvements and thousands of tourists have toured this unique and unusual landmark.