Double Bopper Cave Survey, Grand Canyon National Park

Imagine a place with some of the most majestic geology and unprecedented beauty — a world under our own where miles of hallways, some reaching as high as small buildings, tell tales of an ancient past. Where gypsum has many forms and properties, twisting into fiber-optic crystal-like formations. And where unexplained phenomena have left head-scratching questions about occurrences that have taken the lives of many organisms inside the cave.

This system has been held in secrecy since its discovery for important reasons — the caves are world class and ongoing research is being conducted within the depths. As exploration continues, more passage is uncovered, making this a multi-mile system with incredible gypsum features and anomalies.

One of the most unique caves discovered in modern history. Another very odd feature is the unexplained death of many mammals — bats found mummified and still hanging where they died, apparently quite rapidly. Inside is like walking a highway of breakdown boulders through subway-like passages in many directions. One corridor contains what may be one of the longest gypsum ribbons in the world — over 6 feet. Secrecy will continue to protect this underworld for preservation, conservation, and scientific study. More will be discovered in coming years.