HARMONY, Minn. — Torrential rains seeped quickly through limestone karst and flooded the Niagara Cave 60 feet deep. No one was caught in the rising waters. The caves, a tourist attraction, would remain open but only at higher levels, which owner Aaron Bishop described as “quite drippy.” Bishop encouraged visitors to wait until mid-week. By then, he said, lower levels should have drained. In the meantime, he has crews bailing out puddles and wiping down handrails and benches. Bishop said he’s seen occasional flooding in the 30 years his family has owned the cave but seldom deeper than 20 feet.
Spelunking wonder. A 60-foot waterfall is the cave’s main attraction, and hence its name.
Niagara Cave profile
The cave is 299 feet deep with a mile of walkways for guided tours. It’s part of a massive southeast Minnesota aquifer whose main exit is a powerful waterfalls 25 miles south on an upper Iowa River bluff in Decorah. The cave was discovered in 1924. In 1932, three spelunkers, Al Cremer, Leo Tekippe and Joe Flynn, explored the cave and chose the name Niagara. Two years later the cave opened for tourists. It’s described as an underground riverbed complete with a 60-foot waterfall. It’s privately owned. Guided tours only. Admission $12 to $20. In Fillmore County 60 miles southwest of Winona. Another cave in the same aquifer, with 13 miles of passages, is at Mystery Cave State Park at Forestville. Mystery Cave admission: $5 to $15.