Tears of the Turtle Cave can be found near the foot of Turtlehead Mountain in the western part of Montana. The area is located within the 4,000 sq. km. Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, which is primarily made up of mountains ranging from 1,200 to 2,750 meters in height.
As for the cave itself, the entrance lies at the lower end of this altitude range among several other caves at the foot of Turtlehead Mountain. The entry is approximately 24-36 inches at the opening and is completely surrounded by wilderness.
Once you get inside, the cave is shockingly slim yet massive, with a depth of 625 meters and a length of 2,395 metres to get to that depth. However, even being so colossal, the exact length and depth are still up for debate, and it can be much deeper than we currently know!
Reaching almost 600 metres in depth, the temperature throughout Tears of the Turtle Cave ranges immensely. Specifically, the cave has a mean temperature of just under 4°C, with winter temperature going far below zero. This year-round cold temperature is another deterrent to explorations in the cave.
Besides its depth, another key factor that attracts attention to the cave is its geological structure. Unlike many other caves which may have unique formations such as stalagmites, ores, gems, etc. Tears of the Turtle is an endless continuation of steep rocks. Formed in Cambrian Pagoda Limestone, this cave is in a karst landscape. This means the cave is located in a zone of soluble rocks full of underground caves and sinkholes. With so much soluble rock throughout the cave system, regular precipitation has led to erosion, thanks to which the thin fissure cavers used today exists.
According to worldatlas.com; en. Wikipedia. Source of photos: internet
