Alabaster Caverns State Park

Alabaster Caverns State Park, near Freedom, Oklahoma is a 200-acre (0.81 km²) state park and home to the largest natural gypsum cave in the world that is open to the public. The gypsum is mostly in the form of alabaster. There are several types of alabaster found at the site, including pink, white, and the rare black alabaster. This black alabaster can be found in only three veins in the world, one each in Oklahoma, Italy and China. Another form of gypsum can be found in the many beautiful selenite crystal formations.

Daily cave tours are available on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tours are led by state park naturalists who point out and describe many of the cave's natural features. A fee is charged for the tours and there is a maximum number of participants for each tour. Wild caving is available at the park with appropriate equipment. The park also features RV and tent camping areas, picnic areas, hiking trails, group picnic areas, and recreational facilities such as horseshoe pits and volleyball courts.

Alabaster Caverns is served by a dedicated spur from the Oklahoma state highway system, State Highway 50A.

Geology

The underground site was created naturally around 20,000 years ago when the area of what is now north-western Oklahoma was covered by an inland sea. A perennial stream now flows through the cave and is fed by various lateral tunnels and seepage from the roof. However, the stream was once as big as a river. The evidence of this can be seen in the obviously water-sculptured gypsum formations. According to geologists, the river was once capable of completely filling the 3/4 mile (1.2 km) long caverns.

Wildlife

The cavern is home to five different species of bat. Some are solitary while others are colonial. The cavern provides roosting sites that serve as daytime shelter and a place for the non-migrating bats to hibernate during the winter months. The Mexican Free-tailed Bat migrates to Alabaster Caverns from Mexico in the spring to bear their young. They then return to Mexico in the fall.

Bat species found in the cave include the Cave Myotis, Western Big-eared Bat, Eastern Pipistrelle, Western Big Brown Bat, and the Mexican Free-tailed Bat.

External links

• Alabaster Caverns State Park
• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Alabaster Caverns State Park