Minnetonka Cave
Minnetonka Cave is one of the larger limestone caves in the state of Idaho. It is located in Cache National Forest in Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States, above the village of St. Charles. “Minnetonka” is a misunderstanding of the words Mni and Tanka, derived from one of three Indigenous dialects: Dakota, Lakota or Nakota. “Mni Tanka”, pronounced translates into “Big/Large Water”. Tours through the cave are offered from Memorial Day through Labor Day by Scenic Canyons Recreational Services, the concessionaire that holds the special use permit from the United States Forest Service. The half-mile route through the cave is lined with stalactites and stalagmites.
The cave is a hibernaculum to five different species of bats. One species, the Townsend's Big-eared Bat, while not on the endangered species list is on the lists of both the State of Idaho and the Forest Service as a species of concern.
