Horne Lake Caves Interpretive Center to Open

Photo by sparklefish

An interpretive center is about to open at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park, approximately 150 kilometres (93 miles) north-east of Victoria on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island.

On August 9th, the new center which is housed in a former portable classroom opens for visitors. Featured inside are interpretive panels, a display of historical caving equipment and a video of the caves.

Approximately 10,000 visitors a year venture underground on tours, but that only accounts for 1/3 of the visitors to the park. The hope is that the new center will allow the other 2/3 of visitors to get a glimpse of some of the best decorated caves in the country.

The thousand-year old formations include stalactites, stalagmites, brain rock, moon milk, flowstone, cave pearls and bacon strips.

One of the caves in the park, Riverbend Cave, contains a seven-storey-tall underground waterfall in its 384 meters (1260 feet) into the side of a mountain.

Vancouver Island has the highest concentration of caves in British Columbia, with over 1,400 known caves.

New interpretive centre explores caves in Vancouver Island provincial park [Weyburn Review via The Canadian Press]