Spirit Mountain Cave, located west of Cody, Wyoming, has an interesting story. Discovered in the early 1900s, it became the state's second National Monument in 1909. Largely ignored by the Federal Government, the cave became an issue for Cody-area residents who sought local control over the site. Their desires became a reality in 1954. However, local boosters' and concessionaries' dreams and ambitions never came to fruition, and the cave reverted back to federal control in the late 1970s.

Join Jeremy Yates and John Woodward as they explore the history of Spirit Mountain Cave and the former Shoshone Cavern National Monument.

Episode Resources
"Antiquities Act of 1906." National Park Service, Updated March 30, 2023, 2023, accessed December 25, 2023, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/archeology/antiquities-act.htm#:~:text=An%20Act%20for%20the%20Preservation,scientific%20interest%20on%20federal%20lands.

"Cedar Mountain." PeakBagger.com, 2004, accessed December 27, 2023, https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=17308.

Roberts, Phil. Cody Cave: National Monuments and the Politics of Public Lands in the 20th Century West. Laramie, Wyoming: Skyline Press, 2012.

"Shoshone Cavern, Wyoming's Only Delisted National Monument." WyoHistory.Org, Wyoming Historical Society, 2015, accessed December 25, 2023, https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/shoshone-cavern-wyomings-only-delisted-national-monument.

Thanks for tuning into Buffalo Tales and exploring the tracks across Wyoming's past. You can contact us directly through our Facebook page, Buffalo Tales.