They wound this way and that, far down into the secret depths of the cave, made another mark, and branched off in search of novelties to tell the upper world about.

– The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain, 1876

For William Hubbard and his brother-in-law Griff Jones, a day of exploration and prospecting in 1892 began as any other day. On horseback and with hunting dogs as companions, the two prospectors ventured from their Spring Valley homestead near Glenwood Springs, set to evaluate their mining claim located near the edge of Glenwood Canyon.

As they made their way close to the canyon’s edge, the two noticed a cave tucked under a cliff overhang. Unexpectedly, the ordinary day was transformed into a day of excitement, anxiety, discovery and history making.

Hubbard and Jones entered the cave, finding multiple rooms varying from 10 to 40 feet in height. However, they were not the first humans to visit the cave. Campfires and the wood for those fires had been left behind by Ute visitors or possibly their predecessors. When no man inhabited the cave, bears, as evidenced by their tracks, had made use of the cavern.

The two men continued to explore, only to realize after some time that they could not find their way out of the cave. They searched and searched for the passage out, until their lighting was almost spent. The harrowing adventure ended on a positive note when one of Hubbard and Jones’ hunting dogs entered the cave, leading the two men to open air.

Hubbard’s Cave was now on the map. As tourism increased in 1893 with the Hotel Colorado opening, Hubbard and Jones were eager to share their discovery with citizens and tourists.

With the best access to the cave from the Spring Valley area, the two men carved a trail to the natural wonder. The horseback trip to the cave from Glenwood Springs by this 10-mile route took about three hours.

In the years to follow, the wonders of Hubbard’s Cave continued to draw the curious, with William Hubbard in the late 1890s guiding large parties to the cave. The nearly four miles of passages continued to be mapped, with features such as “Ute Kitchen” and “Cathedral Dome” named, while gypsum formations inspired the “Grape Room.”

A pit located in one of the passages was named “Mystery Pit” because a rock dropped into this hole could be heard bouncing from the walls, but no one heard the descent stop.

On Sept. 14, 1952, a group of 11 members of the Colorado Grotto of the National Speleological Society and 21 Glenwood Springs citizens surveyed Hubbard’s Cave. According to the book, “Caves of Colorado,” this expedition “was probably the largest group of cavers to converge on any cave at any time in Colorado.”

The group photographed and surveyed much of the cave. With the need for additional equipment to continue the survey, the Speleological Society members vowed to return.

While Hubbard’s Cave never reached commercial notoriety, the cave has provided the perfect opportunity for spelunkers and non-spelunkers to enjoy a local attraction. It is, as declared in 1893, a subterranean wonder.

– Willa Kane is former archivist of and a current volunteer with the Frontier Historical Society and Museum. “Frontier Diary,” which appears monthly, is provided to the Post Independent by the museum, 1001 Colorado Ave., Glenwood Springs. Summer hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 945-4448.