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Don�t miss an exciting opportunity to visit Bat Cave Preserve this summer, when The Nature Conservancy offers twice-weekly guided hikes. The guided hikes take place through August 9, 2008. Lasting two hours, the hikes begin at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. Advance registration is required by calling (828) 350-1431 or emailing [email protected]. For more information, please visit www.nature.org/northcarolina. After hiking up a steep trail through a mature hardwood forest, hikers will be rewarded with Bat Cave�s natural air conditioning: a cool moist draft that constantly pours out of vents on the side of the large cave. While seeing the impressive mouth of the cave is the attraction for most visitors, the rugged slopes around Bat Cave contain an equally important array of habitats and creatures, including a variety of wildflowers and rare salamanders. The trail ranges from moderate to very strenuous and is less than one mile long each way. Bat Cave is the largest known granite fissure cave in North America. The main chamber is a dark cathedral more than 300 feet long and approximately 85 feet high. Unlike most caves which are formed by water dissolving and abrading rock, Bat Cave was formed by rock splits, boulder movements and other motions of the earth. The cave itself is closed to visitation at all times. The preserve is only open for summer hikes, but closed the rest of the year to allow the bats to hibernate undisturbed. The hikes cost $10 per person, $5 dollars for children under 12, and there is no charge for children being carried. Hikers should bring water, good hiking shoes, bug repellent and sunscreen. (Image provided by the Nature Conservancy, Kim Hadley.)
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