Helictites change their axis during growth from a vertical formation to horizontal, creating unusual, oddly beautiful shapes like the fishtails shown above. It is led by an elected mayor and four other council members. Caverns of Sonora: Hours, Address, Caverns of Sonora Reviews: 4.5/5. The minerals were The Caverns of Sonora achieved notoriety for the heavy concentration of calcite crystal formations, especially, the rare helictites, contained inside the cave. I have been to the… Helictites are very special formations. United States ; Texas (TX) ... pristinely beautiful cave I have ever seen. We were not the only people around, a surprise. After we left Garner State Park, we decided we wanted to surprise the kids with a trip to The Caverns of Sonora, located near Sonora, TX off of I-10. This section will bring to your notice – the history and science behind this mind-blocking place. Sometimes when groundwater dissolves sediment underground it simply leaves a big hole and the ground above doesn't fall in. They are totally infatuated with caves after our Crystal Cave discovery at Garner State Park. As of February 24, 2016 the mayor of Sonora was Wanda Shurley and the four council members were Doug Chandler, Todd Munn, Jeremy Dawson, and Terri Johnson. You can read about that here. The city government of Sonora uses the aldermanic form of government. Formed approximately 2 million years ago by sulfuric gases that rushed to the surface of the earth, the Caverns of Sonora are a National Natural Landmark and are widely considered to be the state’s most beautiful underground spot. These formations defy the laws of gravity and grow in any direction they can. Eventually, at least four distinct levels of passages were formed The falling water levels caused some passage levels to interconnect as the floor of one passage fell down into a lower passage. The Caverns of Sonora is located on Interstate 10, about half-way between Big Bend National Park and San Antonio Texas. A new mineral association composed of metatyuyamunite, celestite, opal and several minor crystalline phases has been identified in the Caverns of Sonora (Texas). Located only a few miles off a particularly dull section of I-10 between Kerrville and Fort Stockton, this cave proved to be a great way to break up what would have otherwise been a very long and boring drive. We are located 15 miles southwest of Sonora, Texas and the Caverns is a great place for people of all ages to experience the wonders of nature. Caverns form in much the same way that sinkholes do. This cave was full of these unusual formations. The Sonora police department is headed by Chief Matthew Routh. The Caverns of Sonora is an exciting place to visit. The Caverns at the West side of the tiny city of Sonora noticed a lot of time after it was actually formed. The Helictite Room photo depicts a room were their are so many helictites that it made me gasp. The signs form a blight on the landscape (in my humble ... of a mountain and the end of the road announcing Sonora Caverns. The Caverns of Sonora formed around 1.5 million years ago! Our tour guide, Chris H. was extremely knowledgeable about how the cave was formed and how it c ... We were the first ones there and the man taking care of the grounds was great. A dozen RVs occupied a campground at the end of the parking ... Cameras were the only objects permitted in the caverns with us – no backpacks, pocketbooks, etc. The Caverns of Sonora were first put on our radar by a blog reader who mentioned this privately owned cave in the comments section of our post on Mammoth Cave (thanks Kyle).