Located in part of a collapsed lava tube. The combination of cold air settling
and the insulation of the porous lava keeps the ice frozen year round.
The temperature in this cave never gets above 31 degrees Fahrenheit. As
rain water and snow melt seep into this cave, the ice floor thickens. The
floor of the ice is approximately 20 feet thick. The deepest ice is the
oldest and dates back 3400 years. The green tint is caused by an
Arctic algae. The back wall was formed in the early days when ancient
Indians and early settlers mined the ice. In 1946, ice removal was stopped
at which time the ice wall was nearly 12 feet high. Since then, the ice
floor has risen relative to the back wall. The rate of ice accumulation
varies with annual precipitation. The cause of original formation of ice
3400 years ago is uncertain. However, its perpetuation is due to a
combination of existing conditions that make a natural ice box: 20 feet of
ice in a well insulated cave shaped to trap frigid air. The Ice Cave was
known to the Pueblo Indians as the Winter Lake.