We find unique ecosystems above the ground in the old-growth forest and below ground in the cave system. These ecosystems blur in the twilight zones of caves (the area of the cave near opening to the forest where the lighting is twilight-like). You will find photosynthetic plants such as mosses in this area, and larger animals found in the cave depend on the forest for food such as our bats, and woodrats. There is a deep connection between the forest and the cave.
Did You Know?
The stream that comes out of the entrance of the cave is a tributary to a watershed that empties into the Pacific Ocean. There are no human-made obstructions that would prevent salmon migration, which makes this the only cave in the National Park Service with an unobstructed link to the ocean.