Open Cave List?

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Open Cave List?

Postby stx2006 » Nov 24, 2013 6:21 pm

Since there is a "closed Cave" list. I was wondering if there is a open list somewhere? If so where can I get it from?
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Re: Open Cave List?

Postby Caving Guru » Nov 25, 2013 10:03 am

The Virginia Area Region (VA, WV, MD, NC, & part of TN) and the Pennsylvania Cave Conservancy both maintain a restricted cave access list which includes not only closed caves but open caves as well in my area. But I don't know of any list that includes open caves for your area, the TAG region (AL, TN, & GA). The best way to find out what caves are open is by getting involved with your local grotto which for you would most likely be the Huntsville Grotto. On their website they have 2 caving trips scheduled each month (a vertical and horizontal one). The SERA Cave Carnival (held in Huntsville from May 30-June 1, 2014), the NSS Convention (held in Huntsville from July 14-July 18, 2014), and the TAG Fall Cave-In (held near Lafayette, GA from October 9-October 12, 2014) are all great opportunites to get to know what caves are open in the area and to get on trips to caves.
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Re: Open Cave List?

Postby UnderGroundEarth » Nov 25, 2013 1:36 pm

There are more than 15,000 caves in TAG which is way too many to list on an "open" cave list. The closed cave list that you may have seen for TAG also doesn't have every single closed cave on it, as again there are just too many caves to list them all on lists. The majority of the caves in this region are owned by private landowners and some may even require permission. Also, a lot of caves that are open for visitation may be closed during hunting season. There are a lot of variables so the best way for you to find out what caves and caving areas are open is to join a local grotto and get to know other cavers. I have always said the more people you know the more places you'll go.
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Re: Open Cave List?

Postby Caving Guru » Nov 25, 2013 6:12 pm

Well UnderGroundEarth you could say the same about the VAR region and Pennsylvania that there are thousands of caves but neither of them include all of the caves in their region in their cave access status lists. The strategy for the VAR region is to maintain a list with the access status for mainly the most popular or once most popular caves before they were closed and the strategy for PA is to maintain a list with the access status for the longest and deepest caves in the state. I think it might be possible for the TAG region to maintain an access list including open caves similar to one of these two strategies.
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Re: Open Cave List?

Postby UnderGroundEarth » Nov 26, 2013 9:31 am

Please see the Closed Cave & Access List that is maintained by members of the Dogwood City Grotto as it does also list some of the special access and caves that are normally open but closed during hunting season - http://dogwoodcitygrotto.com/files/closedcavelist.pdf. I would image that this is something like what you are referring to in the VAR region. I would not recommend publishing a list of "Open" caves that are owned by private landowners as it increases risk for them and could also cause conservation issues with over use.

There is a note at the bottom of the DCG list that reads: This list certainly does not include every closed cave in TAG. It is compiled and updated to the best of our knowledge. There are many other caves that are closed during hunting seasons and by landowner request. Contact your local Grotto for information about caves in your area before attempting to visit them.

The State Surveys for Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee all maintain their own independent lists of the deepest and longest caves within each state for their members. You would need to become a member of each to access that data.
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Re: Open Cave List?

Postby trogman » Nov 26, 2013 10:26 am

Kelly:
I must say it's been a while since I looked at that list, and my what a difference! It is looking very sharp and up to date, with lots of useful info. Kudos to Andy and/or the DCG for keeping this list up! :clap:

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Re: Open Cave List?

Postby UnderGroundEarth » Nov 26, 2013 11:08 am

trogman wrote:Kelly:
I must say it's been a while since I looked at that list, and my what a difference! It is looking very sharp and up to date, with lots of useful info. Kudos to Andy and/or the DCG for keeping this list up! :clap:

Trogman :helmet:


I believe it's Conan Link who has taken it over from Andy and gave it a look...
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Re: Open Cave List?

Postby Chads93GT » Nov 26, 2013 12:44 pm

Open cave access always depends. It depends on the owners mood. It depends on how you present yourself when you ask and most importantly it depends on the area. Land owners in tag have a different mind set than Missouri owners so I have to be much more careful in my home caving area.
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Re: Open Cave List?

Postby Caving Guru » Nov 26, 2013 1:28 pm

"Please see the Closed Cave & Access List that is maintained by members of the Dogwood City Grotto as it does also list some of the special access and caves that are normally open but closed during hunting season - http://dogwoodcitygrotto.com/files/closedcavelist.pdf. I would image that this is something like what you are referring to in the VAR region. I would not recommend publishing a list of "Open" caves that are owned by private landowners as it increases risk for them and could also cause conservation issues with over use. " UnderGroundEarth

I am well aware of the extensive list that the Dogwood City Grotto maintains for the TAG region and what is said there. The Virginia Area Region Limited Access Caves List in fact does not only list the caves that are open seasonally but in addition it lists the caves that are open year round. Caves such as Whitings Neck, Indian River, Bone-Norman, Culverson Creek, Hamilton, New Trout, and Sharps in the VAR region are all listed as open on the list. None of these caves have any conditions that limit their access to them written on the list or any conditions that limit their access that I know of personally other than having to do with parking. Anyone can go to these caves if they know how to get there I believe. For none of these caves do you have to check in with a landowner concerning permission. But you do have a good point that publishing a list of open caves could result in an increased risk for private landowners and could cause conservation issues with over use. Trout Cave was once the most popular wild cave in West Virginia before it was gated. I am sure the gate came as a result of over use and the need to protect the large colony of bats that live in Trout Cave with the onset of White-Nose Syndrome in the region at the time.
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