Colorado cave projects
There are numerous caves in Colorado and 14 of these are over one mile in length. Most are in limestone, and they can be found in clusters where this limestone exists. The caves can generally be divided into 11 regions as shown on the map below.
Groaning Cave
Groaning Cave is the longest in Colorado at a surveyed length of 14.7 miles. It was first discovered by cavers in 1968 and the survey is still ongoing. The boundaries of the cave were reasonably well established in just the first few years of exploration, but many additional miles have been added through surveying interior passages. There are hundreds of remaining leads left to be documented.
Groaning Cave is located in White River National Forest and access is regulated by both the USFS (who needs to issue a permit), and the Colorado Cave Survey (who will collect liability waivers and issue the gate combination). The road to the cave is not maintained and usually only opens after Memorial Day. The cave is closed from August 15 - April 15 for bat activity. This leaves a season of about 10-12 weeks each year from late-May to mid-August. Plan accordingly.
RonTom Cave
RonTom Cave is the longest and deepest cave in the Lime Park area of Colorado. It is a cold, technical, and challenging cave to visit. It is also very delicate. The history of its discovery, exploration and management is full of controversy and conflict. Many of the cavers involved in the early years are no longer active, and a new survey is ongoing. Some new areas have been recently discovered that were accessed via technical climbs.
spanish cave
Spanish Cave is located in the Marble Mountain region of the Sangre de Cristo range. It is the highest elevation significant cave in the US. The upper entrance is at an elevation of 12,100 feet. The cave is over a mile long and is the deepest in Colorado at over 700 feet of total depth. It is a cold, wet and technical cave that is considered by most experienced cavers to be the most hazardous in Colorado. A thorough survey is underway.
premonition cave
Premonition Cave is located on the Flat Tops in White River National Forest and is now closed year-round due to multiple types of bat activity and the concerns around the spread of WNS. It’s current surveyed length is just over 1.5 miles and there is still survey and exploration work that needs to be completed once access restrictions are relaxed.
Fixin’-to-die cave
Fixin’-to-Die is over 6 miles in surveyed length and is the second longest cave in Colorado. Access to the cave is technically and physically challenging, and the cave is known for being sporty with lots of exposure. Survey and exploration of the cave are still underway.
LaSunder cave
LaSunder Cave is located on BLM land near Dotsero, CO and access is managed by the Colorado Cave Survey for the CO Bureau of Land Management. There are restrictions on the number of trips each year and each trip must have an approved trip leader. All trip participants must sign a liability waiver before visiting.