One of Indiana's great wild caves - the 4th-longest in the state at about 9.63 miles of mapped passage. A large walking trunk passage gives way to tougher going, including the low-ceilinged 'Backbreaker' and the enormous 'Colossus' room (about 120 ft tall and 200 ft long).
- Type
- Wild cave
- Orientation
- Horizontal
- Passage
- Moderate
- County
- Lawrence County
Entrance
Begins with roomy, walkable trunk passage, but deeper routes include long low crawls like the 'Backbreaker'. No vertical gear required for the main routes.
Hazards
- Long trip distances - easy to underestimate time and energy
- Low crawls ('Backbreaker') and route-finding in a large system
- No lighting, markings, or services
Gear
Helmet and headlamp with multiple backups, knee pads, synthetics, and plenty of food and water for a long day underground.
Geology
A very long limestone cave with a large trunk passage and the huge 'Colossus' chamber; a classic Lawrence County karst system.
Access
Owned by the Indiana Karst Conservancy. Requires a signed IKC waiver and arranging access through the cave patron for permission and gate keys - request about two weeks in advance.
- OwnershipPrivate
- Permit requiredNo
- Permission requiredYes
Conservation
Protected as the Indiana Karst Conservancy's first nature preserve (acquired 1998), managed under a current plan. With heavy traffic potential, low-impact caving matters — stay on established routes, pack everything out, and decontaminate gear (white-nose syndrome).
More caves in Lawrence County
Caving responsibly
Most wild caves are reached through the local caving community, not by showing up — joining a grotto gets you training, gear advice, a conservation ethic, and, in time, cave locations.
Comments (0)
No comments yet — be the first to leave a tip.