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Iceaxe
03-19-2007, 07:33 AM
I was out at Great Basin NP a few weeks back and the rangerette told me there was something like 300 known caves in the park and that you could get permits for most of them. So.... I was just wondering what is out there, how hard it is to get permits, what hoops you have to jump through. Not that I'm a big cave guy or anything, more just want to know out of curiosity.

:popcorn:

jumar
03-19-2007, 09:26 AM
I haven't been caving out at GBNP, but I know there are a bunch of caves out there. Here's some of the gated ones and how to get a permit for them, from the grotto site. If you want to go hit any of them, I'd like to go, if I'm available.

Baker Creek Cave System: This cave system consisting of Wheelers Deep, Model Cave, Ice Cave, Systems Key, and Crevasse Cave is managed by Great Basin National Park. The keys must be requested 2 weeks in advance. Call (775) 234-7331 x288. Problems getting keys during weekend may exist. Model Cave and Systems Key require a 1/2 inch socket wrench to open the gates.

Indian Burial Cave: This BLM Cave was just recently gated in October 2004. Permits should eventually be managed through the new (Fall 2004) Great Basin Interagency Visitor Center in Baker, Nevada. However, at present the gate is not locked and will not be locked until a Management Plan is completed.

Little Muddy Cave: This cave is managed by Great Basin National Park. Due to Carbon Dioxide problems in the summer months, the cave is only open in the winter. Permit can be request 2 weeks in advance by calling (775) 234-7331 x228.

Snake Creek Cave: This cave is managed by Great Basin National Park. The key can be request 2 weeks in advance by calling (775) 234-7331 x228. The cave may be closed due to recent vandalism done to the cave under the present permit system. A short 20 ft handline is recommended for inexperienced climbers.

Then of course Lehman Caves.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/grba/lehmancaves.htm

Antelope Springs is on the way out to Great Basin. It's the only one of these caves I've done so far. It was easy to get a permit for.
Antelope Springs Cave: This Cave is owned and managed by BLM Office in Fillmore, Utah. The cave is closed from April to September to protect a maternity colony of Townsend's big-eared bats. At other times, caving groups meeting certain minimal standards may obtain the key. Some requirements are: a limit of 10 people/trip maximum, 3 people/trip minimum, one group/day, and hardhats required. Arrangements for a key can be made by through the BLM Office in Fillmore, (435) 743-6811. The non-duplicatable key is normally mailed to you.

Here's our pics from Antelope Springs
http://www.my-mania.com/caving/antelope.html


Here's some more pics of some of these caves from a fellow caver:
http://ralph.rigidtech.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=GBNP-Set

Let me think of other caves I know of out that way....

jumar
03-19-2007, 09:31 AM
Oh I think Crystal Ball and Gandy Mountain are in that same direction, although not in GBNP.

Crystal Ball Cave: This cave is located on BLM land but is controlled under mining claims filed by the Bates family in Gandy, Utah. Gerald and Marlene Bates conduct tours for the public. You should call in advance. No tours are conducted on Sundays. The fees are $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for children. The tour minimum is $12. The Bates lead tours with lanterns, but you will see more if you take your own good headlamps.

Gandy Mountain Cave: This cave is located a few miles from Crystal Ball Cave. Gandy Mountain Cave only takes a few tours to explore. You have to make special arrangements with the Bates (435) 693-3145 to visit.

Other caves that are kind of on the way to GBNP are
Oak City, Tabernacle Hill Lava Tube, Spaz Pit (Entrance), Keystone Cave, Cairn Cave

Iceaxe
03-19-2007, 09:55 AM
Wow... sounds pretty cool. The rangerette told me the caves managed by the GBNP were easy to get permits for. But she did warn me to start the permit process a least several weeks in advance of any intended visit.

I've done the tourist trip through Lehman and its a beautiful cave. I've seen pictures of Crystal Ball Cave and it looks interesting. How much decoration do some of these other caves contain? Are some of them as highly decorated as Lehman and Crystal Ball?

:popcorn:

jumar
03-19-2007, 11:12 AM
I don't know how decorated some of these other ones are. I would bet there's some pretty cool ones, comparable to Lehman's, that they don't publicize as much. There's probably even parts in Lehman's that they don't show you on the tour. I wonder how hard it'd be to get a permit to explore off the beaten path. I asked someone at Minnetonka, and it didn't sound difficult there, to get access to the rest of that cave.

I'd like to go hit a bunch of the caves out there some time. It's on my ever growing to do list. I can't keep up with all the many cool things on UUTAH that I want to go do! I need more free time.