Mountainous western Colorado has several large and many smaller caves you can explore. While they usually run at a horizontal angle, some have steep, narrow passages and winding turns. Use a headlamp and, especially while you're learning, go with a more experienced spelunker. Underground temperatures usually remain between 30 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the cave, and humidity is far higher than in Colorado's above-ground, arid climate, so dress in warm layers.
Heading Underground
- If you’re new to spelunking, you can get a sense of what it’s like at either of Colorado’s show caves: Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs or Glenwood Caverns in Glenwood Springs. Both host beginning tours as well as guided trips into undeveloped underground areas. At the Cave of the Winds, you can take a discovery or lantern tour; or join Caving 101, a two-hour guided exploration that entails crawling and climbing. At Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, you can sign up for a walking tour, which takes you through the Fairy Caves, or the more challenging King’s Row Cave Tour, which requires climbing and descending numerous steps. The two-hour Wild Cave Tour takes you through more challenging terrain, where you’ll need to crawl on your belly.Once you’re comfortable with caving, you can either join a grotto -- a local caving organization -- or explore on your own.
Public Access
- You can find several caves suitable for novice spelunkers and open to the public in the White River National Forest. Fulford Cave, which sees fairly heavy traffic, possess an underground stream and waterfall. You can find Colorado’s largest subterranean stream in Spring Cave, which also houses an underground lake. Seasonal flooding can limit access, so check conditions before you go. Late summer often is the best time to spelunk here.To the west, you can take a four-wheel-drive road to Hubbard’s Cave, near the top of Glenwood Canyon. With fairly level pathways and enough room to stand upright, this cave provides a good opportunity to hone your spelunking skills.West of Denver in Jefferson County, the Clear Creek Canyon Open Space houses several caves, including Bear/Tower, CJ’s Cavern and Fault.
Restricted Areas
- The Colorado Cave Survey oversees four caves where spelunking is limited and by permission only: Fly and Marble, southeast of Colorado Springs, and Groaning and LaSunder near Glenwood Springs. To visit any of these caves, contact the Colorado Cave Survey for access information.Numerous other caves throughout the state are closed because of White Nose Syndrome, a fungus that has ravaged North American bat populations. Access to caves in which bat colonies hibernate is usually prohibited. Other caves are open, but you must register to use them. You’re also required to follow precautions, such as not using gear that’s been in caves east of the Mississippi, where WNS is prevalent, and decontaminating your gear. The U.S. Forest Service provides comprehensive information on identifying WNS, helping prevent its spread and registering to explore restricted-access caves. Certain caves also have been gated to protect nursing colonies of endangered bat species.
Subterranean Dangers
- Not every underground passage in Colorado is safe to explore. For example, Sulfur Cave near Steamboat Springs is filled with such deadly gases that only in 2007 could experts, equipped with cutting-edge technology, explore it. If you aren’t sure whether you should enter a cave, check with your local grotto or the Colorado Cave Survey for information.Abandoned mines run throughout Colorado’s mountains and might appeal to spelunkers, but they’re often hazardous; aged timber supports and unstable ground above tunnels can lead to collapses. If you do find an abandoned mine shaft, report it to the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety.
