Because of the threat to bats of White Nose Syndrome (WNS), access to caves and abandoned mines on National Forest land in Colorado has been restricted since 2010. In 2013, the US Forest Service Region 2 (Rocky Mountain region) created an adaptive management strategy that allows visitation to many caves under specified guidelines, including registration and permits, as well as use of current best practice decontamination procedures. Effective September 3, 2021, this management plan is governed by Forest Service order R2-2021-02 (also available from the USFS web site). Known bat swarming sites are closed August 15 – October 15. Known bat hibernacula are closed October 15 – April 15. Known bat maternity sites are closed April 15 – August 15. In Colorado, this affects principally the White River National Forest. Other national forests in Colorado do not currently have any closed caves. However, visiting any cave on any National Forest in Colorado still requires a permit.
The Colorado Cave Survey (CCS) is not broadly in favor of closing caves, gating caves, or restricting access to caves. Appropriate cave access is a vital component of teaching future generations of cavers and the general public to value caves and be responsible cave stewards. The CCS has worked hard in recent years (with some success) to restore access to certain caves that were previously closed.However, there are situations where closures or restrictions are necessary and appropriate. Sometimes managed access is the only way legal access can be arranged. Private landowners obviously have the right to control access to caves on their property. Please obtain permission before visiting caves on private land; failure to do so means you are trespassing. Some caves on public lands have restricted access to protect sensitive features or biota, or to protect visitors from potential hazards.
Please respect the closures and access restrictions listed below. Also, please let the webmaster know if you have updates on the status of particular caves.
- Closed or Restricted Access Caves on the White River National Forest
- Closed Caves on City, State and/or Federal Land
- Closed Caves on Private Land
- Closed Caves on Private Land – Williams Canyon
| Cave | Ranger District | Closure Dates | Additional Information |
| Most caves on National Forest land | Various | None | Visiting any cave on National Forest land in Colorado requires registration and a permit. For more information, please refer to the USFS website |
| Bair | Eagle | October 15 – April 15 | Permit required when open |
| Buffalo | Eagle | August 15 – April 15 | Permit required when open |
| Devil’s Den | Eagle | October 15 – April 15 | Permit required when open |
| Fixin-to-Die | Eagle | August 15 – April 15 | Permit required when open |
| Fulford | Eagle | October 15 – April 15 | Permit required when open |
| Fulton | Blanco | August 15 – October 15 | Permit required when open |
| Groaning | Eagle | August 15 – April 15 | Gated. Permit required when open. Access managed by CCS. Please see the CCS Groaning Cave page for more information. |
| Hubbard | Sopris / Eagle | Closed Year Round | Gated |
| Ice | Sopris | October 15 – April 15 | Permit required when open |
| Lime Creek | Sopris | October 15 – April 15 | Permit required when open |
| Premonition | Eagle | Closed Year Round | |
| Spring | Blanco | August 15 – April 15 | Gated. Permit required when open |
| Thursday Morning | Eagle | August 15 – April 15 | Permit required when open |
| Wednesday Afternoon | Eagle | October 15 – April 15 | Permit required when open |
| Cave | County | Status | Additional Information |
| C.J.’s Crystal Cave | Jefferson | Gated / Closed | Closed by Jefferson County to protect sensitive cave formations (speleothems). |
| Cave of the Seven Ladders | Jefferson | Closed | Located on Denver Mountain Parks (Red Rocks) |
| Crack Cave | Baca | Gated / Closed | Archeological/petroglyph site. For more information, see Comanche National Grassland website |
| Elephant Mountain Mine Caves | Pitkin | Gated / Closed | Closed by the White River National Forest for bat protection |
| Harmon Cave | Boulder | Gated / Closed | Year-round closure by Boulder Mountain Parks for bat protection due to WNS; see the City of Boulder website for more information. |
| Haystack Cave | Gunnison | Gated / Closed | Paleontological site. |
| Hourglass Cave | Eagle(?) | Gated / Closed | Archeological site. No access. |
| LaSunder Cave | Garfield | Gated / Restricted | Administered by the Colorado Cave Survey in cooperation with the Colorado River Valley FieldOffice of the Bureau of Land Management. Please see the CCS LaSunder Cave page for more information. |
| Mallory Cave | Boulder | Gated / Closed | Year-round closure by Boulder Mountain Parks for bat protection due to WNS; see the City of Boulder website for more information. |
| Spaulding Cavern | El Paso | Gated / Closed | Owned by the City of Colorado Springs. For more information, please see ColoradoCaves.org website. |
| Stateline Cave | Moffat | Closed | On National Park Service land, administered by Dinosaur National Monument. |
| Sulphur Cave | Routt | Closed | On City of Steamboat Springs land; closed due to dangerous atmosphere. |
| White Water Cave | Larimer | Closed | On Larimer County Parks land – pending sale. |
| Cave | County | Status | Additional Information |
| Cave of Gold | Chaffee | Unknown | Private, owner not known. Contact Fred Luizer or Hazel Barton. |
| Fairy Cave | Garfield | Gated / Commercial | Commercially operated tour cave. Contact Glenwood Caverns for more information. |
| Orient Mine Cave (a.k.a. Aardvark Caverns) | Saguache | Gated / Closed | Closed for White Nose Syndrome protection. For more information, please contact the Orient Land Trust. Specifics regarding the WNS closure are posted at the OLT Facebook site |
| Queen’s Canyon Cave | El Paso | Closed | On private land (The Navigators). |
| Vapor Cave #1 | Garfield | Closed | On private land (Union Pacific Railroad) |
| Vapor Cave #2 | Garfield | Closed | On private land (Union Pacific Railroad) |
| Wilson Cave | Fremont | Closed | On private land, administered by the Red Canyon Grotto |
| Yampah Spa Vapor Cave | Garfield | Gated / Commercial | Commercially operated spa. See Yampah Spa and Salon for more information. |
| Cave | County | Status | Additional Information |
| Breezeway Cave | El Paso | Gated / Restricted | On private (Cave of the Winds) property. For more information, contact the Williams Canyon Project. |
| Cave of the Winds / Manitou Grand Caverns | El Paso | Gated / Commercial | Commercially operated tour cave. Contact Cave of the Winds for more information. |
| Hot Diggity Dog Pit (HDDP) | El Paso | Gated / Restricted | On private (Cave of the Winds) property. For more information, contact the Williams Canyon Project. |
| Huccacove Cave | El Paso | Gated / Restricted | On private (Cave of the Winds) property. For more information, contact the Williams Canyon Project. |
| Narrows Cave | El Paso | Gated / Restricted | On private (Cave of the Winds) property. For more information, contact the Williams Canyon Project. |
| Pedro’s Cave (Manitou Cave System) | El Paso | Gated / Restricted | On private (Cave of the Winds) property. For more information, contact the Williams Canyon Project. |
| Swirling Mist Cave | El Paso | Gated / Restricted | On private (Cave of the Winds) property. For more information, contact the Williams Canyon Project. |