Following negotiations by the Colorado Cave Survey, Fly and Marble Caves have been reopened for visitation. Please note that some of the trip regulations and requirements have changed – please take time to review the new requirements. Your cooperation in following these rules and respecting the landowner’s desires will help to ensure that Fly and Marble remain available to the Colorado caving community.
Update July 2020: Please note the additional new COVID-19 guidelines below.
General Information
Fly and Marble caves, north of Canon City, have been visited by Colorado cavers for over one hundred years, and figure prominently in the early history of organized caving in Colorado. Although relatively small, these caves have provided an introduction to caving for neophytes while remaining interesting for veteran speleologists. These privately-owned caves were are now open for caver visitation through a management agreement with the Colorado Cave Survey. Cavers interested in visiting these caves must schedule their trips in advance in writing with one of the designated Colorado Cave Survey access volunteers. A minimum of three days notice is required for trips into these historic caves.
When a trip is scheduled with the owners by one of the access coordinators, the requesting trip leader will receive an e-mail confirmation, along with the current lock combination for gates on the property and any special access information. Please do not share this e-mail confirmation notice or lock combination with anyone. Gate combinations will be regularly changed by the owners and by the Colorado Cave Survey, so each trip must be scheduled with the access volunteers. Since the owners live on the property between the caves, they will notice any visitors. Unauthorized and/or unscheduled visitors will be reported to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department, who will issue trespassing citations and tow any vehicles parked along the road.
If you should cancel your trip for any reason, please notify an access volunteer so that the owners may be alerted of the change in plans.
At the request of the landowner, both Fly and Marble Caves have been gated and access limited to qualified cavers. Visitors to the caves are required to complete and submit to an access coordinator a signed and dated liability waiver , available on this website. The liability waivers must be fully and completely prior to entering the caves; minors must have a parent or legal guardian sign and date the waiver. Signed waivers must be returned to the Colorado Cave Survey access coordinators prior to the trip.
Provided that waivers are completed prior to entry into the caves, the trip leader may collect these waivers on the day of the visit and submit them in bulk to the waiver coordinator either by mail or in person.
Additional information regarding access to these caves will be posted on this website as needed. Be sure to regularly check this page for updated access information prior to scheduling a trip.
Fly & Marble Cave Access Coordinators
Trips to Fly and Marble Caves should be scheduled by e-mail inquiry to one of the following access volunteers (please, no telephone calls):
- Christine Kirkland: agnew200-at-yahoo-dot-com
- Talmage Trujillo (Canon City): talmageatrujillo-at-gmail-dot-com
Trip Regulations and Caver Requirements
The following rules have been mutually agreed upon by the Colorado Cave Survey and by David and Christine Blackwell, the owners of the Fly and Marble Caves property. Please respect these rules; violators will be denied access to the caves and property, and may face criminal trespass charges. (Note that these requirements have been recently updated. Please review them carefully! A PDF copy of the regulations may be downloaded here.)
Cave Access and Trip Scheduling
- No commercial trips are allowed and trip leaders cannot accept payment for trips into the caves.
- All trips must be led by an approved trip leader. All trip leaders must have visited the caves at least one trip previously, must be vouched for by another qualified trip leader, and must have a conversation with a Fly and Marble Cave Access Coordinator to ensure they understand and can follow the rules regarding access before being added to the trip leader list.
- Trips must be scheduled with a Fly and Marble Cave Access Coordinator at least 3 days prior to the trip. The Coordinator will contact the potential trip leader to provide lock combinations and notify the property owner that the trip has been scheduled.
- Notice will be given to the property owner at least 48 hours before a proposed trip, and may be assumed to be approved unless the owner indicates otherwise.
- Trips cannot begin before 9:00 AM and must be off the property by 6:00PM, unless special permission has been granted by the owners.
- Trips are restricted to no more than seven persons per trip leader and no fewer than three persons overall.
- Multiple trips may be permitted into the caves during a single day.
- Visitors to the caves shall complete liability waivers, fully and completely prior to entering the caves; minors must have a parent or legal guardian sign and date the waiver. Signed waivers must be returned to the Colorado Cave Survey access coordinators prior to the trip.
- Cavers entering Fly cave or Marble cave must be at least 5 years old.
- The trip leader and participants agree the owners and the Colorado Cave Survey is in no way responsible for injuries, illness, damages, death or losses for visitors to the property.
- An Access Coordinator or the property owner has the authority to deny anyone access to the property and the caves at any time and for any reason.
- This property access agreement may be suspended or revoked at any time by the property owner or by the Colorado Cave Survey.
- Trip leaders are responsible for ensuring that every person on the trip is properly equipped. This includes, as a minimum, a secure helmet with chin strap, three independent sources of light and secure footwear.
Behavior on the property and in the caves:
- Visitors must park their vehicles in the designated parking area. Currently, there is an unpaved parking area in the field inside the property fence. Do not drive your vehicles to the cave entrances, randomly across the property or anywhere other than the designated parking area. (A map of the property may be found here.)
- The trip leader is responsible for making certain that all gates are securely locked after passing through. This includes the parking lot gate and any cave gate. Any gate or lock damage must be reported to one of the access coordinators following the trip.
- The trip leader is responsible for the safety of everyone on the trip.
- Trip leaders must sign into registers placed within the caves, noting time of entry and exit.
- Trip leaders are responsible for making certain that their trip leaves no litter or human waste in the caves. No solid waste is to be left above ground on the property. A toilet is available on public land across the road from the gate.
- Trip participants will not damage any cave features or formations. This includes, but is not limited to, touching, breaking, muddying, or modifying the cave environment to the detriment of the geological feature. This includes any natural feature of potential visual, speleological, mineralogical, paleontological, biological, geological or other scientific interest.
- Participants will not disturb or harass bats or any other wildlife inside the caves or on the property.
- Digging in passageways is permitted only with prior notification and approval of the property owners.
- Trip participants will not remove any natural, biological, or historical materials from the caves. Exceptions may be made in the case of special scientific work that is authorized in advance by the owners and the Colorado Cave Survey.
- Participants will not use drugs or alcoholic beverages before or during any trip or while on the property.
- There will be no use of chewing tobacco or smoking of any material in the caves or where smoke can enter the cave environment.
- No firearms or campfires are permitted on the property.
- No animals or pets of any kind should be brought onto the property or into the caves.
COVID-19 guidelines:
- Individual trip leaders reserve the right to place specific Covid-19 guidelines for their trips as needed. Please check the current Covid-19 infection metrics and prevention guidelines per the CDC website.
- No wandering off trail or away from caves whatsoever.
- No individuals are to enter the Blackwells’ property if they have any fever or symptoms of any illness.
- Neither the landowners nor the Colorado Cave Survey are to be held responsible in any manner for any possible exposure to COVID-19 or other diseases resulting from any visit to these caves.
Fly & Marble Cave Liability Waiver
Download the Liability Waiver (pdf)
Fly & Marble Cave Parking & Trail Map
Please park only in the designated, unpaved parking area, inside the property fence and adjacent to the main road. Do not drive your vehicles to the cave entrances, randomly across the property or anywhere other than the designated parking area. Hike only along the trail to the caves, and do not wander elsewhere on the property.
Please review the map of the property here.
Fly & Marble Cave Science Links
Fly and Marble Caves have been the subject of a number of scientific investigations; as information is accumulated, appropriate links will be included here.
- Muchmore, W.B., “An Unusual New Species of Mundochthonius from a Cave in Colorado, with Comments on Mundochthonius Montanus (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae),” Journal of Arachnology, 29135:140 (PDF file at the American Arachnology website).
- Siemers, J.L., 2002, “A Survey of Colorado’s Caves for Bats”, Colorado Division of Wildlife, (PDF file at Colorado State University Natural Heritage website).
Please note that this research is in no way affiliated with the Colorado Cave Survey.