NOTE: Groaning Cave is on the White River National Forest and access is impacted by the adaptive management plan and USFS Region 2 closure order. Groaning Cave is a documented bat hibernaculum and swarming site. These activities mean that the cave is closed to visitation from August 15 through April 15 each year. Exceptions to this closure season may be permitted by the forest supervisor, but exceptions are unlikely to be approved for any activities other than bat research. The current closure order is in effect until August 31, 2024. During the open season (April 16 through August 14), registration and authorization is required to access the cave. The USFS website has detailed instructions on how to get this authorization. A form must be filled out and sent to [email protected] . Once authorization is obtained you can follow the standard procedure below to get the gate combination.
General Information
The longest cave in Colorado, and at a surveyed length of nearly 15 miles, one of the 60 longest caves in the United States, Groaning Cave represents a unique and fragile treasure. Perched atop a spectacular sub-alpine limestone canyon, Groaning’s network of crawls, fissures, domes and caverns has drawn cavers to marvel at its wonders and explore its depths for more than 50 years after discovery in 1968.
Although not technically difficult, Groaning is a very complex, cold, strenuous high-altitude maze cave which can pose serious challenges and dangers to the inexperienced or unwary caver. Additionally, the cave is well-decorated in many places and thus susceptible to irreparable damage from careless cavers. Consequently, Groaning Cave is secured by a locked gate, for the protection of both the cave and unprepared cavers. The lock combination is changed on a semi-weekly basis. Qualified cavers may, upon approval, receive the current lock combination from any of the Groaning Cave Contacts.
Please note that Groaning Cave is not closed, but visitors must be able to demonstrate appropriate qualifications. A complete description of the necessary requirements is provided below; in brief, cavers must sign and submit a liability waiver, be appropriately equipped, and all trip leaders must have been on at least one previous trip to the cave with a qualified caver.
Groaning Cave is cooperatively managed by the Colorado Cave Survey and the Eagle District Ranger Office of the United States Forest Service, acting under a Memorandum of Understanding. While the goals of the 2024 Groaning Cave management plan include the enjoyment of the cave through recreation and exploration, long-term preservation of this unique natural wonder remains its foremost objective.
Trip Regulations and Requirements
Details of trip regulations and requirements for Groaning are given in the 2024 Groaning Cave management plan.
As a summary, cavers wishing to visit Groaning are required to fulfill the following:
- All cavers must sign a hazard disclosure form which details many of the hazards which may be experienced in the cave, and which emphasizes the delicate nature of the cave. Groaning Cave hazard disclosure forms may be obtained by contacting one of the Contacts , listed below, or can be downloaded here. (PDF). Signed hazard disclosure forms should be emailed to Mary Klaus (maklaus00-at-hotmail-dot-com). Please note that hazard disclosure forms for all cavers must be received by the Colorado Cave Survey before a gate combination will be provided.
- All cavers must be equipped with the appropriate caving equipment, as detailed in the 2024 Groaning Cave management plan. Basically, this means a helmet, three sources of light, and suitable clothing.
- Cavers must be accompanied to the cave on their first visit by a qualified Groaning Cave trip leader, and demonstrate proper caving ability and etiquette. This requirement is intended to provide protection to both the cave and the caver. Cavers who exhibit a disregard for the cave environment may have their access privileges revoked.
- Group size for cavers visiting Groaning Cave must be minimum of 2 and a maximum of 6.
- Trip leaders must have been in Groaning Cave at least twice before, and should be familiar with the section(s) of the cave that they intend to visit.
- Trip leaders are required to record the name of all cavers in the register logbook located just inside the gate, as well as date and time of entry and intended area of the cave to be visited. Upon exiting the cave, the trip leader shall also note in the logbook the exit time and date as well as any relevant notes of their trip.
Increased levels of degradation have been noted in Groaning Cave, including instances of blatant vandalism and graffiti. Due to this abuse of the cave, the Colorado Cave Survey has, under the explicit direction of the U.S. Forest Service, decided to implement a more rigorous screening of cave visitors. Be aware that requests for the Groaning combination may lead to much more detailed questioning than has been customary over the last several years. Callers may be asked about their caving experience, their personal experience in Groaning, their trip objectives and destinations, and may be asked to provide references known to the Groaning Cave representative.
Please cave softly! Continued access to this Colorado gem depends on each one of us doing our best to minimize our impact on this irreplaceable resource.
Groaning Cave Contacts, 2019
Please contact the following individuals for access to Groaning Cave:
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- Mary Klaus, maklaus00-at-hotmail-dot-com (waiver coordinator)
- Dave Lester, 303-771-8408, dlindenver-at-gmail-dot-com
- Randy Macan, 970-481-2315, randyjm-at-gmail-dot-com
- Charlie Zelenka, 970-618-6227, charleszelenka-at-gmail-dot-co
m - Rob McFarland, 970-420-3819, robmcfarland-at-me-dot-com
- Layla Borgens, 970-631-1419, nurse.layla-at-yahoo-dot-com
Please inform the webmaster of any updates to this information!
Groaning Cave Visitation, 1980-2000
Larry Fish has published a detailed study of Groaning Cave visitation for the period 1980-2000.
Groaning Cave Visitation, 2017-2019
Paul Fowler has published a short summary of Groaning Cave visitation for the period 2017-2018, and another similar summary for 2019 .
Groaning Cave Visitation, 2021
Mary Klaus has published a short summary of Groaning Cave visitation for the period 2021. Note that there was no visitation during 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.