National Cave and Karst Program on National Forest System Lands
Effective beginning 6/02/2025
This website, and all linked websites under the control of the agency is under review and content may change.
The goal of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Cave and Karst Program is to protect and maintain the biologic, geologic, mineralogic, paleontologic, hydrologic, cultural, educational, scientific, and recreational values of caves and karst resources.
#CavesAndKarst, #Science, #Conservation
Crawling in caves
Join us in Nature’s ultimate crawlspace. (USDA Forest Service illustration by John Eudicone)
*Listen to the audio story: Forest Focus Episode 44: Crawling in CavesThere are portals within many national forests that offer entry into underground realms of the most curious forms of biodiversity…
#CavesAndKarst, #PacificSouthwestRegion, lassen
Bridge to an icy wonderland reopened
A repaired Big Four Ice Caves Bridge re-opened bigger and better in October 2022—extending 37 feet longer—to stabilize it on the South Fork Stillaguamish riverbank. The $241,000 project, contracted to One Corner Construction, was funded through the Great American Outdoor Act. (Forest Service…
#IceCaves, #GreatAmericanOutdoorsAct, #Bridges, #CavesAndKarst
Badland caves are cooler than you think
Darley Newman and her guide Forest Service employee, Treva Slaughter, navigate the endless horizons of the Little Missouri National Grassland. (Photo credit: Darley Newman)
America’s national forests and grasslands are popular destinations for recreational activities like swimming, hiking and rock climbing…
#IceCaves, #Grasslands, #CavesAndKarst, #Geology
La Garita Mountains grew from volcanic explosions 35 million years ago
The Wheeler Geologic Area on the Rio Grande National Forest offers a glimpse into a violent volcanic past with hoodoos and multi-colored tuff that has been slowly eroding for millions of years. (USDA Forest Service Photo by Michael Blakeman)
Looking out over the La Garita Wilderness Area in Southwest…
#Volcanos, #CavesAndKarst, #Caving, #MineralsAndGeologyManagement, #Minerals
2021 is the International Year of Caves and Karst
Visitors at the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest’s Blanchard Springs Caverns in Arkansas. Photo courtesy of Dave Bunnell.
The USDA Forest Service joins in celebrating 2021 as the International Year of Caves and Karst, the largest global event showcasing caves and karst landscapes. The International Year of Caves and Karst is an initiative of…