These Leave No Trace Caving Ethics were developed in partnership with Leave No Trace - Center for Outdoor Ethics. For SCCi specifc guidelines, refer to the information included in your permit.

Plan Ahead and Prepare

• Learn about cave-specific issues, regulations, and permits.
• Ask permission from the land owner before entering a cave.
• Find maps and trip reports where available.
• Visit in small groups. Split larger parties into smaller groups.
• Pack helmets, reliable headlamps, batteries, additional light sources and specialized gear depending on the cave environments.
• Pack food and water.
• Let someone know your plans and expected return time.
• Know who to contact in the event of an emergency.

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

On The Surface

• Respect gates – leave them as you find them.
• Park only in designated areas.
• Do not trespass on private property.
• Camp with permission and in designated or durable areas only.
• Use established trails whenever possible.

In The Cave

• Cave with clean gear to prevent spreading or transferring potentially harmful organisms from one cave to the next.
• Do not breach cave gates. Leave gates as you find them.
• Stay on established trails.
• Minimize vertical caving impacts; choose rigging set up points carefully.
• Camp in cave only when permitted.

Dispose of Waste Properly

• Pack it in; pack it out. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter including biodegradable items such as cores, shells, or peels.
• Use human waste bags or other approved methods to pack out all human waste, including toilet paper and feminine hygiene products.
• Pack out any trash left by others.

Leave What You Find

• Leave all plants, rocks, animals, and historic or cultural artifacts as you find them both below and above ground.
• Avoid introducing or transporting non-native plants and animals.
• Do not alter or build structures in caves.
• Do not deface cave walls (graffiti, waymarkers, muddy handprints, etc.).
• Do not break or touch formations.

Minimize Campfire Impacts

• Check with local officials or landowners before building campfires around or near caves.
• Building fires in caves or cave entrances is never recommended.
• If you must cook inside a cave, use a lightweight stove.

Respect Wildlife

• Do not disturb cave wildlife.
• Stop and examine pools before entering to avoid unnecessary impacts to subterranean wildlife.
• Adhere to seasonal wildlife closures.
• Avoid shining lights directly on cave animals such as bats.

White Nose Syndrome

The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans is the cause of white-nose syndrome, a disease that has resulted in unprecedented mortality of hibernating bats throughout the eastern North America. Since first documented in New York in 2006, WNS continues to threaten hibernating populations of bats across the continent, having spread rapidly through the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southeast states, as well as eastern Canada.

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

• Let nature’s sounds prevail. Keep loud voices and sounds to a minimum.
• Respect other groups by yielding when appropriate.
• Respectfully announce your presence to other groups to avoid surprises.
• Ask before using or moving another group’s rigging or ropes.

Report Vandalism

If you see people vandalizing caves, report it as soon as possible by contacting the landowner or local law enforcement. Confronting or approaching vandals could endanger your safety. From a distance, observe and report their physical description, activities, license plate numbers, time, and location. Sites on federal land are protected by federal laws. These laws provide for the prosecution, forfeiture, imprisonment, and/or fines. Many states have similar laws related to caves.