Hobbies And Interests
Join the Club
Since spelunking is never, ever a solo activity, joining a spelunking group is highly recommended in order to peek under the surface of Georgia. Happily, there are 6 caving clubs that operate within Georgia. Called "grottoes," these are local branches of the National Speleological Society. As they often assist government scientists in the survey of closed caves, these groups enjoy unprecedented access -- and most grottos open their monthly meetings to all interested visitors. Grottos regularly schedule caving trips, as well as in-depth training in horizontal caving, vertical caving, cave surveying, gear, safety, speleology and cave conservation.
Fox Mountain Caves
The seven-plus caves at Dade County's Fox Mountain cover more than 300 acres. The biggest, deepest, most feature-rich cave network in the state, Fox Mountain's several entrances lead to tunnels that wander for miles and miles underground. One of these entrances, "Cemetery Pit," starts with a 153-foot drop just after the mouth. Huge rooms and limited rope-work requirements make Fox Mountain a go-to cave for newbie spelunkers.
Howard̵7;s Waterfall Cave
Heavily visited for decades because of its easy, horizontal access and un-gatable entrance, the big rooms and buzzing bat colony inside Howard's Waterfall cave, near the town of Trenton, invite spelunkers of every level, even with small sections through which you'll need to crawl. Local caving groups, scouting organizations and outdoors clubs use the cave to teach spelunking basics and environmental conservation.
Caving at Cloudland
If you'd prefer a lower-key introduction to underground Georgia, head to Cloudland Canyon State Park. While gated against public access for much of the year, the easygoing-yet-impressive cave opens for guided tours during the park's annual Outdoor Adventure Weekend, held every year at the end of April. As well as plenty of above-ground activities, the event offers tours of the park's large cave, as well as rappelling training. There's also the added draw that the wild cave your promises that you'll get wet and muddy as you explore the underground.
Warning
Even for the very experienced, spelunking is a dangerous activity. Always research the cave you plan to visit and apply for all required permits. Most caves in Georgia require prior permission for entry, and spelunking groups can help you obtain them. Not only does permit application help maintain a friendly relationship between Georgia's landowners and spelunking community, but permits keep your expedition on the radar of emergency services should you fail to emerge in the given time period.