Our Partners

The efforts of cave conservation, education and outreach in the NSS are made possible by countless hours of dedicated vounteers, as well as partners like the organizations below who help share our message. The partners below collect or donate funds to the CPN fund of the NSS, as well as help build awareness of CPN & NSS initiatives.

It makes sense that, by assembling folks who are proud stewards of caves with those who devote their lives to studying and exploring caves, great things can be accomplished! We all have a common interest in protecting and conserving caves, and ensuring that people can visit them in perpetuity.

Please thank them when you visit!

Bluff Dwellers Cave

In 2016 Reita & George’s children took ownership of the cave in Missouri, with Ray Bunch and his wife Ann as operators for the family business. Over 90 years in business and the family legacy continues with the grandchildren of Arthur Browning. Today we strive to honor the tradition of hospitality, showing our guests the cave and educating them on cave geology, cave biology, and the history of the cave dating back to many thousands of years. We invite you to join the tradition of generations visiting the cave in all its natural glory.

Cumberland Caverns

Cumberland Caverns was founded by cavers Roy Davis and Tank Gorin. Historically known as Higgenbotham Cave and Henshaw Cave, the 1953 connection by Tom Barr, Tank Gorin & Dale Smith allowed Roy and Tank to open the cave to the public and share their passions with the world. Extensive survey in the 70s found 27.6 miles of passage, with more to be added when a resurvey project begins. The cave is recognized as a National Natural Landmark^* and show cave located in McMinnville, Tennessee. It is the longest show cave in Tennessee, and prides themselves on teaching the world about caves and karst.

Glenwood Caverns

The Fairy Caves were discovered in the late 1800’s by Charles Darrow, a lawyer with a mining claim. Tours started in 1897 and ended by 1910. In the 1960’s members of the Colorado Grotto discovered one of the largest cave rooms in Colorado and almost tripled the amount of passageway that had been discovered. Steve Beckley visited the cave, on his second date with his future wife Jeannie in 1992 and immediately started dreaming of a business plan for the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. That dream came to fruition in 1999 after Cavers put in over 5,000 hours of volunteer labor to get it open to the public. Twenty-six years later there are 2 regular walking tours, one blacklight tour and a 2-hour crawl that is offered to the public. In December 2024 Glenwood Caverns and Iron Mountain Hotsprings were recognized because of their scientific relationship to each other as a National Natural Landmarks.

Lincoln Caverns

Lincoln Caverns’ is proud to work with local grottos, or clubs, of the National Speleological Society, as well as various cave conservancies. Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy volunteers recently completed a new map of both Lincoln Caverns and Whisper Rocks after several years of resurveying in their spare time. Juniata College and Nittany Grottos have both spent countless hours on further exploration in both Lincoln Caverns and Whisper Rocks. On May 1, 2005, members of Cave Hill Grotto made a significant discovery in Whisper Rocks. Still under exploration, this new section doubled the size of the previously mapped length. It contains some of the most spectacular and unique speleothems found in Pennsylvania.

Ruby Falls

Journey deep inside historic Lookout Mountain to see the tallest and deepest underground waterfall open to the public in the United States! Descend 260 feet by glass-front elevator to explore ancient formations along the cavern trail to see the thundering falls.

Under Earth Images

By Dave Bunnell

Under Earth Images

Dave Bunnell is a world renown cave photographer. He generously supplies the NSS with his works for free. Most of the images found on our home page are courtesy of Mr. Bunnell.