Southern Mammoth Project Area

Cave Access Waivers

⚠️ DRAFT VERSION - Pending Approval from Landowner

Access to caves in the Southern Mammoth Project Area requires a signed waiver. Select the cave you plan to visit below.

Important Requirements

All participants must sign a waiver before entering any cave. Ferguson: 18+ years, minimum 4 persons. Hatcher Pit: Minimum 3 persons.

Ferguson Entrance

FEMCS - Mammoth Cave System

Non-commercial vertical entrance to the Mammoth Cave System with access to a minimum of 350 miles of complex cave passage.

Type: Vertical entrance (80+ ft drop)
Location: Edmonson County, Kentucky
Requirements: Vertical certification, personal gear
Group size: Minimum 4 persons
View Ferguson Waiver

Hatcher Pit Cave

Private Property Access

Non-commercial vertical pit entrance cave located on private property. Wild cave requiring technical vertical caving skills.

Type: Vertical pit entrance
Owner: Jeff Hatcher (private property)
Requirements: Vertical certification, personal gear
Group size: Minimum 3 persons
View Hatcher Pit Waiver

General Safety Requirements

Required Equipment

  • • Three sources of light
  • • Helmet, gloves, and boots
  • • Vertical cave equipment
  • • Personal gear (no sharing)

Required Training

  • • Vertical caving certification
  • • Caving first aid knowledge
  • • Cave rescue training
  • • Self-rescue capabilities

Conservation & Safety

  • • Clean gear required (White-nose Syndrome prevention)
  • • No drugs, alcohol, or intoxicating substances
  • • Pack out everything you pack in
  • • No digging or modifying cave passages