Soldier's Cave is another one of those cases where a lot of people, some less conservation minded then others, trampled through the cave for years largely unchecked. One of the problems with Soldier's Cave is that it has three entrances, right next to each other. The middle entrance is gated, and the right was closed with a concrete plug. Vandals somehow managed to break through the concrete in around 1993. The left entrance collapsed naturally in 1995.

In 1994 and 1995, the main restoration project took place, coordinated by the cave's "Trustees." The trustees have been given permission to lead others through the cave, and in return, they keep an eye on things and report any problems, help with restoration, and contribute with any other projects which happen along. Initially, the cave was divided into areas for Grottos to "adopt" for cleaning, plus a Park Service restoration area. During this time, everyone chipped together to help with the cleaning, and the cave was only open for clean-up trips. The restoration efforts were very successful.

One particularly neat effort was the temporary diverting of water from a small stream near the entrance to feed a 2000 foot hose which was brought into the cave. Water from the hose was used to remove years of old mud accumulation, carbide writing, and other miscellaneous gunk. The hose was largely donated by members of Northern California's Diablo Grotto. There are still some areas which receive attention, such as Ruby's Route, and a lot of touchup cleaning is being done here and there of areas that become re-dirtied. This work will certainly extend into the foreseeable future, but for the most part restoration is as complete as it is going to get.

After that right entrance's cement plug was busted out back in 1993, a joint effort of the Southern California Grotto (John Woods, etc.), and John Gardner (of the Columbia Grotto) resealed the entrance, this time with a bat friendly gate. It's a huge improvement, particularly because it allows for the natural flow of air through the cave. So with the right and middle entrances gated, and the left entrance collapsed, the cave is (mostly) secure.

Tasks which still need to be completed are:

  • Eventual regating of the old middle gate, time and money permitting
  • A resurvey and inventory, replacing the old incomplete maps
  • And of course, the ever present "touchup" cleaning

These remaining tasks will be tackled by the cave's trustees, and Park Service employee Joel Despain and his summer seasonal assistant Greg Stock.


Occasional trips are planned to Soldier's Cave by the grotto, which you can track down by taking a look at the grotto calendar of events, or by attending a grotto meeting and asking a member of the executive committee.


Lost Soldier's Cave Trip Report 2003 by Kelley Prebil
Lost Soldier's Cave Trip Report 1998 by Glenn Butcher
Trustee Trip to Soldiers Cave by Peter Bosted

Photo: (Top) Bonnie Crystal in Soldier's Cave by Dave Bunnell

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