Barton Hill Nature Preserve

Located in Schoharie County, New York, the Barton Hill Nature Preserve is 12 miles east of the NSS-owned McFails Cave and 9 miles west of the Northeastern Cave Conservancy's Knox Cave.

The Preserve, situated on 40 acres, contains three known caves and 310 acres of cave rights. The bulk of the Preserve is a limestone bench characterized by numerous sinkholes and solutionally-enlarged joints. All drainage is underground. The acreage is almost entirely wooded by a northeastern hardwood forest.

Three caves exist on the property, Gage Caverns (historically known as Ball's Cave), Keyhole Cave and Greenes Cave. Discovered in 1831 by Peter Ball, Gage Caverns is one of the oldest known caves in the state of New York with over 3,000 feet of mapped passage. During the early exploration, most of the formations were removed and shipped around the United States to adorn the collections of practical geologists and state museums.

The Preserve was donated by James Gage to the National Speleological Foundation in December of 1987. The property was deeded to the National Speleological Society by the NSF in 1996. The Preserve and the caves are managed by members of the National Speleological Society. These caves are managed for recreation and education. All individuals wishing to gain access must obtain permission from the Committee and sign a release form. The Barton Hill Nature Preserve Management Committee is chaired by Thom Engel.

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