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Hollow Ridge Cave Preserve

Management Plan | Make a Donation

The Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. is pleased to announce that Hollow Ridge Cave, Jackson County, Florida, was donated to the SCCi on January 27, 2006. The Hollow Ridge Cave Preserve includes the cave entrances and approximately 5 acres of land overlying the cave. This donation is the culmination of more than three years of work by cave owner Allen Mosler and SCCi Director Mark Wolinsky. This acquisition is the SCCi's 23rd preserve and its 53rd cave!

NOTICE: To help prevent the spread of the deadly White Nose Syndrome (WNS) affecting bat populations, please read the SCCi Cave Visitation Policy and follow these guidelines before visiting Hollow RIdge Cave:

• Before and after visiting the Preserve, thoroughly clean and decontaminate all clothing, footwear or gear that has been previously used in a cave in Rhode Island, Maine, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky (or in a WNS-Affected State prior to 2006), following the procedures outlined in the latest USFWS guidelines (see Attachment 2)..
  
• Do not use any clothing, footwear or gear that you cannot adequately decontaminate.
  
• Do not use any clothing, footwear or gear that has been used since January 1, 2006 in any cave in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and/or West Virginia, regardless of decontamination protocols followed.

Visitors are warned that during or following heavy rains the cave may flood. The SCCi recommends that cavers not enter the cave when rain is expected. Flooding can occur very quickly and with little or no warning!

Hollow Ridge Cave is a few miles northeast of Marianna, Florida, in a small hill that rises about 40 feet above the Chipola River flood plain. The cave has four entrances and a surveyed length of 3,370 feet, making it one of the larger caves in the area. It is formed at the contact between the Marianna Limestone and the Bumpnose member of the underlying Crystal River Limestone. The cave's passages are a mixture of narrow fissures and muddy bedding plane crawls connecting several rooms. Many formations are found throughout the cave. The lower levers are subjected to frequent flooding.

When the property containing Hollow Ridge Cave was subdivided some years ago, SCCi member Allen Mosler decided to buy the cave. He did so by purchasing three lots overlying its passages. Since that time, Mosler has acted as steward and protector of the cave - a role which he will continue as manager of the SCCi Hollow Ridge Cave Preserve. 

The surface areas of the preserve are wooded, with abundant growth of pine, cedar, hickory, and other trees typical to the region. A small, grassy clearing at the top of the hill serves as a parking area for visitors. Near the back of the preserve there is a small quarry, long abandoned and now overgrown with cedars, ferns, and oak-leaf hydrangeas. The Chipola river lies about 1,500 feet to the west and is fed by many springs in the area. The parking area is reached by a short dirt road and driveway.

The donation of the property was complicated by overlapping boundary lines and related title issues. Resolution of these issues took more than three years of work by Mosler and Wolinsky before a proper boundary survey and deed description could be obtained. Their persistence and dedication made possible the permanent protection of this fine cave.

Acreage: 4.97 acres (owned) in Jackson County, Florida
Property Manager: Allen Mosler (hollowridge@scci.org)
Access: Open. 12 person group size limit. See the management plan for details.

Commercial Use Statement
The Board of the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. (SCCi) reaffirms its standing policy that bans the commercial use of our properties, and specifically, prohibits any activity where a charge of any type is made. Should you have any questions, contact the SCCi Chair at chair@scci.org .