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South Pittsburg Pit Preserve

Management Plan | Surface Plot Map | Passage Plot Map |Make a Donation

South Pittsburg Pit is located in the city of South Pittsburg in Marion County, Tennessee. The cave has a beautiful 160-foot entrance pit and more than 2,200 feet of surveyed passage, and has been a popular destination for cavers since its initial exploration by Chattanooga Grotto members in February 1964. 

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 South Pittsburg Pit:

• 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.

The South Pittsburg Pit Preserve includes the pit entrance and ten acres overlying the cave passages, as well as easements for access to and from the preserve. The seller has also donated an additional ten acres to serve as a buffer against future development in the area. Access to the twenty-acre preserve is available via the established trail which begins behind the water tank above Lloyd Park in South Pittsburg. 

The purchase is being financed by a 10-year, $40,000 mortgage. Donations to support the purchase and help pay off the mortgage are welcome. Contributions may be made by check or credit card, and may be mailed to SCCi, PO Box PO Box 71857, Chattanooga TN 37407-0857. Contributions are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS rules for section 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. 

Acreage: 88.0 acres (owned) in Marion County, Tennessee
Property Manager: David Crisp (southpittsburg@scci.org)
Access: Open, 12 person limit on group size.