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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, all SCCi caves in Tennessee, including South Pittsburg Pit, are temporarily closed. Please read this announcement for details. A roundtable discussion about WNS and the SCCi's response will be held May 16 at the annual meeting. You are invited to provide your input. .

In 1997, the Conservancy leased the rights to the cave and one acre of surrounding land. For seven years, the SCCi managed access and kept the cave open for visitation. In 2004, the lease expired, and the owner chose not to renew it. Instead, the 1,900-acre property containing the cave was listed for sale. Since that time, the SCCi has been working to purchase the cave and a reasonable buffer of land around it.

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 Rutherford County, Tennessee
Property Manager: David Crisp (southpittsburg@scci.org)
Access: Open, 12 person limit on group size.