Caving

Caving Information

We have several trained student caving specialists who are certified to lead trips at local caves. There are few caves in the immediate area, however if you travel just 30 minutes southwest from Messiah, there are many fascinating caves.

Links

National Speleological Society (NSS)
NSS is an organization that studies, explores, and conserves cave and kart resources. They also protect access to caves, encourage responsible management of caves and their unique environments, and promote responsible caving.

Different Types of Caves
Here you can expand your knowledge on the different types of caves and how they are formed!

Destinations

Lisburn Cave:

This cave is about 10 minutes from campus but is not open for public use. With roughly 400 feet of passage, this cave can keep a group of ten new cavers occupied for three hours. There are not many formations because the cave is not as old as most, but does have some fun and exciting squeezes!

Carnegie Cave:

This cave is located in the Shippensburg area and is open to the public! It is visited by many cavers and consists of muddy walls, old foot prints, as well as nice, but now destroyed formations. The entrance to this cave is unique because you have to crawl through a metal tube for about 125 feet. The cave is directly affected by the stream which some times results in high waters, making it difficult to walk through. It is the largest cave that we visit and has almost 1,000 feet of passageway!

Hershey Coy Cave System:

This cave is relatively small, but for someone who doesn't mind going through some tight areas, there is more than 1,000 feet of passage. It runs over private property so special permission from the landowner is needed.

Peipers Cave:

This cave is the largest, in ceiling height and passage space, that we have been to! Unfortunately, the private land owner charges a hefty entrance fee for group use, making it a rare location for us to visit. It has a few neat formations with more than 1,500 feet of mazy passage. There are also upper and lower levels, so if you're there without a map, you might be in there for a while!