Arizona Cave Survey

The primary goal of the Arizona Cave Survey is to document all of the caves in the state of Arizona. We consider ourselves a library of Arizona cave information. The library consists of thousands of books, articles, cave maps, files, and photographs. The collection is a mixture of digital and hard-copy content. We also maintain a master digital database of caves, as well as an independent cave location GIS system.

Our group has also created a “Bibliography of Arizona Cave Publications,” that is designed to help cave researchers find existing and out-of-print cave-related publications. The work of the Survey is an on-going project and grows in value as we collect more information over time.

We feel that the best way to protect the caves of Arizona is to document these unique resources. The more we know about them, the better we can make informed and thoughtful decisions on how to protect them. With well over 1,000 caves and karst features documented in the state, Arizona is rich in speleological resources. From the large Lave Tubes of Northern Arizona, to the profusely decorated limestone caves of Southern Arizona, our state contains some of the most beautiful and scientifically important caves in the nation. And since Arizona has such a variety of localized climates, from arid deserts to lush mountain forests; we also have a high diversity of caves types.