The 2025 NSS Convention team invites YOU to join your fellow cavers next year in Cobleskill, New York where we will be celebrating A Lifetime Of Caving.  Travel to Schoharie County and help make this the convention of a lifetime.

The convention will be centered in an area of dramatic beauty with karst valleys and visible geological history which will be featured in our two geological field trips.

The convention will be at the State University of New York in Cobleskill where accommodations are ideal for the many activities throughout each day.

Session rooms are all equipped with built-in state of the art audio video equipment.   There are good rooms for small and medium sized sessions.  Bouck Hall contains a recently renovated theater which will amply and comfortably host the largest sessions as well as the Thursday evening photo salon.  Almost all sessions and daytime activities will be in Bouck Hall or adjacent Wheeler Hall, with the board meeting and the evening fellows reception nearby in Champlin Hall.

Whether you will need to attend a large session, small session, art salon, vendor hall, vertical competition hall, or any of the many activities held at the primary convention site during the week,  everything will be right at hand and easy to reach.   On-campus food services will also make it a piece of cake to take full advantage of the week’s convention activities.

And speaking of activities, we have arranged for camping, ample RV space with full hookups, and a full slate of events at the Sunshine Fairgrounds which is a full service event grounds that handles week-long fairs, horse shows, and even professional wrestling banquets. SURELY they can cope with a grounds full of celebrating cavers for a week?  The Howdy Party, Wednesday Campground Party, and Friday Banquet will all be held here.  Just one mile door-to-door from SUNY Cobleskill, travel to and from ANY convention activity will be very easy.  Bring a bike for easy commuting, save a little time for the short walk, hitch a ride with a friend, or take advantage of convenient shuttle service to move quickly and easily between campus and camping to enjoy the busy flow of activities on offer all week.

In the heart of Cobleskill, attendees can take advantage of a nearby full-service grocery store, local motels, diners, fast food and dining opportunities. Nearby caving areas have very good lunch spots convenient to many of our underground features. And there are opportunities to visit local breweries and wineries throughout the region.

And speaking of caving, did you know the NSS has three preserves within 15 miles of the convention site? Gage, Schoharie, and McFails Preserves are all close at hand. McFails cave was the very first NSS-owned preserve with a signature dome drop leading to a river passage and seven miles of cave!

Balls and Schoharie Caves each have their own charm and are well worth a visit, or revisit.

How many of you were here in 1991? Cobleskill was also the site of New York’s previous convention. In '91 We did not know about Marshalls Cave and the long drop recently discovered there. Clarksville Cave has come into the family by being acquired by the Northeastern Cave Conservancy.

Not to take a back seat, the Northeastern Cave Conservancy now has 10 preserves within easy reach of the convention. In '91, the only NCC cave was Knox Cave, which is certainly a gem, but now there are many caver-managed caves in the area to visit. Many other privately-owned caves are also conveniently nearby.

Convention week trips, as well as pre- and post-convention camps will give you plenty of opportunities to explore the caving wonders on display in this important caving region. The NSS owns two caver cabins at the preserves that will be available for us to use before and after the convention.

In addition to the convention and caving-related fun, the Cobleskill area has much on offer to see and do. Thacher Park is a short drive away, has popular caves and features eye-popping views. A variety of historic and cultural museums, scenic drives and popular local attractions all add up to make Schoharie County and the immediate region a fun visit for anyone. And the Adirondack Park is only a short drive away if you have time to wander even a little farther afield.

Lock in Schoharie County on your calendar today. Registration is open. Come visit us in June of 2025. You will be welcomed in grand style. Find yourself once again in the great company of cavers. We are celebrating A Lifetime Of Caving. Whether you are just beginning your caving lifetime or have had the pleasure of decades within the Society, please meet us next year to join the celebration.