A new cave has been discovered near Glenwood Springs after a geological survey. 

A new cave has been discovered near Glenwood Springs and is being called the "Witches’ Pantry".

The discovery of the cave came in October 2019 after mining company Rocky Mountain Resources had the area surveyed as a potential expansion site for their limestone quarry. The geological survey showed some anomalies, prompting Richard Rhinehart of Grand Junction and Rob McFarland of Rifle, both members of the Colorado Cave Survey, to go looking around in the area.

They discovered the cave with an approximately six-foot by 10-foot-wide chute-like entrance. Once inside, they found animal remains, including bones from a bear; on a second visit, they found a smaller entryway that led into another chamber. So far, about 150 feet of the cave has been discovered, with likely deeper chambers to be found. That will require a more intense effort, including possible excavation, which requires a BLM permit.

The Witches’ Pantry is the most significant cave find in the area next to to the nearby Fairy Caves. It is also the first cave found in the area since 1985. Rhinehart reported the discovery to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in early December and hopes to return when the weather warms up and snow season has cleared.

Stalactites in the lower level of the cave. Photograph by Kristin Levy.

In his report, Rhinehart calls the cave a "previously unknown cave of significance", and notes that it's within the area of the proposed expansion. The current quarry is set on close to 20 acres of land, and the mining company is proposing to expand that to over 450 acres to excavate limestone. That expansion would blast through the cave, without allowing time or opportunity for further scientific exploration or study.

The discovery of this new cave is exciting, and although it will likely not be open to the public to explore, there's much that can be learned from it.

Glenwood Springs draws lots of visitors year-round and is home to the Glenwood Caverns, which are a series of ancient underground caves, as well as the Glenwood Springs hot springs resort, and nearby Glenwood Canyon. For some other local hot springs to visit and more details about Glenwood Springs check out our article right here about great places for hot springs across Colorado!

What is your favorite Colorado cave to explore? What do you think of this new cave being discovered? Give us the details in the comments.