Nutty Putty Cave
Encyclopedia
Nutty Putty Cave is a hydrothermal cave
located west of Utah Lake
in Utah County
, Utah
, United States
.
The cave, first explored in 1960 by Dale Green, is currently owned by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, and managed by the Utah Timpanogos Grotto.
In the recent past this cave has had four rescues of cavers and Boy Scouts
, who became stuck inside the cave's tight twists, turns, and crawls.
In 2006, an effort was put forth to study and severely limit the amount of visitors allowed inside the cave. It was estimated the cave was receiving over 5,000 visitors per year, with many visitors often entering the cave late at night and failing to take proper safety precautions. The cave’s popularity had caused excessive smoothing of the rock inside the cave to the point it was predicted a fatality would occur in one of the caves more prominent features, a 45-degree room called "The Big Slide". On May 24, 2006, a gate was installed, and the cave was temporarily closed. In early 2009, proper management was established and an application process was developed to ensure safety precautions were being met. On May 18, 2009 the cave was reopened to the public.
On November 24, 2009, John Jones, an experienced caver, died after becoming trapped in the cave for 28 hours. Rescuers concluded that it would be too dangerous to attempt to retrieve his body; the landowner and Jones' family came to an agreement that the cave should be permanently closed with the body sealed inside.
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
located west of Utah Lake
Utah Lake
Utah Lake is a freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Utah. On the western side of Utah Valley, the lake is overlooked by Mount Timpanogos and Mount Nebo. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River, is a tributary of the Great Salt Lake and is highly regulated with pumps. Evaporation accounts...
in Utah County
Utah County, Utah
Utah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 368,536 and by 2008 was estimated at 530,837. It was named for the Spanish name for the Ute Indians. The county seat and largest city is Provo...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The cave, first explored in 1960 by Dale Green, is currently owned by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, and managed by the Utah Timpanogos Grotto.
In the recent past this cave has had four rescues of cavers and Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, who became stuck inside the cave's tight twists, turns, and crawls.
In 2006, an effort was put forth to study and severely limit the amount of visitors allowed inside the cave. It was estimated the cave was receiving over 5,000 visitors per year, with many visitors often entering the cave late at night and failing to take proper safety precautions. The cave’s popularity had caused excessive smoothing of the rock inside the cave to the point it was predicted a fatality would occur in one of the caves more prominent features, a 45-degree room called "The Big Slide". On May 24, 2006, a gate was installed, and the cave was temporarily closed. In early 2009, proper management was established and an application process was developed to ensure safety precautions were being met. On May 18, 2009 the cave was reopened to the public.
On November 24, 2009, John Jones, an experienced caver, died after becoming trapped in the cave for 28 hours. Rescuers concluded that it would be too dangerous to attempt to retrieve his body; the landowner and Jones' family came to an agreement that the cave should be permanently closed with the body sealed inside.