Clarksville Preserve

CLARKSVILLE CAVE

Clarksville cave is a popular horizontal cave in Albany County, NY. With about 4800 feet of passage and three entrances, Clarksville is surely the best-known and most-visited wild cave in the Northeast.

The cave preserve is open from 7AM to 11PM (please be quiet around neighboring properties after 9:30PM) to the general public and includes a changing area and informational kiosk.

Information about safe caving and guidlines for the preserve are available here as well as at the preserve.

Special use groups such as summer camps, church groups, scouts, and school groups are asked to contact the NCC special use coordinators to schedule trips into the cave.

  • Minimum group size is 3; maximum group size is 15.
  • All persons entering the cave must have at least the following minimum equipment: helmet with a chin strap; three (3) sources of light, one of which must be helmet mounted; and knee pads.
  • Cave exploration and hiking on karst terrain may involve risk or injury, even death from various hazards, both obvious and obscure, including, but not limited to, slippery and uneven ground, open pits, injury by acts of other people, falling, being struck by falling objects, becoming lost, the presence or sudden appearance of water, and hypothermia. All cave visitors are expected to abide by the normally accepted rules of safe and conservation minded caving as outlined by the National Speleological Society, 6001 Pulaski Pike, Huntsville, Alabama 35810-1122.
  • Clarksville Cave must be treated as a unique natural resource, and nothing should be taken out of the cave except trash.
  • All work projects must be clearly defined and authorized beforehand.
  • Each group is expected to clean up any trash in the cave or on the property.
  • Special Use Groups: Insurance or certificate thereof may be required for private groups such as schools, camps, and scouts. Groups such as the Boy Scouts will be required to show proof that they are complying with their own rules regarding caving.
  • Follow US Fish and Wildlife's decontamination procedures for WNS

All caves on the preserve are closed October 1st through April 30th to protect hibernating bats. Contact the managers (below) for additional information.


If you have questions about this preserve, please contact the Clarksville managers at clarksville@necaveconservancy.org