Cave Management Plan

 

Summary

Caves are unique and fragile environments, and the Timpanogos Cave System is no exception. The National Park Service (NPS) at Timpanogos Cave National Monument (TICA) uses the cave management plan to establish policies that provide direction and guide activities that have or may have an effect on the cave and karst resources.

The purpose of the plan is to create an integrated approach to managing the caves and a consistent framework for addressing TICA’s challenging cave resource issues while providing for the best visitor experience in accordance with all legal authorities of its enabling legislation, as well as other applicable law, regulation, policy and best management practices.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

BAT - Best Available Technology
BATS - Behind A Tour Specialist volunteer program
CFR - Code of Federal Regulations
CMP - Cave Management Plan
DO - NPS Director’s Order
EA - Environmental Assessment
IC - Introduction to Caving Tour
JHA - Job Hazard Analysis
NEPA - National Environmental Policy Act
NPS - National Park Service
NSS - National Speleological Society
PEPC - Planning, Environment, and Public Comment
SAR - Search and Rescue
SHPO - State Historic Preservation Office
SOP - Standard Operating Procedure
TICA - Timpanogos Cave National Monument
USC - United States Code
USFS - United States Forest Service
USFWS - United States Fish and Wildlife Service
VIP - Volunteers in Parks

Chapter 1: Introduction and Purpose

1.1 Introduction

Timpanogos Cave National Monument (TICA) was established by Presidential Proclamation 1640 issued by Warren G. Harding on October 14, 1922 in order to protect the cave for its “unusual scientific interest and importance”. The 250 acres of the monument are currently managed as a unit of the national park system to preserve, research, and interpret the unique cave system.

The National Park Service (NPS) utilizes this Cave Management Plan (CMP) as the guiding document for management activities by establishing polices regarding visitation, research, development, inventory and monitoring, and infrastructure maintenance that have or may have an effect on the cave and karst resources.

Cave resources include cave walls, ceilings, floors, and speleothems (see definitions Appendix B) as well as cultural, hydrologic, geologic, biological features, and climate.
This chapter describes the scope, purpose, and need for this project. This chapter is organized into the following sections:

1.2 Background
1.3 Purpose, Goals, and Objectives
1.4 Desired Future Conditions
1.5 Relationship to other laws, regulations and polices

1.2 Background

TICA consists of 250 acres located in the rugged American Fork Canyon of the Wasatch Range; just 30 miles from the major metropolitan areas of Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah. The park is located primarily on the northern slope of 11,750-foot Mount Timpanogos and surrounded by the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

TICA currently contains 9 known caves. Timpanogos, Hansen, and Middle Caves (together, the “Timpanogos Cave System”), are viewed on a cave tour. The three primary caves are located at an elevation of 6,730 feet and run along a fault zone roughly perpendicular to the nearby Wasatch Fault. The three caves are joined by two artificially constructed tunnels and contain a variety of formations. The Grotto, considered to be one of the nine caves, is used daily as a waiting and staging area for cave tour operations. The five other caves are rarely visited due to their small size, cliff exposure and safety concerns related to access. The Timpanogos Caves have become best known for their abundant decorations, their unusual speleogenesis, distinct coloration, and rich human history.

Visitation to the caves is by ranger-guided tour only. Tours are generally available from early May to mid-October, depending on funding, weather/snowfall, and other factors. The caves are then closed and are typically covered by snow throughout most of the winter season. Access to the caves requires hiking more than 1,000 vertical feet along the 1.5 mile trail that ascends the canyon walls. Annual visitation at the park consistently exceeds 105,000 with an average of 52,000 annually viewing the caves on a guided cave tour.

To facilitate cave tours a variety of infrastructure is needed including approximately 0.3 miles of paved trail, lighting system and associated electrical components, bridges and handrails, and airlock doors. The tunnels, trail, and much of the stairs were constructed by the Works Progress Administration thus creating a unique underground cultural landscape.

1.3 Purpose, Goals, and Objectives

The purpose of the CMP is to create an integrated approach to managing the caves at Timpanogos Cave National Monument. The goal for the document is to guide management of the caves to provide the greatest preservation of cave resources, perpetuate a high-quality visitor educational experience and maintain cave ecosystem health while minimizing adverse impacts.

CMP objectives are to:
1) Protect, restore, and perpetuate natural cave and karst systems by defining desired future conditions of monument cave resources and determining acceptable impacts from human use as well as actions to mitigate those impacts.

2) Encourage, facilitate, and conduct high-quality scientific studies of TICA cave and karst systems by seeking increased research assistance.

3) Provide an appropriate variety of opportunities for visitors to discover, appreciate, respect and enjoy the monument’s cave resources.

4) Support protection and management of cave and karst systems not only at the monument but in the region through education, outreach, and partnerships.

5) Support and promote increased education of staff and visitors about cave and karst systems.

6) Promote and enhance visitor and employee health and safety in and around caves.

7) Establish appropriate staff responsibilities and policies to protect the caves from potential aesthetic and ecological impacts by visitors and staff.

Since the implementation of the cave management plan in 2013 visitor statistics have changed as a result of the CMP decisions, construction projects resulting in road and cave closures, and refining visitor statistic collection. Approximately 105,000 visitors annually come to the park with an average of 52,000 people touring the caves during the five-month operating season (Mid-May through mid-October) each year.

United States Census data shows that Utah County has increased in population 20% in the last 10 years with greater growth many neighboring communities including Highland (25%), Saratoga Springs (78%), Lehi (38%), and American Fork City (22 %). Population growth has resulted in an annual average of 1.6 million recreation users in American Fork Canyon.
To ensure that this plan is utilizing all current research, data, visitor statistics, budgets, etc. – it will be updated every 5 years.

1.4 Desired Future Conditions of Cave Resources

TICA has the responsibility to preserve and protect cave resources, maintain unimpeded natural processes, mineral deposition, and healthy ecosystems. The desired condition for cave resources will be that speleothems are left to continue to grow and develop naturally with no breakage. The cave microclimate will be stable and predictable with continual efforts to mitigate impacts from infrastructure and operations.

The desired conditions for cave biota will be that each cave is climatologically and ecologically separate. Cave life will have minimally hindered access to the caves, staff will work to identify migratory patterns of species, and to the greatest extent possible, allow for natural migrations through the cave systems. Efforts will be made to remove any exotic species from the cave system. Staff will also prepare Timpanogos Cave System and species for the potential arrival of Pseudogymnoascus destructans or White-Nose Syndrome and the spread to surrounding areas by documenting current species and roost locations and prescribing decontamination procedures to all entering the caves.

Cultural landscape contributing features are found throughout the caves. Signatures and mining remnants are found in Hansen Cave from historic use during the late 1800s. Tunnels were developed in 1936-1938 and stairs and trail features were installed utilizing the Works Progress Administration. Additional historic features may include remnants of lighting systems, trail features, water systems, and others. While none of these items are listed, many elements are contributing features to the cultural landscape and are eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. These cultural items will be fully documented and preserved appropriately to allow for longevity, preservation, interpretation and future research.

Visitors to Timpanogos Cave National Monument safely enjoy and are satisfied with the availability, accessibility, diversity, and quality of park facilities, services, and appropriate recreational opportunities. Visitors will have the opportunity to visit the caves on guided tours for an educational and interpretive experience. Safety for both staff and visitors in and out of the cave will continue to be a park priority. The cave will be a safe environment with access to necessary equipment, appropriate Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and work appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Each staff member will have a clear understanding of job duties, appropriate actions, SOPs, and where to receive more information to best serve park operations in monument caves.

1.5 Relationship to Other Park Laws, Regulations, Policies

The management of the national park system and its programs is guided by the U.S. Constitution, public laws, treaties, proclamations, executive orders, regulations, and directives of the Secretary of the Interior and the Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, as interpreted by the judiciary.

• “[The National Park Service] shall promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments, and reservations hereinafter specified . . . by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the said parks, monuments, and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Organic Act (54 USC § 100101)

Timpanogos Cave National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation 1640, issued by Warren G. Harding on October 14, 1922. This proclamation provides specific legal authority and direction for the monument. The key management provision of the proclamation states in part:

“whereas, a natural cave, known as the Timpanogos Cave, which is situated upon surveyed lands within the Wasatch National Forest in the state of Utah, is of unusual scientific interest and importance, and it appears that the public interest will be promoted by reserving this cave with as much land as may be necessary for the proper protection thereof, as a National Monument.”

• “It is the policy of the United States that Federal lands be managed in a manner which protects and maintains, to the extent practical, significant caves.” Federal Cave Resource Protection Act of 1988 (FCRPA)
• “The Service will manage caves in accordance with approved cave management plans to perpetuate the natural systems associated with the caves, such as karst and other drainage patterns, air flows, mineral deposition, and plant and animal communities. Wilderness and cultural resources and values will also be protected. NPS Management Policies (NPS, 2006 § 4.8.2.2)

A number of specific NPS regulations apply to cave management at TICA and have been considered in the preparation of this Cave Management Plan. Key regulations include:

Closures and Public Use Limits (36 CFR 1.5) This regulation authorizes a park superintendent to establish visiting hours, establish public use limits, and close all or part of a park area to all use or to a specific use or activity, consistent with applicable legislation and administrative policies and based upon a determination that such an action is necessary for one or more of the following reasons:

• Maintenance of public health and safety
• Protection of environmental or scenic values
• Protection of natural or cultural resources
• Aid to scientific research
• Implementation of management responsibilities
• Equitable allocation and use of facilities
• Avoidance of conflict among visitor use activities

Permits (36 CFR 1.6) This regulation authorizes park superintendents to issue permits for activities that are otherwise restricted or denied to the general public and requires superintendents to “include in a permit the terms and conditions that the superintendent deems necessary to protect park resources.” Issuance of a permit is based on a determination by the park superintendent that the following factors “will not be adversely impacted”:

• Public health and safety
• Environment or scenic values
• Natural or cultural values
• Scientific research
• Implementation of management responsibilities
• Proper allocation and use of facilities
• Avoidance of conflict among visitor use activities

Preservation of natural, cultural, and archeological resources (36 CFR 2.1) This regulation prohibits the possession, destruction, defacement, digging, removal, disturbance, sale, or commercial distribution of or injury to a mineral resource or cave formation, or part thereof. It further authorizes a superintendent to restrict hiking or pedestrian use to a designated trail or walkway system.

Research Specimens (36 CFR 2.5) This regulation authorizes park superintendents to issue research specimen collection permits if the collection is necessary to scientific or resource management goals and only if such collections will not damage park resources.

Cave Management (43 CFR 37) These regulations implement the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988. They designate all NPS caves as ‘significant’ for the purposes of the act and prohibit the disclosure of the locations of significant caves.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument Safety Plan (2019): This documented safety program addresses both employee and visitor safety, with an emphasis on hazard identification, elimination, mitigation, education, and, if necessary, response and investigation.

Chapter 2: Policies and Procedures

This CMP outlines cave management policies based on research and management experience with an emphasis on balancing resource protection and visitor enjoyment. Access and use policies have been developed based on desired conditions of resources. Cave monitoring, data collection, and research will be conducted by park personnel, researchers, and volunteers based on scientific and management needs.

Due to the lack of natural regenerative processes, caves are non-renewable resources; all impacts are essentially permanent. Impacts include the physical degradation of cave surfaces from repeated touching of rock surfaces, including inadvertent and intentional damage to speleothems or other cave features.

Restoration activities will work to mitigate effects of infrastructure, tour operations, historical activities and other human uses. The alterations to the historic restroom will provide better protection to undiscovered karst resources by improved waste disposal system.

2.1 Cave Biota Management

• Staff will conduct seasonal monitoring for cave biota. Visual inventories will document the presence/absence of cave invertebrates and other cave animals.

• A small animal entry location will be created in the Hansen Cave doors or entrance room wall to permit a low access point for small animals.

• In accordance with TICA White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) Policy (NPS, 2011), summer bat surveys will be conducted to monitor bat health. Winter monitoring will be conducted. If WNS symptoms are identified on a bat, the individual will be euthanized and shipped to the USGS wildlife health lab for analysis.

• Staff and visitors will continue to abide by TICA White-nose Syndrome (WNS) policy regarding cave access and decontamination procedures.

• All visitors, volunteers, researchers, and contractors will be screened for WNS. Any clothing or equipment that has been in any other cave or mine must be decontaminated before entering the Timpanogos Caves.

• The surface use of pesticides/herbicides is prohibited above known cave systems.

• A Special Use Permit is required for backcountry cave access. Permit applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis with approval by the superintendent following review and concurrence by the chief of resource management.

• All above-ground, off-trail areas of the park south of State Route 92 are closed to off-trail public access except by Special Use Permit for safety and resource protection. Permits for access to the area above the cave system will not, except in exigent circumstances, be granted during the normal summer tour season.

• Exploration and survey of unexplored leads and exploratory digs will be considered and approved on a case by case basis by the superintendent after review and concurrence by the chief of resource management.

• Any new discoveries of caves or cave passage will require survey during exploration. Survey will be conducted utilizing 2006 Carlsbad Caverns National Park cave survey standards.

• All in-cave projects, such as mapping of narrow passages, will be thoroughly documented in accordance with best management practices. Copies will be kept in the resource management office and/or in the monument’s central files.

2.3 Cave and Karst Management

• The park should facilitate both park-conducted or sponsored and independent research in accordance with section 4.2 of NPS Management Policies. Specific research needs or objectives will be identified in the annual work plan for the resource management division or other park management documents.

• The park will work with USFS to maintain watershed protection above the caves.

• Formalized partnerships will be established with other agencies and groups for improved cave management in surrounding area.

• All incidents involving impact to the cave will be reported in writing to Superintendent through the Chief of Resource Management who will investigate, document (including photographs) and make recommendations to the park management team.

2.4 Cave Restoration

• Any project, inside a cave, involving research, monitoring, cleaning of cave features, construction or removal of infrastructure, or off-trail access requires the approval of the superintendent with the concurrence of the chief of resource management.

• Algae growth occurs in tour caves due to the moist cave environment and artificial lighting. It is not natural to the Timpanogos Cave System. To mitigate algae growth, lights use LED bulbs wherever possible to utilize light spectrums that do not encourage algal development. While it will be ideal to clean during the off-season, to appropriately remove it, algae cleaning must be done when the lights are on and the trail is safe to use, therefore during the visitor season. Algae cleaning is conducted with a scheduled cleaning during the summer. Staff use 50/50 bleach solution to clean algae. Any excessive bleach is wiped up and washed from external areas. If needed, tunnel doors will be left open immediately after for several hours to allow the caves to “air out”. Staff will be notified in advance and efforts will be made to reduce impacts to tours and staff.

• To mitigate lint, litter mud splashing, and debris accumulation, staff will identify high-lint areas and focus cave cleaning on these problem areas. Staff will organize “Lint Camp” or similar restoration events that invite staff and volunteer opportunities to participate. An established rotation will be created for cleaning the entire cave, including identified problem areas.

• Cave cleaning and restoration efforts will focus on both high-lint and algae areas as well as establish a rotation to clean entire tour route on regular basis.

• Cave restoration serves to mitigate negative impacts from human activity in caves. Should lint or algae become highly visible or intentional/unintentional damage occur, then park management will utilize adaptive management practices to respond to restoration needs as is appropriate.

• All in-cave projects will be thoroughly documented in accordance with best management practices. Copies will be kept in the resource management office and/or in the monument’s central files.

2.5 Cultural Resource Preservation

• Cave cultural resources will be managed in accordance with pending cultural resource inventory (CLI), National Historic Preservation Act, or other future cultural reports.

• Staff will pursue regional assistance for completing cultural landscape inventory on subsurface cultural resources to provide guidance as to the maintenance and preservation of cultural resources found in the caves.

• The caves contain many cultural items and landscapes including periods of development, historic signatures, old lighting systems, WPA stairs and tunnels. Items are documented in the draft CLI and the protection or perpetuation will follow recommendations in that document and be managed in accordance to NHPA Section 106 regulations.

• Any removal or adverse impact to cultural resources will be done in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act.

2.6 Employee Training & Orientation

• Staff will have a clear understanding of policy regarding off-trail activities at TICA, improving preservation in undeveloped areas and resulting in decreased impact to off-trail resources.

• Use zoning and off trail policies are established as follows:

o The tour trail is open to all employees.

▪ Staff are not permitted to leave the trail without prior training or approval. Dropped items can only be retrieved using a grabbing stick.

o Introduction to Caving Tour (ICT) route to Hansen Cave Lake is permitted only for Introduction to Caving tours, RM work trips, and training purposes. All training access will be with an employee from the Interpretive or RM divisions that is approved to lead these trips.

o Designated staff performing maintenance duties are allowed to leave the established trail to replace lights or for electrical maintenance but are required to stay on the designated path for each light. Employees performing maintenance are permitted to access the Pump Room for operation of the pump.

o All other areas of the cave may be accessed by permit only. Permits require the approval of the superintendent and the concurrence of the chief of resource management. Permits may be held by staff, researchers and volunteers.

• Videos will be made of Lower Passage as well as before and after photos to improve staff understanding of the off-trail areas of the caves.

• If cave preservation and park operational objectives are not met through employee training and orientation actions, then the designated policies regarding employee training and orientation may be modified or alternative actions considered using adaptive management.

2.7 Environmental Monitoring

• Monitoring programs help determine the general health of the cave system. Data collection and analysis help determine the overall success of the cave program, and adaptive management will be utilized if high levels, contaminants of concern, or significant changes in climate are detected. Modification in monitoring and response will be used as is appropriate.

• Water quality monitoring readings and samples will be taken on a regular basis from Hansen Cave Lake, Middle Cave Lake, and Hidden Lake. Staff will review water quality analysis reports to identify trends and monitor for contaminants. Based upon this analysis, adaptive management will be used to evaluate potential sampling of other cave sites should trends change, new or increased contaminants become identified, etc.

• Water quality monitoring and sampling will continue as staffing and funding allows to provide understanding of hydrological resources and beneficial impacts to geology/cave resources.

• If contaminants are detected through water quality monitoring, focused sampling will be instituted to detect identified contaminates. If contamination is identified, action will be taken to reduce, eliminate, or clean up pollutant.

• Water quantity monitoring will continue at current sampling level by using rain gauge tipping buckets in the Chimes Chamber. Level loggers record water levels at Hansen Cave Lake and Middle Cave Lake. Data will be collected annually.

• Climate monitoring will continue in Hansen, Middle, and Timpanogos Cave. Each cave has temperature and relative humidity dataloggers located near each cave entrance and in the dark zone of each cave. Data is collected on a regular basis. Management will evaluate if additional climate data collection is needed in monument caves. Staff will evaluate to identify trends and issues in cave microclimate.

• The park will collect cave CO2 data for analysis on a regular basis.

• All in-cave projects will be thoroughly documented in accordance with best management practices. Copies will be kept in the resource management office and/or in the monument’s central files.

2.8 Facility Management

• The current historic rock restroom utilizes a sludge vault and leaches waste into the Deseret Limestone. Currently an engineering solution to unacceptable leaching and follow up construction project is being planned for 2021-2022. Separate NEPA and NHPA compliance will be completed for this project.

• The current cave lighting system utilizes LED bulbs and is maintained to meet the National Electric Code (NEC). Efforts should be made opportunistically to improve concealment of cables and electrical boxes to reduce visual impacts to the cave and tour operations. The entire cave lighting and electrical system is scheduled for replacement by 2022.

• Bulbs in the trail and feature lights that can be reached without leaving the trail may be changed only by designated employees, who have received appropriate training from the facility management staff. Fuses and bulbs in feature lights not accessible from the trail will be changed only by a maintenance employee and several designated lights located in high locations will be changed by resource management staff. Abandoned electrical items will be removed from the cave.

• The integrity of historic wooden doors in Hansen Cave and Timpanogos Cave will be routinely evaluated for security. Park staff will consider replacement with more secure, air sealed doors. Historic doors would undergo conservation treatments and be retained in the museum collection.

• Two doors will be maintained in each tunnel, with only one door permitted to be opened at a time, to reduce unnatural airflow between caves.

• An evaluation of cave facilities on an regularly basis by the management team. Considerations will be made for additional handrails or improved trail surface for maintenance or safety. Condition assessments are a component of the Facility Investment Plan.

• Any construction or repair project inside the caves – particularly those that involve power tools, drilling, cutting, welding, removal or replacement of concrete, etc,
will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary team and accompanied by appropriate resource monitor.

• All in-cave projects will be thoroughly documented in accordance with best management practices. Copies will be kept in the resource management office and/or in the monument’s central files.

• Two doors will be maintained in each tunnel, with only one door permitted to be opened at a time, to reduce unnatural airflow between caves.

• An evaluation of cave facilities on an regularly basis by the management team. Considerations will be made for additional handrails or improved trail surface for maintenance or safety. Condition assessments are a component of the Facility Investment Plan.

• Any construction or repair project inside the caves – particularly those that involve power tools, drilling, cutting, welding, removal or replacement of concrete, etc,
will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary team and accompanied by appropriate resource monitor.

• All in-cave projects will be thoroughly documented in accordance with best management practices. Copies will be kept in the resource management office and/or in the monument’s central files.

2.9 Park Management

• The TICA Comprehensive Interpretive Plan (CIP) (NPS, 2010) provides the framework for presenting high quality educational experiences during cave tours.

• The resource management division will provide information and educational opportunities regarding history and speleological information to other divisions, individuals and educational groups through formal and informal training.

• Cave data will be recorded and scanned to NPS server storage. Servers are backed up incrementally on a daily basis and fully backed up on a weekly basis with back-ups stored at an off-site repository as identified in the TICA IT Security Plan.

2.10 Park Operations

• Staff uniforms will not include fleece, sweaters, extremely dirty or pilling clothing as outerwear. Rangers conducting Introduction to Caving Tours are required to wear NPS coveralls.

• Two doors will be maintained in each tunnel, with only one door permitted to be opened at a time, to reduce unnatural airflow between caves.

• Off-trail activities will only use paths designated in SOP’s or permits.

• SOP’s and JHA’s reduce health and safety concerns in the cave.

• Seasonal opening and closing dates for tour operations are weather dependent and are established annually by park superintendent. Safety of visitors and employees is the primary factor in determining these dates, visitor demand, project work, and available operating budgets are also considered.

• Training documents including staff seasonal training, JHA and SOPs will establish minimum standards for safety, interpretation, and resource protection training are required for working in the cave.

• Staff and volunteers conducting a tour will be “certified” and trained in trail safety, medical procedures and equipment, interpretive messages, and tour management. See appendix C for required training topics.

2.11 Public Tour Capacity and Frequency

• All cave staff and visitors cause some degree of impact to cave features, including increase in cave temperature, lint accumulation, and worn rock surfaces but established numbers on individual tours will minimize these impacts while increasing ranger ability to monitor groups resulting in improved cave resource protection.

• Standard tour sizes are limited to 16 people and run at 15-minute intervals, in order to allow adequate space per person inside the caves.

• The park will not schedule more than 16 visitors on each tour; however interpretive rangers are provided the operational flexibility to add up to 2 additional people (18 visitors) to the tour; provided that there is an assisting volunteer or employee following the group.

• Tours for academic groups applying for an educational waiver are limited to 16 students per tour with a required 2 teachers or chaperones for each group- allowing a total of 18 on school tours.

• The Introduction to Caving Tour is offered each day that staffing is available, with a maximum of 5 visitors and one ranger (six total). If visitor numbers are less than 5, then another ranger or B.A.T.S volunteer is permitted to join.

• Special or after-hour tours (e.g. photography clubs, Friends group member events, etc.) are permitted on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with NPS policies. A Special Use Permit is required, and management costs will be recovered through applicable permit fees.
Should parking lot capacity change, or alternative transportation systems develop over time, the park will reevaluate this factor in future tour size and frequency determinations. Similarly, cave temperature, relative humidity, and related climate data will be routinely analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts. Tour group sizes and frequencies may be further adjusted over time based on the results of this monitoring and analysis. If cave protection objectives are not met as a result of tour capacity and frequency, management will evaluate the proposed actions and modified or appropriate recommendations through adaptive management.

2.12 Visitor Behavior

• All visitors hiking to the cave will receive at least one safety and resource protection briefing from a ranger or volunteer before beginning their hike to the cave.

• Visitors will be required to obtain a tour ticket and be accompanied by a ranger to gain access to the interior of the cave.

• Many visitor items are prohibited in the caves to improve resource protection and safety. A complete list can be found in Appendix A.

• Only backpacks 12 x 10 x 20 inches or smaller are permitted on cave tours. A pack-sizing box, similar to those found at airport boarding gates for checking carry-on bags, are found at multiple locations around the park to assist visitors and staff in determining if a pack meets the regulations.

• Crude sticks used for walking are not allowed in the caves.

• Hiking sticks are not permitted in the cave. Visitors are required to collapse telescoping or trekking poles and store them in a backpack. Mobility assistance devices such as canes are permitted for those that need walking assistance.

• Consumption of food, gum, tobacco, vaping, water and other beverages is not allowed in the caves, except when necessary due to a medical condition.

• The use of laser pointers or other laser devices is not allowed on tours except by rangers using approved lasers for appropriate activities.

• Visitors on the standard interpretive tour are prohibited from touching any cave feature. On Introduction to Caving tours visitors and staff are required to wear gloves and refrain from touching cave features when at all possible.

• Only one door should to be opened at a time in either tunnel connecting caves in order to reduce unnatural airflow between the caves.

• Disposal of human waste is not permitted in the cave. Visitors will be escorted from the cave, or in an emergency, a solid waste bag will be used then removed from the cave.

• Introduction to Caving tours have a minimum age requirement of 14 years old. There is no minimum nor maximum age limit on standard interpretive tours.

• The ability to offer a “total darkness” experience during tours will be available and used at ranger discretion.

• General visitor access to the cave requires a ranger-guided tour.

• Cameras and flashes are allowed on cave tours. Any other camera equipment including tripods, monopods, selfie-sticks or other requires a Special Use Permit. Instructions and forms required for a Special Use Permit are maintained on the park website.

• Service animals (as defined by the Americans with Disability Act) are permitted in the cave and on the trail to the extent required by law.

• Sight-impaired visitors will be provided with additional assistance during tour if requested. Other reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with other disabilities upon park availability to comply with requests.

• Due to trail hazards, wheelchairs and other wheeled contrivances are not permitted on the trail or in the caves.

2.13 Permits

• Permits are required for various activities inside the caves that are outside tours, research and maintenance.

• Research and Collecting Permits will be used for monitoring, research, exploratory and related project. Proposals will be submitted via https://irma.nps.gov/RPRS/Home

• Commercial photography, videography, weddings, and similar uses require an approved Special Use Permit.

• Guiding and other related activities commercial may require an approved Commercial Use Authorization.

• Permit applications can be found on the park website at
https://www.nps.gov/tica/getinvolved/dobusinesswithus.htm

Chapter 3 : Formal Partnerships

Timpanogos Cave National Monument maintains formal partnerships with the following organizations:

United States Forest Service
Bureau of Land Management
National Weather Service
National Speleological Society
Utah Avalanche Center
Utah Department of Transportation
Utah State Parks
Utah Museum of Natural History
University of Utah Seismic Stations
Utah Bat Conservation Cooperative
Utah County Sheriff
Utah County Search and Rescue
Lone Peak Fire District
Friends of Timpanogos Cave National Monument

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National Park Service. (2011) Timpanogos Cave National Monument: White-nose Syndrome Response Plan. Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah.

National Park Service. (2012) Results of EPA contaminant study. Unpublished data. Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah.

National Park Service. (2012). Timpanogos Cave System Climate Records 2002-2012. Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah.

National Park Service. (2012). Timpanogos Cave Water Quality Records. Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah.

National Park Service. (2012). Visitor Statistics. Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah.

National Park Service. National Park Service Resource Management Guidelines, DO-77. Washington, DC.

Palmer, Arthur and Peg Palmer. (1990). Comments on cave origin and mineral stability in Timpanogos Cave. Unpublished report to Timpanogos Cave National Monument.

Pate, Dale L. (2010). Site Visit Summary: Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Unpublished report to Timpanogos Cave National Monument.

Porter, Megan, Andre Bennin, Halim Marrujo, and Jon Jasper. (2004). Microbial Communities in Timpanogos Cave. Unpublished findings. Brigham Young University. Provo, Utah.

State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources. Utah Sensitive Species List. March 2011.

Timmons, Michael. (2011). Timpanogos Cave National Monument: Cultural Landscape Inventory- Draft. Utah State University. Logan, Utah

White, William B and James J. Van Gundy. (1974). Reconnaissance Geology of Timpanogos Cave, Wasatch County, Utah. NSS Bulletin Volume 36. Huntsville, AL.

Appendix A: Quick Guide

Prohibited Items:

• Firearms / Weapons
• Food (includes gum, sunflower seeds, breath mints, etc.)
• Beverages (including water)
• Tobacco, vaping
• Laser pointers (except for use by ranger)
• Crude wooden walking sticks (picked up in forest)
• Extended hiking poles (may collapse and carry through)
• Tripods and monopods (on public tours)
• External frame backpacks including baby backpacks
• Backpacks larger than designated pack box
• Any unclean clothing or gear (including camera) that has been in any other cave or mine at any time. (WNS cleaning options available at the Visitor Center only)
• Any wheeled human conveyance including wheelchairs, strollers, wheelie shoes, etc. (prohibited on entire cave trail)

Designated Allowed Items:

• Service animals
• Food and water when needed for medical reason
• Mobility device (walking cane is one example)
• Flashlights (ranger has discretion over headlamps, large lights, etc.)
• Cameras
• Front packs for carrying infants

Prohibited Behaviors:

• Leaving the trail
• Breaking formations
• Touching natural cave walls or features
• Taking any natural or historic feature from the cave
• Eating
• Drinking
• Smoking
• Chewing gum
• Exceeding tour size limits

Designated Allowed Behaviors:

• Flash photography

Appendix B: Definitions

Cave: The Federal Cave Resource Protection Act defines a cave as any naturally occurring void, cavity, recess, or system of interconnected passageways beneath the surface of the earth or within a cliff or ledge that is large enough to be traversed by people, whether or not the entrance has been formed naturally or man-made. The term includes any natural pit, sinkhole, or other feature which is an extension of the entrance. The NPS Resource management Guidelines, DO-77, defines a cave as any naturally occurring void, cavity, or system of interconnected passageways beneath the surface of the earth that is large enough to be traversed by people, that extends to total darkness, that may or may not have a natural opening to the earth’s surface, or have at least 50 feet of passageway. At Timpanogos Cave National Monument, a feature that meets the above criteria will be considered a cave (NPS-77).

Cave System: A cave system is a collection of caves that may not actually connect physically but are related to the same geology, hydrology, or other related speleogenesis.

Dark Zone: Areas within a cave where no natural light is present and the environment is relatively stable.

Karst: A landform comprised of sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, and spring resurgences, typically occurring in a soluble rock such as limestone and gypsum.

Karst Features: Geologic features that include cavities, blowholes, or other solutional features that are cave-related, but do not fit the definition of a cave.

Speleogenesis: The origin and development of a cave, the primary process that determines essential features of the hydrogeology of the karst that guides its evolution.

Speleology: The scientific study and exploration of caves.

Speleothem: A secondarily deposited mineral feature that occurs in a cave such as a stalactite, stalagmite, flowstone, or helictite.

Appendix C: Tour Training Checklist

Safety

 Radios
 Weather
 Extreme weather
 Rockfall area
 Trail safety
 Fire extinguishers
 Safety JHAs/SOPs

Medical

 Medical emergencies
 CPR and First Aid
 EMS forms

Operations

 Opening and closing procedures; cave lights and alarm systems
 NPS mission;
 TICA Plans and Policies
 Statistic collection; ticket scanning/tour counting procedures
 Park boundaries and USFS
 Friends Group and other park partners
 Trail patrol procedures
 Accessibility – people with sight-impairment, hard-of-hearing, physical challenges, service animals
 Interpretive Techniques
 Reporting: lights out, resource damage

Program content and messages

 Geology/ Speleology
 WNS
 Park history –

Tour group management

 Cave – off trail vs. on trail
 Tour/visitor challenges: non-English speakers, crying babies, pee bags, disruptive visitors, touching, creationists on a geology tour, anti-gov or anti-federal land sentiment
 Tour timing, time at stops, spacing between groups