![]() ![]() Scientists have used fluorescein, a red powder that turns fluorescent green when wet, to trace groundwater flow in the area. It is called Main Drain because it is suspected that almost all groundwater and snowmelt from the many caves and pits in the Tony Grove area eventually run through some portion of Main Drain Cave or have some connectivity to it. ![]() Ryan Shurtz is credited with the breakthrough discovery.Īfter subsequent trips into the cave and using cartographic techniques and measuring methods the cave name was changed to Main Drain. This opening led into more large pits - a few horizontal slots - and the amazing discovery of what is now the deepest cave in Utah. It was during this exploration project that Ryan Shurtz discovered a small tunnel about 60 feet off the floor of Deception Cave. The Tony Grove Project, in 2003, had local cavers Peter Hartley, Jon Jasper, Brandon Kowallis, David and Ryan Shurtz, Lance Dickey and others look for and map as many caves and pits as possible within the Tony Grove region. Early on, the cave was named Deception Cave or pit by Haskett because there was confusion on whether it was Lucifer's Lair, another pit cave in the area with similar features. Because The Tony Grove area has many vertical caves and pits, there is confusion on what the cave was first called. Official credit for the discovery of the opening and first 260 feet of the cave is given to Thomas Haskett in 2000, even though there is some speculation that others had previously repelled into the first pit chamber. It holds the distinction of Utah's deepest cave, at 1,227 feet in depth, and 4th longest cave at 2.02 miles, according to. Main Drain Cave is found in the Tony Grove area. Main Drain Cave discovery and exploration According to Bahr, these caves range from 5 meters (approximately 16 feet) to 374 meters (approximately 1,227 feet) deep. In her theses, she indicates that cavers have found more than 100 alpine caves between Tony Grove and White Pine lakes, making this area one of the highest concentrations of caves or karst features west of the Mississippi River. In 2016, Kristen Bahr, a graduate student at Utah State University, compiled a thesis on the geology of the karst landscape in the Tony Grove region. One of the oldest living trees - the Jardine Juniper - is found in the canyon, and Logan River is home to one of the best naturally reproducing cutthroat trout populations in Utah.Īnother lesser known fascinating feature of Logan Canyon is the number of caves found in the Tony Grove area. Naomi Peak is the highest point in the Bear River mountain range. Peter Sinks, a natural limestone sinkhole in the area, regularly records some of the lowest temperatures in the 48 contiguous states. LOGAN - Cache County's Logan Canyon is a unique place. The Main Drain Cave is dangerous and should only be explored by experts. Reading or replaying the story in itsĪrchived form does not constitute a republication of the story.Įditor's note: This article is a general information piece. I’ve written a full guide on how to find these hot springs here! 3.Only for your personal, non-commercial use. Swimsuits are not required so if that is something you try to avoid seeing I would go either during the week or early morning before anyone else gets there. As we were walking back down the trail we passed hoards of other hot spring seekers so we were glad we got there when we did. There was already another small group there but for the most part we got to enjoy a bit of seclusion until about 9am. The time that we hiked here we got to the parking lot by 7am and made it there by about 7:45AM. If you are looking to get there at a time where not many others will be there we would recommend early morning. We used the directions from All Trails and we didn’t get lost…so that’s a totally win for us. These hot springs require a bit of a hike to make it to the top. The accompanying waterfalls make it seem like it’s straight out of a movie scene. And for good reason! It has several hot pools with vibrant blue water cascading down a mountain. Diamond Fork Hot Springs (sometimes called Fifth Water) is on the bucket list of many utahans. ![]()
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