Central Ohio Grotto

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Columbus, OH
Central Ohio Grotto

The Central Ohio Grotto was founded in 1952. We have a rich tradition of cave exploration and survey. We are committed to the ideals of the NSS.

06/20/2026

Join us for our next monthly meeting in the Worthington Presbyterian Church Youth Room on Wednesday, June 24th at 7 PM EST in person or online. To join virtually, use the Google Meet information below. You do NOT have to be a member to attend, everyone is welcome. After the meeting, we'll head over to Villa Nova Ristorante for pizza and drinks. Please bring cash to cover your share.

Join with Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/zfc-wktg-wzz
Or dial: (US) +1 662-674-1233 PIN: 431213899 #
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/zfc-wktg-wzz?pin=8923801100058&hs=7

Our presentation this month will be by Ryan Braga
Central Ohio is not typically regarded as prime karst territory, yet the Scioto River corridor harbors a collection of caves carved into the region's limestone. Among them, Courtesy Cave stands out — both in passage development and the exploration it inspired. This presentation covers the history of exploration at Courtesy Cave, from fragmented early accounts to methodical modern survey, and places it in the context of the broader cave systems along the Scioto corridor that collectively speak to the karst potential of a region often overlooked by the caving community.

05/27/2026

Join us for our next monthly meeting in the Worthington Presbyterian Church Youth Room (back to normal) on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 PM EST in person or online. To join virtually, use the Google Meet information below. You do NOT have to be a member to attend, everyone is welcome. After the meeting, we'll head over to Villa Nova Ristorante for pizza and drinks. Please bring cash to cover your share.

Join with Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/zfc-wktg-wzz
Or dial: (US) +1 662-674-1233 PIN: 431213899 #
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/zfc-wktg-wzz?pin=8923801100058&hs=7

Our presentation this month will be by Paul Hetzer.
Paul Hetzer is a long time caver, and West Virginia native living in the Highlands of Randolph County. He is the President of the Mountain State Grotto, on Staff of the ER-NCRC, member of Germany Valley Karst Survey, and the West Virginia Cave Conservancy, a database manager of the West Virginia Speleological Survey, and founder of the Highland Diggers Project Cavers group. He and his group usually discover several dozen caves each year. This month’s presentation is about one of those discoveries that turned out to be an Incredible cave.

05/22/2026

Sign up to help with wild caving outreach as a wild cave guide, tailgunner, or pre-cave presenter on Saturday May 30th. The camping donations collected from youth groups play a large part in the upkeep of GSP, so guiding or tailgunning is a quick and easy way of giving back to the preserve while passing on your knowledge and skill to future generations of cavers. Benefits of volunteering: -Hang out with other cavers -Learn new caves and passages -Earn services hours for school, etc. -GSP camping dues are waived for the weekend you volunteer. Once you sign up you'll be sent an email, leading up to the trip, with detailed information about that weekend.

tiny.cc/volunteercaving

05/13/2026

Join us this weekend at Great Saltpetre Preserve for Open House!
Great Saltpetre Cave was a significant source of saltpeter for gunpowder during the War of 1812.

Saturday, May 16, 2026 - 10am to 3:30pm (gate entry closes; last cave tour at 3:30pm)
Sunday, May 17, 2026 - 10am to 3:30pm. (gate entry closes; last cave tour at 3:30pm)

Pack a picnic lunch or enjoy the food concession stand operated by the Livingston Volunteer Fire & Rescue.

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Bring the whole family for a great day of interesting fun. The free cave tours last 45 to 60 minutes. The cave has electric lights. The cave floor is generally flat. Dress for the cave environment - comfortable shoes and a sweat shirt. The cave is 57 degrees year-round. Bring a flashlight, if you wish.

Admission is free, but donations to the Preserve are always appreciated!

04/08/2026

Want to fine tune your changeovers? Maybe try on a harness for the first time? Or just hang out, watch and ask questions? We’ll have two instructors on hand to walk you through the basics on Thursday evening until dusk. We’ll do some knot practice as well, including figure eights and alpine butterflies. We’ll also have a fire 🔥 and roast some hot dogs if you need to nosh. Feel free to bring snacks to share.

79 E. College Ave Westerville, OH
04/09/2026 5 pm till dusk

03/25/2026

Join us March 27–29 for a Spring Warm-Up Caving Weekend! This trip is designed as both an introduction to caving and a great way for experienced cavers to kick off the season. Whether it’s your very first time underground or you’ve been caving for years, this weekend will have something for you.

We’ll be camping Friday and Saturday night at the Great Saltpetre Cave Preserve, which gives us access to a great setting to spend the weekend together. On both Saturday and Sunday, we’ll have cave trips that are beginner-friendly and ideal for someone’s first cave experience, while still being enjoyable for more experienced cavers looking to shake off the winter rust.

This is also a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in becoming a grotto member. If you’ve been curious about getting involved, this would make a perfect first trip to meet people, learn the basics, and see what it’s all about in a welcoming and supportive environment.

We’ll also visit the historic show cave at Great Saltpetre Cave, a registered historical landmark that is only open to the public two days a year. It’s a rare chance to experience an important piece of history that most people don’t get to see.
If you’ve been thinking about trying caving, this is a great place to start. And if you’re already experienced, it’s a perfect way to start the spring season with good people and good trips. I understand there will be questions, and I’m happy to answer anything — just comment on the event or send me a message. Looking forward to a great weekend underground!

03/24/2026

Sorry for the short notice but here’s a link to a presentation 3/24 at 8:30pm on pack rat middens which is a great talking point for scouts as our Rockcastle caves are full of them!

03/18/2026

Pittsburgh Grotto has invited COG to a special weekend of caving in West Virginia. There is something for everyone during this event.

Friday, March 20
Check into WVACS Field House (heated) Friday night. Members (per night) $8, guests $10 ($19 for weekend) and hot showers $1. https://wvacs.org/facilities/
Saturday, March 21
Choice of beginning, intermediate and through trips in the Bone-Norman system or the option of visiting Boar Hole https://wvcc.net/norman/ or https://wvcc.net/boarhole/

Sunday, March 22
We head over to Lost World Caverns. https://www.lostworldcaverns.com
LWC is a stunning, self guided show cave. We have been granted permission to drop grapevine pit on property. Grapevine pit is a 128’ rappel into a heavily decorated, well lit cavern onto a platform below. It’s an honor to be allowed access, so please be respectful in front of the tourists/paying customers. (No changing in the parking lot.)
Participants can choose to walk the show cave, drop Grapevine or explore the wild section of the cave.

03/03/2026

Keep on the look out for more information on facebook, Instagram or the Squeaks for the upcoming events listed on the Spring calendar. See you soon!

Address

Columbus, OH
43215

Website

https://linktr.ee/CentralOhioGrotto

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