Conservation & cave data privacy

CaveFinder does not store, distribute, or provide private cave data. Our terrain analysis uses publicly available LiDAR elevation data — no private cave databases are stored on or accessible through the platform.

What happens when you run an analysis: Your search area and results are processed for your account only. We do not retain your analysis results beyond 24 hours, share them with other users, sell them to third parties, or use your searches to train or improve our proprietary detection methods. Your discoveries are yours alone.

When you export coordinates (CSV, KML, GPX), those files are generated on-the-fly and delivered directly to you. We do not keep copies. Your saved areas and bookmarks are tied to your account and are never visible to other users.

If you're new to caving, you might wonder why cavers are so protective of cave coordinates. It's not gatekeeping — it's hard-won experience with what happens when cave locations become public without context.

• Vandalism is irreversible — Cave formations (speleothems) take thousands to millions of years to grow. A broken stalactite will never grow back. Spray paint in a cave lasts essentially forever. One careless visitor can destroy features that predate human civilization.
• Unprepared visitors get hurt — Caves are genuinely dangerous. Exposure, falls, flooding, bad air, and getting lost are real risks. When coordinates go viral without context about difficulty, access requirements, or hazards, people show up unprepared.
• Landowners close access — Most caves in the eastern US are on private land. When a landowner gets overrun with strangers because someone posted coordinates online, the typical response is to close the cave permanently. A cave shared carelessly can be lost to the entire community.
• Wildlife is at risk — Caves are critical habitat for bats, salamanders, and other species found nowhere else on Earth. Increased foot traffic at the wrong time of year can disrupt hibernation, destroy nursery colonies, or spread disease.
• Scientific value is lost — Undisturbed caves contain paleoclimate records, fossil deposits, and microbial communities that exist nowhere else. Once disturbed, these records are gone.

The bottom line: Cave coordinates without context are dangerous. CaveFinder gives you terrain analysis results — what you do with that information carries real responsibility. We trust our users to handle it well.

CaveFinder helps you find leads. What happens next is up to you. Here's how experienced cavers handle new discoveries.

• Report finds to your grotto — If you discover something significant, share it with your local NSS grotto or regional survey group. They can assess the find, contact the landowner, and document it properly. This is how caves get mapped and protected.
• Get permission first — Always obtain explicit landowner permission before visiting private land. For public land, check whether caves require permits or are seasonally closed for resource protection. CaveFinder results do not constitute authorization to enter any property.
• Never post coordinates publicly — Do not share cave coordinates on social media, forums, or public websites. Share with your grotto, not your followers. If you want to share a discovery story, describe the area generally without giving away the exact location.
• Respect closures — Many caves are gated or closed seasonally to protect hibernating bats, nesting birds, or other sensitive species. These closures exist because the alternative is species extinction. Respect them absolutely.
• Take nothing, leave nothing — Do not collect formations, artifacts, or biological specimens. Do not leave trash, food, human waste, or carbide dumps. The goal is to leave zero evidence of your visit.
• Travel on durable surfaces — Stay on established paths where they exist. Avoid stepping on flowstone, rimstone dams, or sediment banks that preserve paleontological or hydrological records.

White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) has killed millions of bats across North America since 2006. The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) can be carried on clothing, gear, and footwear from cave to cave. As cavers, we are the primary vector.

Decontamination protocol: The US Fish & Wildlife Service recommends that all clothing and gear used in caves be decontaminated between sites. This means either submersion in hot water (>122°F / 50°C for 20 minutes) or treatment with approved disinfectants. Gear that cannot be decontaminated should be dedicated to a single cave or region. Full protocol details are available at whitenosesyndrome.org.

• Do not enter closed caves — Many states have emergency closures specifically to slow WNS spread. These are not optional.
• Decontaminate between caves — Even if WNS hasn't been confirmed in your area, Pd may already be present. Treat every cave visit as a potential transmission event.
• Dedicated gear per region — If possible, maintain separate sets of gear for different cave regions. At minimum, decontaminate everything between regions.
• Report sick or dead bats — If you see bats with visible white fungus, bats flying outside in winter, or clusters of dead bats, report it to your state wildlife agency.

The “Known Caves” layer in CaveFinder displays only caves that are already publicly documented in OpenStreetMap and Wikidata. These are community-contributed public records, not private survey data.

CaveFinder's detection candidates are generated entirely from terrain analysis of LiDAR elevation data. The analysis identifies terrain morphology consistent with cave entrances. It does not reference any cave databases during analysis.

If you're using CaveFinder for karst inventory, environmental assessment, or geotechnical work, we recommend the following.

• Field-verify before publishing — CaveFinder results are computational predictions, not confirmed cave locations. Always ground-truth candidates before including them in reports, inventories, or regulatory submissions.
• Restrict coordinate access — If your work produces new cave locations, share them with the appropriate state cave survey or regional grotto rather than publishing in public reports. Most state surveys maintain confidential cave databases specifically for this purpose.
• Follow state regulations — Several states have specific regulations around cave protection and the disclosure of cave locations on public land. Check your state's cave protection statutes before publishing coordinate data.

CaveFinder supports the National Speleological Society's conservation policy. The NSS holds that caves have unique scientific, recreational, and scenic values — and that the responsibility for their protection lies with those who study and enjoy them.

We encourage all CaveFinder users to familiarize themselves with the NSS, join a local grotto, and participate in organized survey and conservation efforts in your region.

If you have questions about our conservation practices, data handling, or how CaveFinder interacts with sensitive cave resources, contact us at help@cavefinder.app.

We take these inquiries seriously and will respond within 48 hours.