Under a Rock

I haven’t been outside in a while, biking only once only because I was told I needed to get outside. I am hating the winter and unmotivated to be in it since we came back from St George. I’m in a funk and need to crawl out from under this rock. Speaking of which I harken back to our trip. Did I mention we were in the desert … gosh how I miss it. Anyway …

We needed a rest and the Beaver Dam Mountains, which sit in the southwest corner of Washington County, Utah, being made up primarily of Permian Age limestone, was a good candidate for a distraction from biking. We decided to do a safari with our Ele into the Beaver Dam Mountains, and check out the Bloomington Cave. It can be found approximately 15 miles west of the City of St. George although we took the log way around and descended from the mountain range crest.

Bloomington Cave is the most extensive and well-known cave in the St. George Field Office. It is a large tectonic cave, and has at least six distinct levels and a maze of passages that are generally narrow, often with steeply dipping floors. The surveyed length of the cave is currently 1.43 miles (7,574 feet), making it the fifth longest cave in Utah. In 1994, this cave was listed as a significant cave on federal lands, under the authority and mandate of the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act (FCRPA) of 1988.

Good thing that when we did finally find this gem we were missing a permit. And the good thing is that we would have been totally unprepared. According to some people we met there this cave’s difficulty level is currently unrated. And after looking at the sign it became abundantly apparent we would have found the cave much more difficult than expected. Bloomington Cave requires squeezing through little cramped spaces, rock climbing (whoa!), and moving on slippery surfaces. There are 5 routes and this thing was over a mile long. A mile of puzzles. Hmmmm.

So we ended up posing at the entrance.

Anyone wishing to enter Bloomington Cave must have a permit. The permit is free and available from the St. George Field Office. View our Permit System document to learn the process for submitting your application.

Oh yea, we are going back. A brand new type of adventure. But first I need to start getting outside. Arg …o/o