Located near the entrance, this is a steep, muddy decline that funneled explorers into the main staging areas of the cave.
If you look at the official NSS map, several features immediately jump out:
The Nutty Putty Cave is a hydrothermal cave, formed by upward-welling warm water rather than downward-flowing rainwater. This unique geological origin created a complex, three-dimensional maze of tight, smooth, and steep tunnels. The entire cave system spans roughly 1,400 feet of passages, but it drops to a depth of only about 145 feet below the surface.
Do not attempt to use these maps to find the cave. The entrance is completely obliterated. Law enforcement actively patrols the area, and trespassing on the sealed site is a criminal offense.
: The cave was formed primarily below the water table, creating smooth, rounded, and non-traditional mazes rather than straight fault lines. nutty putty cave map
According to reports and mapping analysis following the incident:
The cave's legacy changed forever on November 24, 2009. John Edward Jones, an experienced medical student and father, entered the cave with his brother and friends. While attempting to find the Birth Canal, John accidentally entered an unmapped, vertical fissure known as "Ed’s Push."
The official cartography, which details roughly 1,400 feet of chutes and tunnels, was predominantly compiled by expert cartographer Brandon Kowallis. Spelunkers reading a standard plan-view schematic of Nutty Putty look straight down from a bird's-eye perspective.
The most infamous feature on the Nutty Putty Cave map is a small, unmapped offshoot near a section called "Ed's Push". Before the tragedy, "The Birth Canal"—a tight, twisting passage—was the cave's famous and daunting challenge. However, on November 24, 2009, the map changed from a guide to a death sentence. John Edward Jones, a 26-year-old medical student, entered an vertical fissure near Ed's Push, a mistake that would prove fatal. Located near the entrance, this is a steep,
A deceptively narrow turn that often resulted in minor "sticking" incidents over the years.
: A revised map was released in 2004 to help cavers navigate more safely. Intentional Exclusions
With the consent of the Jones family, the cave was permanently closed to the public.
If you want to explore further, let me know if you would like me to: The entire cave system spans roughly 1,400 feet
While the physical cave is inaccessible, it has been meticulously recreated for digital exploration.
Why seal it? Because the map still existed.
Let me know what you would like to map out next. Share public link