Southern Arizona Grotto :: Essentials

Southern Arizona Grotto is the youngest grotto in Arizona.  Many of the founding members were once part of a freelance caving club called TOCA (Tucson's Other Caving Alliance) until the NSS granted grotto status in 1998.  Since then, SAG has grown to include an active community of both recreational cavers and those passionate about cave conservation, preservation and exploration. SAG enjoys a wealth of members who are experienced and willing to share their skills and knowledge with fellow and future cavers.

As an organization of the NSS, Southern Arizona Grotto adheres to the "Leave No Trace" philosophy. We believe that the cave environment is highly unique and beneficial and we do our best to promote responsible and safe caving practices. Respecting the fragile cave environment is a crucial step in becoming a true caver.

Some of the activies of Southern Arizona Grotto include:

• Cave clean-up and restoration
• Cave survey and exploration
• Searching for new caves (ridgewalking)
• Training in vertical caving techniques
• Recreational caving trips, including caving excursions to other regions in the southwest

 

Southern Arizona Grotto is a member grotto of the NSS (National Speleological Society).  To learn more about the NSS, visit the official site at www.caves.org

Anyone wishing to join the Southern Arizona Grotto can do so for $12. Anyone already a member MUST join the NSS. This is a mandatory NSS requirement after being a grotto member for one year.