Six Ridges Grotto
About
The Six Ridges Grotto of the National Speleological Society (NSS) is a regional group dedicated to the exploration, study, and conservation of caves and karst systems. Founded in 2009, the grotto is based in East Tennessee, with members from Greeneville, Afton, the Tri-Cities (Johnson City, Bristol, and Kingsport), as well as Virginia and North Carolina. Our members are passionate about outdoor adventures, hiking, exploration, and, for many, science.
The grotto is named for the region where our founders spent much of their time exploring and documenting the caves in Greene County. The area is the known for six large ridges which converge here and have a number of caves. We still take several cavers each year to see the caves of our namesake, also known as the Beach’s Nest.
As an NSS-affiliated grotto, we organize caving trips, educational events, and conservation initiatives to protect vulnerable underground environments. Our members also contribute to scientific research through cave mapping and documenting unique geological features. We foster a strong community among cave enthusiasts, emphasizing safe caving practices. Additionally, Six Ridges Grotto is committed to outreach efforts aimed at raising awareness about the significance of cave ecosystems and the importance of their preservation.
Ready to join us? Choose a membership below and become a part of our team NOW! Once you join, you will have immediate access.
Why Join a Grotto?
- It is important to learn to cave safely.
- Learn about cave sciences.
- Discover new caves.
- Make a positive impact in cave conservation.
- Meet great like-minded people and make long-term friendships.
Member Benefits
- Member Directory
- Information on regional/national/international events
- Opportunity to participate in training and/or training exercises
- Voting rights
- Education on safe, conservation minded caving
- Knowledge that you are helping to protect Tennessee caves
Some of the Things We Do
This is just a sampling of the cool stuff our members do.
Caving Trips
We explore caves and discover cool new passages, check out cave critters such as salamanders and bats, and a lot more…
We have experienced cavers lead trips that are beginner-friendly as well as more advanced trips. Many caves have easy access for those just getting started in caving.
For the more advanced, we do vertical caving trips as well. These require using rope to rappel and ascend. We also offer training for those wanting to learn the ropes. (Yeah, it’s a Dad joke!)
Ridgewalking & Hiking
Ridgewalking is where we go hiking to locate new caves. Tennessee is home to over 10,000 documented caves and there are countless more waiting to be discovered.
Once we discover new Tennessee caves, we document them and survey them to add to the Tennessee Cave Survey.
Cave Conservation
Our members learn safe caving practices as well as edicate others to preserve the wonderful underground for cave critters and other life.
Meetings
We meet in person each month. Currently, we are meeting at the Gray Fossil Site. You will see a list of upcoming meetings below.
Can’t make the live meeting? No problem! We also have our meetings online!
Not ready to join? Come join us for a meeting or other event.
Grotto Meeting: January 30
Frequently Asked Questions
Become a Member
Ready to become a member? Great! Just choose which type of membership below:
Regular Membership
Full membership with voting rights. This is for NSS members.
$15.00 – $20.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Associate Membership
If you are not an NSS member or you are already a member of another grotto.
$15.00 – $20.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Follow Us on Social Media
Keep up with caving trips, reminders of caving meetings, videos and more. You can also subscribe to our eMail newsletter to be sure you never miss grotto information.