Mulu Exploration: Webster Cave System, KY C-8080

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Nestled in Sinking Creek Valley, surrounded by the 800-foot-high ridge tops of Central Breckinridge County, lay the three known entrances of the Webster Cave System. The longest of a dozen or so caves that make up the Webster Cave Complex, this is one of the finest speleological wonders of Kentucky. Volumous passages and elegant subterranean lakes place Webster in the realm of the unbelievable. The main trunk of this cave, thought to be one of the largest continuous trunks in the state, is over three miles long. With heights reaching 30 feet, the trunk width often exceeds twice that figure. In places, continuous lakes extend for over a half-mile with neck deep water from wall to wall.

Many other caves make up the Webster complex, most notably Penitentiary, Brandywine, Briar Hole and Melody Hill. Many lesser caves also exist in the area, and efforts to connect these caves to the main cave are ongoing. The overall length of the Complex has always been conjecture. However, estimates of 8 to 12 miles of physically and hydrologically connected caves are generally accepted. To date, approximately nine have been mapped. The caves of Webster are very wet and demanding. Wetsuits and other flotation devices are absolutely mandatory for safely traversing its subterranean rivers and countless lakes. Depths of these waters can exceed twelve feet. This cave, like many along Sinking Creek, can flood with a vengeance. Six to 30 foot flood swells are not uncommon during heavy, widespread rains.

None of our work in the Complex would be feasible but for the kindness and hospitality of the many landowners in the area. For over 28 years the Parks, Vanlahr's, and Mays, among many others, have made our work in the caves of Webster possible. Our work is dedicated to them.