• A historical photo taken in the early 1950's by G. Massie of the Missouri Resources Division.
• The folks who gated Skaggs Cave. Photo by Gary Zumwalt, 1990.
• The gate that the folks put up at Skaggs Cave. Photo by Gary Zumwalt, 1990.
• The spider that protects the gate (and the cave) that the folks put up at Skaggs Cave. Photo by ?
  
  

This site is devoted to the first cave bought, owned, managed and protected by the organized cavers of Missouri. As always with these type of things, changes at this site will happen as time goes on. We hope this page will be dynamic, continuously changing and growing as more information, photos and time goes by. Now for some general information.

The MCKC finalized the purchase of Skaggs Cave on Tuesday, January 16, 1996. This purchase was made possible through the assistance of MCKC member Ronald Jaeger of Greendale, Wisconsin, and the sellers, Tim and Rena Miller, owners of the cave and property since 1986.

The purchase of Skaggs Cave set a milestone in Missouri caving history. For the first time, the organized cavers of Missouri have become a cave owner. In addition, this marked the beginning of cave ownership, management and stewardship for the MCKC.

Skaggs Cave is named for Abram Skaggs who homesteaded the property in 1859. This cave has over one mile of surveyed passage and is noted for its diversity of features, speleothems, size and complexity. In 1990, the entrance was gated by Lake of the Ozark Grotto and Kansas City Area Grotto with the assistance of other Missouri cavers and conservation funds provided by the Mississippi Valley Ozark Region of the National Speleological Society.

Remember, if you are interested in exploring this cave you need to apply for a permit application. Include a SASE when writing to: Cave Manager, in care of Don Toole, Route 1 Box 158F, Climax Springs, MO 65324.