Caves in Connecticut

The state of Connecticut only has a few cave-like structures and just one true cave, called Tory’s Cave, near New Milford.

Tory’s Cave

Gated entrance of Tory's Cave near New Milford, Connecticut.
Gated entrance of Tory’s Cave near New Milford, Connecticut. Photo © Contributed Photo.

Name: Tory’s Cave

Location: near New Milford, Connecticut (41.61°N 73.46°W – click to see on map)

Features: Tory’s Cave is a small tube-like marble solution (karst) cave, having around 50 feet of passage which ends with a larger room that can hold around 10 people. The cave is a part of a larger hiking trail system around and leading to the cave.

Unfortunately, the only true cave of the state of Connecticut has been closed to the public a few years now to protect endangered species of bats living in the cave. The people visiting the cave can accidentally spread a fungal disease named White-nose Syndrome, harmless to humans but lethal to bats. For this reason, Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust closed and gated Tory’s Cave to general public in 2017. Please note that this closure may not be permanent and Weantinoge might reconsider opening the cave in the future or partially enable access to it in certain times of the year.

Caving difficulty: Although small, Tory’s cave is considered intermediate to difficult for beginners, as it is often wet and muddy, includes crawling and scrambling and can be otherwise challenging. In 2013, a woman had to be rescued from Tory’s Cave as she accidentally stepped in a narrow crevice and couldn’t get out on her own. It is advised to not explore this cave solo. Bring your usual caving equipment. See our list of caving safety tips.

Cave map (survey): We could not find a map of Tory’s Cave. If you know where to get one or if you are able to draw one yourself, let us know in the comments!


Note: This post is about caves in Connecticut. To see information about caves in other states, see our master list of caves in the United States.

Note: We do our best to keep the information here up do date but if something has changed (e.g. the cave is now open or closed to the public, collapsed, etc.), please let us know in the comments!

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