Nutty Putty Cave Map May 2026

However, the map also notes a smaller, unnamed passage near the top of The Big Slide. This passage leads to "Ed's Push"—a vertical chimney that goes down to an area called "The Birth Canal."

In this article, we will dissect the history of the map, explain its key features (including the infamous "Birth Canal" and "The Maze"), analyze how the map contributed to the 2009 tragedy of John Edward Jones, and discuss why the cave was permanently sealed with concrete. Nutty Putty Cave was discovered in 1960 by a group of geologists from Brigham Young University (BYU). Unlike the massive vertical pits or crystal cathedrals found in other caving systems, Nutty Putty was discovered to be a hypogenic cave—formed not by surface water erosion, but by hot, acidic hydrothermal fluids rising from deep within the earth.

Why seal it? Because the map still existed. nutty putty cave map

The next time you look at the , don't see a puzzle to solve. See a warning that some doors, once opened, cannot be closed—and some arrows on a map are actually pointing to a grave. If you are interested in safe caving, never explore alone, always tell someone your route, and stick to mapped, open systems like Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Nutty Putty is closed forever.

Here is where the map became a weapon of ironic tragedy. In 2009, (a 26-year-old medical student and experienced hiker, though not a technical caver) was exploring with his brother Josh. They were using a laminated copy of the map. However, the map also notes a smaller, unnamed

The map legend indicated that "The Big Slide" was a large, open (though steep) decline that eventually led to a large room. Jones believed he was in "The Big Slide." In reality, due to a navigational error in the dark, he had entered the unnamed vertical chimney leading to "Ed's Push."

The critical detail missing from most public versions of the map is the . Nutty Putty is primarily a fracture cave. The passages are mostly narrow, horizontal slots. To navigate, you must turn your body sideways, or flatten yourself into a "caterpillar crawl" (belly-down, pushing with toes). Unlike the massive vertical pits or crystal cathedrals

Because of its unique "slickenside" clay (smooth, polished clay that looks and feels like chocolate frosting, hence the name "Nutty Putty"), the cave required extensive surveying. Over the next 40 years, the of the National Speleological Society (NSS) took on the Herculean task of mapping the complex.