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Lost Creek Caves - GPS Coordinates N /A
The Lost Creek Caves are located in Refrigerator Gulch 38 miles SW of Denver,
and are inside the Lost Creek Wilderness Area. (Read: long, exhausting hike) They are boulder caves that were formed by the slumping of the canyon walls. As the stream cut deeper into the canyon,
the walls leaned inward towards each other. Eventually the walls collpased and soil began to form over the top. There are many such caves in this area, the longest having around 2500 feet of
passage. The caves are easily located on the McCurdy Mountain 7.5 minute topo map. They can be seen as the stream disappears into the ground, hence the name Lost Creek, then reappears further down
the canyon. Most of the time you are in the water in these caves, and a wet suit is a good idea. Do not attempt to explore these caves during spring runoff. Go when the water levels are down.
A special word of caution here: These caves were the site of a fatal accident in the 1980’s. Bruce Unger, an experienced caver, slipped and fell in Goose Creek Cave, becoming lodged in a
crevice. The cold water that filled the passage soon covered him and despite the attempts by his companions to free him from the crevice, he remained stuck and perished under the icy water.
Get this into your head good. The underground world can be very unforgiving and the dangers are not to be underestimated. Bruce was a qualified, prepared caver.
A simple slip or misstep in any cave can and has led to disaster.
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