Petty John's Cave

Petty John's Cave is a limestone network running through Pigeon Mountain in northwest Georgia, connecting several chambers at different levels. The passages wind through multiple layers of rock and end at varying depths below the surface.

The cave formed over thousands of years as rainwater dissolved the limestone and carved out a branching network of underground rooms. Local survey groups began mapping the system systematically in the second half of the 20th century.

The name comes from an early landowner whose family lived in the area for generations. Local cavers use the site regularly for training trips and underground mapping projects.

Entering the cave requires headlamps, helmets, and weather-resistant clothing because many sections involve low ceilings and tight squeezes. Visitors should have basic caving skills and expect wet surfaces throughout the route.

One chamber deep inside carries the name Bridge Room because visitors can balance across a narrow rock ledge overhead. Below this natural bridge, a stream flows through the darkness and its sound echoes off the stone walls.