Schroeder's Pants Cave, Vertical cave system in Dolgeville, New York, United States.
Schroeder's Pants Cave is a limestone cave system near Dolgeville, New York, made up of narrow passages, vertical shafts, and underground chambers. Several sections flood regularly with water, making the system difficult and dangerous to move through.
Teachers Herbert Schroeder and George Buck explored the cave during the 1950s, leading several expeditions into its underground passages. A fatal accident in 1965 led to the entrance being sealed and public access permanently closed.
The cave takes its name from Herbert Schroeder, one of the early explorers who mapped its passages in the 1950s. His name has remained attached to the site ever since, even though no one has been allowed inside for decades.
The cave entrance is sealed and not open to the public, as the vertical shafts and narrow passages make it too dangerous to enter. Visitors can view the site from the outside but should not expect to access the cave itself.
Scientists used dye tracing to show that water moving through the cave travels underground and resurfaces at East Creek, about 2 miles (roughly 3 kilometers) away. This hidden connection was completely unknown before the tests and came as a surprise to researchers.
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