Natural Bridge Caverns - Ongoing Exploration

Ongoing Exploration

In 1968, speculation on a southern extent to the North Cavern was confirmed when test drilling indicated the presence of a large void beneath the surface. A camera was sent down the shaft and photographs revealed a large chamber filled with formations. This original shaft was reamed out to 22 inches and three men were lowered into the ground. They discovered a large breakdown chamber and numerous formations. The first three men to enter this room were Jack Burch, Reggie Wuest, and Myles Kuykendall. By combining the first two letters of each man's first name, they arrived at JAREMY, and thus this newly discovered room was called the Jaremy Room.

Further investigation near the bottom of the Jaremy Room revealed a strong likelihood that another passage existed beyond a pile of rocks and boulders. The drillers were once again brought out to the property and another exploratory shaft was sunk into the ground. This shaft also penetrated a large void. As before, the initial shaft was enlarged and people dropped down into the unknown. Explorations revealed another half-mile of cavern extending to the south. This then became known as the South Cavern.