In August, I revisited a favorite place: Tytoona Cave Nature Preserve. This was my 3rd time visiting. Tytoona continues to ignite excitement and curiosity in my heart!

Before You Continue

Caving is a dangerous activity. Dying while caving is 100% possible, no matter how “safe” you believe you are. To explore Tytoona, you need a permit from the National Speleological Society (NSS). You will agree to the Preserve’s Access Rules. More details are on the NSS website at: https://caves.org/preserve/tytoona-cave-nature-preserve/.

Karst Geology

Caves form underground when water dissolves soluble rock. A “soluble rock” is a rock that dissolves in water: limestone, dolomite, marble, and salt. Limestone and dolomite are sedimentary rocks which form via lithification of carbonate sediment. Marble is metamorphic, forming from limestone or dolomite after metamorphic stress.

Water dissolves rocks and forms specific phenomena labeled as karst. Sinkholes, disappearing streams, springs, and caves are examples of karst. Sinking Valley in Centre County is a good example of karst topography. The landscape is full of rolling hills and streams that seem to “disappear” or “sink” into the ground. Scattered throughout the valley are sinkholes and a handful of caves.

One stream, Sinking Run, formed a cave system- Tytoona. From its headwaters near Fort Roberdeau, Sinking Run “disappeared” into the ground. Water percolated through bedrock, dissolving limestone to form caverns. In one location, the water weakened the rock to cause the roof of a cavern to collapse, creating an entrance.

Inside Tytoona

Throughout Tytoona, speleothems are small. Formations like stalagmites, stalactites, draperies, and straws are often swept off by floodwaters. Some flowstones are visible along higher shelves in the cave. During my last visit, I struggled to take pictures of the formations close by.

Visitors must be mindful of the water- it is easy to slip and fall. Some areas of water are very deep. The area I was exploring had dry walkways, with Sinking Run ankle-deep to my right. When Sinking Run is high or fast, it’s too dangerous to enter the cave.

True History

Speleologists theorize that Tytoona connects to Arch Springs through a series of sumps. These underwater passages are difficult to explore and map. When I was younger, I had the opportunity to explore all the way to the back of the permit area. My instructor sat the class on gravel and told us the story of Roberta Swicegood, who lost her life in Tytoona.

In the late 1980s, Roberta was an experienced and passionate cave diver. She and John Schwein were surveying Tytoona. As a team, they were solo diving a series of sumps in zero-visibility waters. During their dives, the team was installing guide lines to help navigate in the darkness. On her last dive, Roberta left John behind and forged ahead into the unknown.

While surveying the sump, Roberta separated from the guide line. Speculation believes she ran out of air while searching for the line. Eventually, she fell asleep and then suffocated, alone in the darkness. After four days of recovery work, rescuers returned her body to the surface. She was found about 10 feet away from the guide line. If she had been able to reach the line, she could have survived and returned on her own.

After Roberta’s death, the property owners forbade diving and enacted a permit program. NSS is serious about enforcement, visitors are not to enter without a permit. Since Roberta’s passing, there have been no deaths in Tytoona.

Concluding Thoughts

Despite the danger, exploring a wild cave is a marvelous experience. With enough time, water creates beautiful and complicated features underneath our feet. While I have visited many times already, I know there are always more Tytoona trips for me in the future!

Works Cited

Czmor, Garrett. Tytoona Cave Preserve. Mid-Appalachian Region of the National Speleological Society, Dec. 2000, www.mar.caves.org/tytoona.htm. Accessed 6 Sept. 2024.

“Inside Cave, a Deadly Mystery.” Altoona Mirror, Altoona Mirror, 26 June 1988, www.newspapers.com/article/altoona-mirror-schweyen-cave-diving-dea/4043745/. Accessed 6 Sept. 2024.

Kevin Patrick. Pennsylvania Caves & Other Rocky Roadside Wonders. 1st ed., Stackpole Books, 2004, pp. 57–59.

“Tytoona Cave Nature Preserve.” National Speleological Society, 30 May 2024, www.caves.org/preserve/tytoona-cave-nature-preserve/. Accessed 6 Sept. 2024.