Nutty Putty Cave Map | Updated & Updated

On December 3, 2009, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the private landowner, the Jones family (no relation to the victim), made the unprecedented decision to permanently seal the cave.

Crews drilled holes and pumped concrete into the entrance. Then, they backfilled the entrance pit with dirt and rocks. A small memorial plaque was placed at the site, but the cave itself is now inaccessible.

Why seal it? Because the map still existed.

Officials realized that even with the entrance closed, cavers would eventually dig it open or find a secondary entrance. The only way to prevent another death was to destroy the cave's geometry. By filling the entrance with concrete, they rendered the map useless. No matter how detailed your Nutty Putty Cave map is, you cannot enter a solid block of concrete.

Nutty Putty Cave is permanently sealed and closed to the public

It serves as the final resting place for John Edward Jones, who became fatally trapped in a narrow, unmapped passage in 2009. This guide is for historical and educational purposes regarding the cave's layout and the 2004 map updates. Overview of the Nutty Putty Cave

The cave's mapping history is critical to understanding its complexity and the risks it once posed to explorers: The 2004 Update

: A revised map was released in 2004 to help cavers navigate more safely. Intentional Exclusions

: Interestingly, the section where John Jones eventually lost his life was intentionally excluded

from the updated 2004 maps. This was done to discourage cavers from entering the most dangerous, tightest fissures. Hydrothermal Origins

: As a hydrothermal cave, its passages are uniquely smooth and "nutty" (slippery), caused by warm water dissolving the rock from the bottom up. Key Locations on the Map

Before its closure, several notorious sections were marked on the Nutty Putty Cave Map The Big Slide : A steep, slippery descent near the entrance. The Birth Canal

: One of the most famous tight squeezes, requiring cavers to exhale to fit through. The Corkscrew

: A winding, vertical passage that challenged even experienced explorers. Bob’s Push : A section of the cave featuring extremely narrow crawls. The Unmapped Fissure

: The site of the 2009 tragedy, located beyond the "Birth Canal," where Jones took a wrong turn into an 18-inch wide, 10-inch tall vertical crevice. Brandon Kowallis Historical Access Information : The cave is located on Blowhole Hill west of Utah Lake in Utah County. nutty putty cave map

: Following the failed 27-hour rescue attempt in 2009, the entrance was sealed with concrete Virtual Exploration : Because physical entry is impossible, many now use VR simulations or 3D models to understand the cave's structure. Climb Utah Critical Safety Legacy

The maps and historical records of Nutty Putty Cave now serve as a cautionary guide for the caving community: Never Cave Alone : Always have a partner who can call for help. Know Your Limits

: Do not enter passages that appear smaller than your own body's chest size. Map Reliance

: Always use the most current map and acknowledge that "off-map" exploring is extremely high-risk. specific diagrams

illustrating the "Birth Canal" or the section where the 2009 rescue occurred? The Nutty Putty Cave Rescue & the Death of John Jones 23-Feb-2024 —

The Nutty Putty Cave Map: A Comprehensive Guide

The Nutty Putty Cave system, located in Utah, USA, is a vast and complex network of underground tunnels and caverns. The cave map is a crucial tool for explorers, researchers, and adventure-seekers, providing a detailed representation of the cave's layout and features.

Overview of the Cave System

The Nutty Putty Cave system spans over 1,600 acres, with more than 25 miles of mapped passages. The cave is a type of lava tube, formed as a result of volcanic activity in the area. The cave's unique features include its extensive network of narrow passages, large caverns, and intricate formations of lava and minerals.

Components of the Cave Map

A comprehensive Nutty Putty Cave map typically includes:

Types of Nutty Putty Cave Maps

Several types of maps are used to represent the Nutty Putty Cave system:

Importance of the Nutty Putty Cave Map

The Nutty Putty Cave map is essential for:

In conclusion, the Nutty Putty Cave map is a vital tool for anyone interested in exploring, researching, or simply learning about this incredible natural wonder. Its detailed representation of the cave's layout and features provides a foundation for safe exploration, scientific research, and conservation efforts.

Nutty Putty Cave , located west of Utah Lake, was a popular hydrothermal cave known for its extremely tight, "mazey" passages and sticky, clay-like walls . It has been permanently closed since 2009 following the tragic death of John Edward Jones. Cave Map & Layout Overview

The cave system is roughly 1,355 to 1,400 feet long and reaches a depth of about 145 feet. Official maps, such as those drafted by rescuer Brandon Kowallis, divide the cave into distinct sections: The Entrance:

A 6-foot diameter hole on top of Blowhole Hill that drops down 15 feet into the cave. The Big Slide:

A long, 45-degree descending chamber that was a primary feature for visitors.

A complex series of tight passages located to the left of the main route. The Birth Canal:

A famous, grueling 115-foot body-tight crawl that was a rite of passage for many explorers. Ed's Push:

A narrow, dead-end section near where the 2009 accident occurred. The 2009 Incident Mapping

Detailed diagrams of the 2009 rescue attempt illustrate the extreme spatial constraints that led to the tragedy. John Jones became trapped in an unmapped fissure near , not the Birth Canal as often mistakenly reported. Dimensions: He was stuck upside down in a crevice only 10 inches wide and 18 inches deep

, roughly 400 feet into the cave and 100 feet below the surface.

Because the body could not be recovered, the cave was sealed with concrete, serving as a permanent memorial. The Nutty Putty Cave Rescue & the Death of John Jones

Nutty Putty Cave in Utah is permanently closed and sealed following the tragic death of John Edward Jones in 2009. Physical entry is no longer possible, as the entrance has been filled with concrete to serve as a final resting place and memorial. Accessing Maps and Virtual Tours

While you cannot visit in person, several resources allow you to study the cave's complex layout: On December 3, 2009, the Utah Division of

Here’s a piece of content focused on the Nutty Putty Cave map — what it looked like, why it mattered, and how it factored into the cave’s tragic history.

Title: Mapping the Unforgiving: The Story Behind the Nutty Putty Cave Map

When you first glance at the Nutty Putty Cave map, it looks like an abstract doodle — a tangle of tight passages, sharp turns, and small, named chambers. But for cavers in Utah during the early 2000s, that map represented both an irresistible challenge and a silent warning.

Located west of Utah Lake, Nutty Putty was a hydrothermal cave, meaning its passages were carved not by surface water but by hot, acidic groundwater rising from below. That unique origin gave it a distinctive, smooth, and sometimes constricting layout — a maze of narrow, winding tubes that didn’t follow the predictable patterns of river caves.

Following the 2009 accident, authorities permanently sealed Nutty Putty Cave. The map is now a historical artifact — studied not for navigation, but for lessons in humility and risk. Modern cavers use it to discuss:

The most widely circulated map of Nutty Putty (drafted by the Timpanogos Grotto of the National Speleological Society) includes:

Importantly, the map did not include "The Birth Canal" as a dead-end trap — because that’s not what it was. The fatal spot wasn't a named feature on earlier maps. The area where John Edward Jones became stuck in 2009 was a narrow, unmapped fork off "Ed’s Push" — a passage he likely mistook for the larger, more forgiving "Birth Canal."

For the uninitiated, the phrase "Nutty Putty Cave" might evoke images of a quirky theme park attraction or a brand of children’s modeling clay. For cavers (spelunkers) and internet true-crime enthusiasts, however, the name carries a weight of somber finality. Located west of Utah Lake in Utah County, Nutty Putty Cave was once a beloved hydrothermal maze of narrow passages and tight squeezes. Today, it is a sealed tomb.

The single most important document for understanding this cavern’s allure—and its ultimate danger—is the Nutty Putty Cave map. But this is not merely a topographical drawing. It is a historical record of a geologic wonder, a navigational challenge, and ultimately, a fatal trap.

In this article, we will dissect the history of the map, explain its key features (including the infamous "Birth Canal" and "The Maze"), analyze how the map contributed to the 2009 tragedy of John Edward Jones, and discuss why the cave was permanently sealed with concrete.

Nutty Putty Cave was discovered in 1960 by a group of geologists from Brigham Young University (BYU). Unlike the massive vertical pits or crystal cathedrals found in other caving systems, Nutty Putty was discovered to be a hypogenic cave—formed not by surface water erosion, but by hot, acidic hydrothermal fluids rising from deep within the earth.

Because of its unique "slickenside" clay (smooth, polished clay that looks and feels like chocolate frosting, hence the name "Nutty Putty"), the cave required extensive surveying. Over the next 40 years, the Timpanogos Grotto of the National Speleological Society (NSS) took on the Herculean task of mapping the complex.

The resulting Nutty Putty Cave Map is a masterpiece of by-hand surveying. Unlike a standard tourist map, a caving map uses a "plan view" (a top-down layout) and multiple "profile views" (side-cut diagrams) to show vertical stacking of passages.