Empire Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Santa Cruz near Porter College. From Santa Cruz follow Empire Grade to the campus, after the turnoff Heller Drive (campus) one more kilometer. The entrance is visible from the road to the right. (36.9962998, -122.0687753)
Open:	closed. [2026]
Fee:	closed. [2026]
Classification:	Karst Cave marble
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:
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Accessibility:
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As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1872	first reference to an “Empire Cave” in the area.
1963	concrete cap built over the cave entrance.
2023	a crew from the Porter College campus carpentry shop installed a wildlife-friendly gate across the Empire Cave entrance.

Description

Just to make it clear: this is not an easy semi-wild cave, it is a cave which we would not list normally because it is too difficult and dangerous. We also think that any visit in itself damages the cave and cave life and is thus an act of vandalism, even if you do not draw graffitties. We made this page to warn about entering this cave at all. This seems to be unnecessary now as the cave is successfully gated since 2023.

Empire Cave is also called Porter Cave, after the nearby Porter College, which is part of the University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC). It is historically also known as Cowell Cave and Santa Cruz Cave. The entrance of the cave was once capped by a large concrete block, but this massive lock was destroyed and a sizable hole blown in it. It seems there was a little war going on between cave protectionists and student cave enthusiasts equipped with explosives. The concrete box was built over the entrance in 1963, and according to a 2017 report by the California Academy of Sciences the concrete box, while well-intentioned, most likely damaged the cave. It affected light and natural air flow, made it difficult for many animals like bats to enter the cave, and so it was not really good for the cave live. It’s not sure what the intentions for the concrete cap were, it seems it was intended to keep people, especially students, out. Actually this cave is especially important in various inofficial rites of the university, about which not much is known to outsiders. Every fall at certain nights there was a treck of first years who "explored" the cave.

Empire Cave is home to two endemic species of troglobionts, the Dolloff Spider and Empire Cave Pseudoscorpion. The Dolloff Spider is found in several caves around Santa Cruz. It builds a web at the cave entrance and feeds off of the fauna entering and leaving the cave. Typical prey are cave moths and harvestmen. The Empire Cave Pseudoscorpion is even more endemic as it is found only here. It lives on the cave floor. Both species are endangered, due to the human interaction with the cave. Visitors often leave litter, which is annually cleaned up after Halloween by the San Francisco chapter of the National Speleological Society. Especially any kind of organic matter is a great danger to the cave environment as it changes the cave climate and destroys a fragile balance. One year rotting hay bales were found inside the cave, the emitted carbon dioxide is a great danger to the cave inhabitants. Even more dangerous and destructive is the carbon dioxide produced by a fire. Actually there are always idiots who try to make a fire in the first chamber. Beneath the danger to the cave this is also a good way to kill anybody inside the cave by the carbon dioxide and carbon monxide produced by the fire.

The campus area consists of marble which is karstified, two caves are known within the campus boundaries. More caves exist west of the campus. There are at least 50 dolines on the campus, one is located right outside the Applied Sciences Building, another one close to the East Remote Parking Lot. Other impressive karst features are numerous small springs and ponors.

The cave was entered through the hole in the concrete seal, down a bent iron ladder. The rest of the cave are three or four chambers (depends on how you count) connected by sometimes narrow and low passages. The cave is muddy, and actually it is a good idea to visit it in full caving gear with overall, rubber boots, helmets and headlamps. It is dry most of the year, but actually it is prone to flooding. It should definitely be avoided after heavy rains, so fall is actually a rather good time for visits. In 2023 a crew from the campus carpentry shop installed a wildlife-friendly gate across the hole in the concrete. Actually the steel bars cover the whole concrete entrance block. Access is now limited to education, research, and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. The distonce between the bars allows animals like bats to enter and leave freely.