7. Caves and Karst of the Northern New York Lowlands

Flat-lying Ordovician limestones form a band around the Adirondack Mountains, separating the Grenville marble caves of those mountains from the caves developed in Cambro-Ordovician marbles to the east and southeast, and from caves in Siluro-Devonian carbonates to the south (deformed) and southwest (undeformed). This cave region is understudied and little scientific work has been done, although a limestone pavement project and a maze cave examination have been published. Caves of small size, in agreement with post-glacial deranged drainage (Schroeders Pants Cave, Houghs Cave), have been identified, as well as caves of possible pre-glacial or englacial origin (Mitchells Cave). The major cave features of this region are the large and extensive maze caves along the Black and Perch rivers, multi-kilometer systems of post-glacial origin, the largest of which, the Glen Park Labyrinth, is now relict and abandoned. These caves, in tune with the post-glacial deranged drainage of major rivers, indicate that high, sustained discharges can create large maze caves within a portion of the post-glacial time window. Houghs Cave has historical importance as a stop on the Underground Railway for escaped slaves in the pre-Civil War era.