# Fitton Cave

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**Fitton Cave**, also known as **Beauty Cave**,[1] is located near the [Buffalo National River](/source/Buffalo_National_River) in [Arkansas](/source/Arkansas), United States. According to [Robert Gulden](/source/Robert_Gulden)'s cave database, it contains 17.5 miles (28.2 km) of [mapped](/source/Cave_survey) passage as of 2024, and is the longest known [cave](/source/Cave) in Arkansas, and the 188th longest in the world.[2][3] The cliffs on the Buffalo River harbor 340 known caves, many of which are home to endangered bats.[3] Fitton Cave is [gated](/source/Cave_gate) and access is closely monitored by the [National Park Service](/source/National_Park_Service), due to the spread of [white-nose syndrome](/source/White-nose_syndrome), a fungal disease that affects bats.[4][5]

## History

The cave was first explored by Europeans in the 1940s.[6]

In 1976, a [mapping](/source/Cave_survey) project was started by the [Cave Research Foundation](/source/Cave_Research_Foundation). The survey started as a species survey, which eventually evolved into a mapping effort.[7]

In 2008, a grant was provided by the [National Speleological Society](/source/National_Speleological_Society) to study the water within the cave.[8]

The cave was closed to the public in 2009.[5]

In August 2020, the cave gate was forced open by vandals, who stole or destroyed several cave formations, including draperies and stalagmites.[4] These formations, which form over thousands of years, are irreplaceable on a human time scale, and as such the loss is of tremendous cultural importance.[5] The culprits could face up to 10 years in prison for the vandalism, which occurred in violation of the [Cave Protection Act of 1988](/source/Federal_Cave_Resources_Protection_Act_of_1988).[5]

## Biology

In 2006, the cave contained at least 58 species, 11 of which were [cave obligates](/source/Troglofauna) which could not live outside.[9] This makes it "the second most biologically diverse cave in the state".[10]

## See also

- [List of caves](/source/List_of_caves)

## References

1. Hetzel, Ansley (2024-10-13). ["Mystery Of Arkansas' Whispering Waterfall Caves"](https://www.touristsecrets.com/destinations/mystery-of-arkansas-whispering-waterfall-caves/). *TouristSecrets*. Retrieved 2025-01-28.

1. ["World Long Caves"](https://cave-exploring.com/index.php/long-and-deep-caves-of-the-world/world-long-caves/). *Cave-Exploring.Com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20241220055034/https://cave-exploring.com/index.php/long-and-deep-caves-of-the-world/world-long-caves/) 2024-12-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-01-24.

1. ["Caves of the United States of America: Buffalo National River"](https://showcaves.com/english/usa/caves/Buffalo.html). *Show Caves of the World*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250117081250/https://showcaves.com/english/usa/caves/Buffalo.html) 2025-01-17 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-01-28.

1. ["Significant Damage to Fitton Cave Discovered at Buffalo National River"](https://www.nps.gov/buff/learn/news/significant-damage-to-fitton-cave-discovered-at-buffalo-national-river.htm). *nps.gov*. September 10, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2025.

1. Bowden, Bill (September 11, 2020). ["Irreplaceable formations stolen from cave in Buffalo River park"](https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2020/sep/11/irreplaceable-formations-stolen-for-us-park-cave/). *Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250209125957/https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2020/sep/11/irreplaceable-formations-stolen-for-us-park-cave/) February 9, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 4, 2025.

1. Connell, George L. (March 31, 1940). ["Exploring an Unknown Arkansas Cavern"](https://www.geology.arkansas.gov/docs/pdf/publication/usgs_grants/written_media/miscellaneous_media/MiscMedia_Caves2.pdf). *[Arkansas Gazette](/source/Arkansas_Gazette)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240716193701/https://www.geology.arkansas.gov/docs/pdf/publication/usgs_grants/written_media/miscellaneous_media/MiscMedia_Caves2.pdf) July 16, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 21, 2025.

1. ["About CRF"](https://www.cave-research.org/about/). *cave-research.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221031172426/https://www.cave-research.org/about/) 2022-10-31 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-01-28.

1. ["Research Grant Awards"](https://caves.org/nss-grants/research-grants/research-grants-awards/). *National Speleological Society*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231129184852/https://caves.org/nss-grants/research-grants/research-grants-awards/) 2023-11-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-01-28.

1. ["Cave fauna of the Buffalo National River"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260035476). *[Journal of Cave and Karst Studies](/source/Journal_of_Cave_and_Karst_Studies)*. December 2006.

1. ["Fitton Cave at Buffalo National River significantly damaged"](https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/fitton-cave-at-buffalo-national-river-significantly-damaged/). *KNWA FOX24*. 2020-09-10. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240213100538/https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/fitton-cave-at-buffalo-national-river-significantly-damaged/) 2024-02-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-01-28.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fitton Cave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitton_Cave) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitton_Cave?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.