30 Years of Partnerships and Still Going Strong

Since 1982, BLM Nevada's Carson City District has partnered with the Churchill County Museum and the American Museum of Natural History to conduct interpretive tours of Hidden Cave, one of the most significant archaeological sites in Nevada. In Fall 2012, a reception was held at the museum to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the tours and the collaborative partnerships that have made the tours a great success over the years.

Hidden Cave - an archaeological site located within the designated Grimes Point Archaeological Area - is significant to understanding climate changes over the last 20,000 years and the human occupation of the Great Basin over the last several thousand years. Hidden Cave provides the general public with the unique opportunity to see the results of archeological excavations conducted in the 1940s, 1950s, and late 1970s. Upon completion of the last excavation, the site was left intact to provide education through interpretation of archeological history and methods. The BLM currently provides tours of Hidden Cave on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, while the Churchill County Museum docents provide tours to public and private schools and youth groups during the week.

The interpretative program for the cave focuses on the environmental and the cultural past at and around Hidden Cave and offers a unique opportunity to reach school aged youth with a strong message of stewardship for our nation's cultural resources. The enhanced understanding of, and appreciation for, cultural sites and resources provided by the tours fosters an ethic that places an intrinsic value on the aesthetic and scientific worth of the cultural resources. This increased awareness is beneficial in reducing vandalism and looting of cultural sites on public lands.