Danger Cave

Danger Cave is an archaeological rock-shelter site in western Utah, United States, noted for its exceptional organic preservation. It is a key site for studying Holocene hunter-gatherer lifeways in the Great Basin.

The cave was excavated by professional archaeologists in the mid-20th century, producing detailed faunal and botanical assemblages used to reconstruct past environments and subsistence. Finds from the cave have been central to regional chronologies of the Great Basin.

The cave sits in the Great Basin region of western Utah, on the margin of desert playas and rocky outcrops. The nearest larger settlements are small towns in western Utah and eastern Nevada; the site is remote and accessed primarily by dirt tracks.

• Occupational dates: Archaeological deposits include well preserved plant and animal remains and artifacts dating to the early-to-mid Holocene, roughly 9,000 to 4,000 years before present.
• Key excavations: Major scientific excavations were carried out in the mid-20th century and yielded some of the best-preserved desert-site assemblages in western North America.

As an archaeological site, precise location details for Danger Cave are controlled to protect the resource. Access is generally limited to researchers with permits; public visits, if allowed, should be organised through universities or land-management agencies.

• Cave environments preserve archaeological materials - avoid touching surfaces and follow any rules from local managers or researchers.
• Travel with a knowledgeable caving guide if planning to enter any undeveloped caves; some passages can be unstable or sensitive.