Nevada Ridge Walking and the Discovery of False Hopes Cave, Nevada

Nevada has a vast backcountry high desert region full of remote limestone ranges not yet checked for caves. We utilized drone technology to cover an extensive amount of ground — recording flight footage to identify leads. Photos by Justin Bailey.

We spotted new leads from drone footage. One was a hole in the wall — we hiked up to find it went only 82ft with blind side passages. Ceilings covered in ash silt from previous fires; faint charcoal smell at the back. Named False Hopes Cave. Many more leads remain to check on this range.