Spelunking is the recreational past time of exploring caves that have not been commercialized and do not receive any tourist activity. However, it is difficult to keep these natural wonders completely off the radar. Since the dawn of time, caves and cave systems have played an important role in the history of mankind. In this article we take a closer look at the deepest caves in the United States.
When travelling to the USA, make sure that you are using a USA prepaid SIM card to effortlessly stay in touch with your loved ones. You will definitely want to share pictures of some of the caves that you discover.
Mammoth Cave, Brownsville
There are many caves and cave systems that exist around the world. However, none are bigger than Mammoth cave. At 675.9 km, you will be plunged deep into the earth where you will be transported into another world. As you enter the cave, you will pass a waterfall at the entrance which is a fitting symbol that you are moving through one of nature’s natural gateways. The River Styx runs through the cave which used to have boat tours.
Location: Brownsville, Kentucky
Coordinates: 37.18758°N 86.10357°W
Places to stay: Almost Heaven Too 50-Acre Escape, Serenity Hill B&B, and Mammoth Cave Getaway.
Things to do: Green River, Cedar Sink Trail, Fat Man’s Misery.
Nearest city: Brownsville
Area: 213.8 km2
Cave type: Solution Cave
Animals to see: deer, raccoon, opossum, gray squirrel, Indiana bat, gray bat, little brown bat, and big brown bat.
Jewel Cave, Custer
Jewel Cave is currently the third longest cave in the world with just over 346 km of mapped passageways. When Frank and Albert Michaud, discovered the cave in 1900. They initially succeeded in enlarging the cave entrance with dynamite. After enlarging the entrance, they found a cavern lined with calcite crystals, which gave the cave its name. News of the caves discovery reached Washington and President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Jewel Cave a National Monument on February 7, 1908.
Location (City and state): Custer, South Dakota.
Coordinates: 43.72944°N 103.82944°W
Places to stay: Comfort Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, and Pancho’s Hideout.
Things to do: Mount Rushmore, Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Black Hills, and the Cosmos Mystery Area.
Nearest city: Custer
Area: 5.15 km2
Cave type: Breathing Cave
Animals to see: bighorn sheep, mule deer, cougars.
Wind Cave, Hot Springs
Wind Cave is found within the Wind Cave National Park which was the seventh national park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. Wind Cave is famous for its calcite formations (known as Boxwork) and frostwork. The Wind Cave National Park includes the largest remaining natural mixed-grass prairie in the United States.
Location: Hot Springs, South Dakota.
Coordinates: 43.55804°N 103.47955°W
Places to stay: Comfort Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, and Pancho’s Hideout.
Things to do: Rush Mountain Adventure Park, Custer State Park, and the Black Hills National Forest.
Nearest city: Hot Springs
Area: 136.97 km2
Cave type: Breathing Cave
Animals to see: raccoons, elk, bison, coyotes, cougars, bobcats, and red foxes.
Lechuguilla Cave, Carlsbad
The Lechuguilla Cave is found in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park and is the eighth longest explored cave in the world. This makes it one of the longest caves in the USA. Lechuguilla Cave is known for its unusual geology and rare formations. Because access to the cave is restricted to scientists (who need to acquire a permit) and park officials, the cave is mostly untouched and in pristine condition.
Location: Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Coordinates: 32.170000°N 104.483000°W
Places to stay: Sleep Inn & Suites Carlsbad, Great Western Inn & Suites, Motel 6-Carlsbad.
Things to do: Carlsbad Water Park, the Carlsbad Museum and Art Center, and Sitting Bull Falls.
Nearest city: Carlsbad
Area: 189,26 km2 of which 1.37 km2 is private.
Cave type: Limestone
Animals to see: black bear, barbery sheep, cougar, rocky mountain elk.
The Fisher Ridge cave system, Brownsville
The Fisher Ridge cave system is located in the same area as Mammoth Cave. With a length of just over 209 km, the Fisher Redge cave system is the tenth longest cave in the world and the fifth longest in the USA. Despite the passages of the Fisher Ridge cave system and Mammoth Cave only being 180 meters in some instances, efforts to connect the cave systems have been unsuccessful.
Location: Brownsville, Kentucky.
Coordinates: 37.191736°N 85.980122°W
Almost Heaven Too 50-Acre Escape, Serenity Hill b&b, and Mammoth Cave Getaway.
Things to do: Green River, Cedar Sink Trail, Fat Man’s Misery.
Nearest city: Brownsville.
Area: 209 km (length)
Cave type: Solution Cave
Animals to see: deer, raccoon, opossum, gray squirrel,
The Great Savannah cave system, Frankford
The sinkhole entrance to Savannah Cave was first investigated in the 1970s by local cavers who were interested in a swallow hole which took in a significant stream most of the year. The subsequent dig was abandoned and catalogued for future reference as easier and more accessible caves became available. Surveying of Savannah Cave extended from 2009 through 2014 as the cave branched off in opposite east-west directions.
Location: Frankford, West Viginia.
Coordinates: 37.859703°N 80.406044°W
Places to stay: Hampton Inn Lewisburg, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Relax Inn.
Things to do: Rockhouse Trail System (Hatfield and McCoy Trails), Pomona Salt Cave And Spa, and the Organ Cave.
Nearest city: Frankford, West Virginia.
Area: 82.00 km (length)
Cave type: Limestone
Animals to see: various species of bats.
The Friars Hole cave system, Lewisburg
Description (1 paragraph)
Location: Lewisburg, West Virgina
Coordinates: 38.067203°N 80.329775°W
Places to stay: Hampton Inn Lewisburg, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Relax Inn.
Things to do: the Old Stone Presbyterian Church, the Confederate Cemetery of Lewisburg, and Carnegie Hall.
Nearest city: Lewisburg
Area: 81.2 km (length)
Cave type: Limestone
Animals to see
The Binkleys cave system, Croydon
In 1918, a farm close to Corydon was purchased by Arvel H. Miles. A sinkhole entrance to Binkley Cave opened prior to a set of explorations in the 1930s. In 1944, the farm was purchased by Harvey Binkley, after which the cave is named. Other cave systems were found on the property that housed the skeletons of numerous large animals which are believed to be from the Ice Age.
Location: Croydon, Indiana.
Coordinates: 38.182812°N 86.149974°W
Places to stay: Clarion Pointe by Choice Hotels Corydon, Hampton Inn Corydon, Holiday Inn Express Corydon.
Things to do: the Battle of Corydon Battlefield, the Turtle Run Winery, the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site.
Nearest city: Croydon
Area: 72.4 km (length)
Cave type: Solutional cave
Animals to see: black bear, porcupine, southern flying squirrel, and barred owl.
Fort Stanton Cave (Snowy River Cave), Ruidoso
The Snowy River Cave is a cave passage within the Fort Stanton Cave. Snowy River Cave got its name from the bed of calcite that runs on the floor of the cave passage. The calcite was formed by ancient slow moving ground water that dissolved the limestone walls of the cave. Over time, this crystalized to form the white effect.
Location: Ruidoso, New Mexico
Coordinates: 33.506670°N 105.493610°W
Places to stay: the Village Lodge, the West Winds Lodge, and Shadow Mountain Lodge and Cabins.
Things to do: the Noisy Water Winery, the Ruidoso Downs Race Track, and the Lincoln National Forest.
Nearest city: Ruidoso
Area: 71.7 km (length)
Cave type: Limestone cave
Animals to see: mule deer, black bear, porcupines, bobcats
Hellhole, Riverton
Hellhole is a large pit cave found in the Germany Valley in eastern West Virginia. Hellhole is the seventh longest cave in the USA and can only be accessed by suspending on a rope at the cave’s entrance. Explorers have noted that there are several runnels within Hellhole that extend several kilometers.
Location: Riverton, West Virginia
Coordinates: 38.771361°N 79.378103°W
Places to stay: The Renovated Barn at Seneca Rocks, Seneca Unit 100-102, and Seneca Unit 115.
Things to do: Seneca Caverns, and Spruce Knob.
Nearest city: Riverton
Area: 70.1 km (length)
Cave type: Pit Cave
Animals to see: Virginia Big Eared Bats
It is safe to say that exploring the deepest caves in the United States is not for the fainthearted. However, it provides rare insight into geological structures that pre-exist mankind. These natural wonders are major tourist attractions that draw many people to visit the USA.
Top 10 Deepest caves in the United States FAQ
- What is the deepest cave in the USA?
The deepest cave in the USA is Mammoth Cave.
- What is the most visited cave in the USA?
The most visited cave in the USA is the Carlsbad Caverns.
- Which state has the most caves in the United States?
The state in the USA with the most caves is Tennessee.
- What is the second longest cave in the United States?
The second longest cave in the USA is Jewel Cave.
- What is the most beautiful cave in the USA?
The most beautiful cave in the USA is the Carlsbad Cavern.
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