Discover the Caves That Have Captivated America
From the world’s longest cave system to the oldest human remains in America, many of nature’s best mysteries are hidden underground.
People have been intrigued by the hidden worlds of caves for millennia. Over the centuries, we have gone from using these spaces as shelter from the elements to extracting resources from them or exploring them for the pure love of discovering new sights.
Americans are lucky. They have opportunities to go spelunking or cave diving in many spots across the country. This article will introduce a few of the most popular places, including the Carlsbad Caverns, Lava River Cave, and Mammoth Cave.
1. Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park
Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park is one of the most essential destinations in the country for avid spelunkers. It houses the world’s longest cave system, which features over 405 miles of mapped caves.
The caves are easily accessible to visitors, who can also find guided tours. Formed over many millennia by water dissolving the area’s carbonate rocks, the cave system includes sinkholes, tunnels, underground rivers, and the Crystal King of Ohio Caverns.
The Crystal King is one of the best-formed stalactites, reaching 4 feet 10 inches in length, and it’s worth getting off the beaten path of the Mammoth Cave tours to check it out. As a bonus, you’ll also find many unique geologic formations, including helictites, travertine flowstone, soda straw stalactites, and columns.
2. Arizona’s Lava River Cave
The Lava River Cave, located outside Flagstaff, AZ, is an excellent example of a lava tube. Lava tubes are formed by molten rock as it erupts from volcanos. As lava flows from the vent, the outside hardens, creating a tube-like formation that can later be explored safely.
Though it was formed from molten lava, the ¾-mile-long Lava River Cave remains cold year-round. Visitors can expect temperatures between 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit even in the summer, so it’s essential to bring warm clothing, no matter the season.
The road to the Lava River Cave is easy to access, but visitors should be in good physical shape. While there aren’t any highly technical areas in the cave, the first 300 feet are composed of loose, slippery boulders that require some scrambling.
3. New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is home to over 119 caves of many different sizes. Formed by the dissolution of limestone by sulfuric acid, these caves are accessible via a natural entrance or an elevator from the visitor center.
The Big Room is the most famous chamber of the Carlsbad Caverns. At almost 4,000 ft long, 625 ft wide, and 255 ft high, it’s the largest chamber in North America. The national park is also renowned for being one of the most accessible cave complexes.
If you time your visit to the Carlsbad Caverns correctly, you can also catch a unique sight. From April or May through October or November, Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from the cave in a dense group at sunset, corkscrewing up into the sky to create a dramatic show worth catching at least once.
