These are formed as a result of weathering and erosion, where the softer rock is worn away by wind or water to create roofless openings in the earth. These types of caves are often found in the Great Lakes region and the Southwestern United States.

Lava tubes

This type of cave forms when lava cools enough that it begins to harden. The ceiling may never form and the roof is often at a much lower level than the ground surface outside of the tube.

Crystal Caves

These are caves that form in a type of limestone called tufa, which is porous and has an irregular surface.

Salt Caves

These are formed when an ancient sea dries up. It results in a layer of salt over the ground and can create cavities by sucking water from the soil

Ice Caves

These form on glaciers, due to constant freezing and thawing cycles. The caves are generally not very large but ice sculptures often decorate their walls.

Bat Caves

These are caves that house populations of bats.

Water Caves

These are caves that form underwater. They can be found in the ocean, lakes, and even rivers

Natural Caves

These are caves that were formed by natural processes. They can be found in limestone, sandstone, granite, and other types of rock

Wild Caves

These are caves that have not been explored and remain largely unknown.

Mining Caves

These caves are formed when a mineral deposit like gold, silver, or iron is found and mined.

And let’s not forget:

Caverns!

These are a type of cave with large spacious rooms. These types of caves often have formations like stalactites, stalagmites, or columns!

Learn about White Nose Disease and what you can do to help!

How big are these caves?

There’s no one answer for this question- some of them can be small enough that you could explore them in an hour, while others might take days or even months to explore.

While our state lists do not include all 45,000 caves, they do pick the best available to visit caves of each state – giving you a fantastic starting place for spelunking where ever you roam.

Let’s get started!

List of all states alphabetically: Just click on the state to go to the list of caves in that state

There – that list should help you get started! Let’s share a few things before you go caving:

Cave safety tips…

Formations to find…

Cave Wildlife…

Check out our latest posts:

• Ultimate Guide to Onyx Cave, Arkansas (Tours, Pricing, History, Map)
• Ultimate Guide to Ursa Minor, California (Tours, Pricing, History, Map)
• Ultimate Guide to Boulder Cave, Washington (Tours, Pricing, History, Map)
• Ultimate Guide to Mystic Caverns, Arkansas (Tours, Pricing, History, Map)
• Ultimate Guide to Tree Root Cave, Washington (Tours, Pricing, History, Map)

Get Our Newsletter!

Get our latest and greatest cave guides delivered right to your inbox!

TOP 10 most beautiful caves and grottoes in the world

For tourists who want to enjoy the underground beauty and whimsical fantasy of the Creator, ATOR Bulletin presents a selection of the ten most beautiful caves and grottoes in the world.

We note right away that for our TOP-10 we chose only those Russian and foreign natural objects that tourists (whether independent or organized) can access without special speleological training and equipment. nine0007

If we also took those objects whose (often simply fantastic) beauty only speleologists can see, our ten would look different, but would be of little practical. But you can freely visit 10 caves from our list and bring rare beauty photos from there. By the way, Russian caves and grottoes will be the topic of our separate selection.

EISRIESENWELT ICE CAVE

Where: Werfen, Austria

Photo: commons. wikimedia. org

Eisriesenwelt means “world of ice giants” in German. This naturally occurring limestone ice cave is the largest and most popular of its kind in the world. About 200,000 tourists visit it every year.

The Eisriesenwelt was formed by the erosion process caused by the Salzach River. The bizarre ice formations in the cave were formed due to the thawing of snow in the cave, which drained and froze in winter. Cold winds circulate inside the cave, so in summer the ice formations remain and do not melt. nine0007

The cave is 42 kilometers long, but only the first kilometer of this cave is covered with ice and open to tourists. Depth – 407 m.

Features. The cave is usually open to the public from May 1st to October 26th. During the winter months, the entrance is closed due to the danger of avalanches.

WAITOMO LUMINOUS CAVES / WAITOMO CAVES

Where: New Zealand

Photo: flickr.com

This cave is the main attraction of the country and is popular with tourists all over the world. Fireflies “arachna luminosa” are found only in New Zealand, and the largest number of them live only in this cave. They are only the size of an ordinary mosquito, but it is worth considering that there are millions of them here. The fireflies are carefully monitored by a specialist from the scientific advisory group, who uses automatic equipment to remotely monitor the cave, including temperature, the amount of carbon dioxide (needed to keep the fireflies alive) and the number of visitors that can enter daily. nine0007

Tours run on three levels and begin with a boat ride into an underground river where the cave ceiling is lit solely by these spectacular fireflies. It feels like you are looking at the night sky full of twinkling stars – amazing beauty, so even wedding tours with photo shoots are arranged here.

The cave has three levels, which are connected by a 16-meter vertical shaft. The tour starts from the first level represented by the catacombs. The second level was called the Banquet Hall, and the third goes deep into the so-called Cathedral, which is a large hall with a vault height of about 18 meters, with good acoustic data. nine0007

Features. On Christmas Eve in the Cathedral Hall of the cave, they sing very beautiful acapello Christmas carols.

KUNGUR ICE CAVE

Where: Perm region, Russia

Photo: commons. wikimedia. org

The Kungur cave is located near the city of Kungur in the village of Filippovka and stretches underground for more than 5 km. The beauty of its grottoes and relatively convenient location for tourists have made this cave the most visited attraction in the Urals, and numerous magazines and portals regularly include it in the list of the top 10 most breathtaking caves in the world. We are no exception. nine0007

One of the most beautiful places in the cave is located right at the entrance – these are the Diamond and Polar Grottoes. The mass of perennial ice in these halls shimmers like a petrified waterfall, and the arches are covered with large crystals. There are several dozen grottoes in the Kungur cave: each of them has its own history and a unique name. The largest – the grotto of Geographers – covers an area of ​​​​50 thousand cubic meters. m, and available on the tourist route – grotto Velikan – 45 thousand cubic meters. m. There are also galleries decorated with stone lace, which were carefully “cut out” by water for 12,000 years. nine0007

It is noteworthy that tours to the Kungur cave began to be organized more than a hundred years ago. To this day it is one of the most popular sights of Siberia and the Urals.

The length of the cave is 5.6 km, of which 1.5 km are equipped for tourists.

Features. Contains 58 grottoes, 70 lakes. The cave is more than 10-12 thousand years old.

GROTTO BLUE / THE BLUE GROTTO

nine0003 Where: Capri, Italy

Photo: commons. wikimedia. org

The Blue Grotto is a real hallmark of the Italian island of Capri. This is a sea cave found on the coast of the island and has become one of the most popular attractions among tourists. The grotto has the only entrance from the sea, and you can get into it only by boat.

This cave is unique in its kind because of the blue-emerald glow of the water. This spectacular radiance comes from two sources. One of them is the cave entrance, which is a small opening that can only be entered by one boat at a time. Moreover, in stormy weather, the entrance to the grotto is closed due to the low entrance. Another source is a large hole under the entrance way, submerged in water. The entrance path, when viewed from inside the cave, appears as a bright white light just above the water line. The second water hole, which is a larger light source, gives off a blue glow. nine0007

The length of the grotto is 56 meters, the width is 30, the height of the vault above the water level is 15 meters, the height of the entrance is up to 1.3 meters.

Features. At one time, Roman statues were found in the grotto – therefore, the grotto was known to the ancient Romans, and it probably once had a sanctuary. Until the 20s of the 19th century, this place, then called “Gradola”, was notorious among local fishermen and sailors. They tried to bypass it, as there was a belief that witches and sea monsters lived in the cave. nine0007

MAMMOTH CAVE CAVE / MAMMOTH CAVE

Where: Kentucky, USA

Photo: commons. wikimedia. org

The Mammoth Cave System – Flint Ridge is the longest karst cave system in the world and is likely to remain so in history forever. It covers 52,830 hectares, twice the length of the Mexican Sac Actun cave system, which is almost completely underwater. nine0007

The eponymous Mammoth Cave National Park offers several cave tours for tourists and visitors. Numerous attractions here include: “Grand Avenue”, “Frozen Niagara” and the famous “Fat Man’s Suffering”.

These sights can be seen on artificially illuminated tours that can last up to 6 hours. It also offers “wild” excursions with theatrical performances, where tourists have to climb through dirty and dusty tunnels. nine0007

The length of the investigated part of the cave system is more than 587 km. In the surveyed part, there are 225 underground passages, about 20 large halls and 20 deep mines.

Features. Until the early 1990s, there was a boat tour on the underground Echo River. The tour was canceled due to unprofitability and the harm caused by visitors to the river fauna.

CARLSBAD CAVERNS / CARLSBAD CAVERNS

Where: New Mexico, USA

Photo: pixabay.com

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located on top of a limestone cliff above the water table. This is one of the most visited caves in the US: in 2011, the total number of visitors reached 41 million tourists.

The caves are open all year round, except on Christmas days, and visitors can either descend the 230m all the way to the cave entrance or use a special lift. nine0007

The main attraction of the park is a chain of 80 karst caves. The largest hall in the caves covers an area of ​​5.7 hectares, with dimensions in two directions of 610 and 335 m, and it reaches a height of 87 m.

The depth of the caves reaches 339 m, the total length of all passages and halls is about 12 km.

Features. Many tourist programs are offered here, including watching bats fly from inside the cave to the street at sunset and back to the cave before sunrise. Camping is also allowed here. nine0007

GROTTO MARBLE CATHEDRAL / CUEVAS DE MARMOL, MARBLE CATHEDRAL

Where: Coyaque, Chile

Photo: pixabay.com

The Grotto of the Marble Cathedral is “embedded” into a peninsula on the high-altitude glacial lake General Carrera, which is located on the Chilean-Argentine border. The peninsula itself protrudes almost to the middle of the lake on its Chilean side and is composed of limestone rocks. nine0007

The path of a tourist there is quite complicated: it involves an internal flight from Santiago to the city of Coyhaique, then you will need to drive another 320 kilometers south to the lake itself.

But the long journey is worth it. The views and photographs of crystal clear water framed by bizarrely wavy marble walls of grottoes resembling a natural temple are some of the most impressive.

The grotto “Marble Cathedral” itself and other grottoes of this system of marble caves were formed about 6000 years ago – the waves of the lake washed out the coastal rocks. The color of the water in the cave changes – depending on the time of day, season, weather, water level – from azure blue to almost dark green. nine0007

Features. You can only get to the caves by boat – the locals do it for tourists (there are several settlements where you can stay). There are several beautiful natural arches on the lake near the entrances to the caves. They are also very bizarre, and somewhat reminiscent of the “flying islands” from the movie “Avatar”.

CAVE ŠKOTSJANSKIE JAME / Š KOCJAN CAVE

Where: Karst Plateau, Slovenia

Photo: commons. wikimedia. org

The limestone cave system in southwestern Slovenia is one of the world’s most famous examples of “contact karst”

The cave is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its exceptional importance. International scientific circles also consider it one of the natural treasures of the planet. In addition to being simply insanely beautiful, there is a diverse ecosystem with relic and rare species. This place also has historical value, since it was inhabited in prehistoric times

The total length of the passages of the entire cave system, descending to a depth of -223 m, is 6. 2 km. The system has numerous sinkholes and sinkholes, underground cavities and about 30 waterfalls up to 10 m high.

Features. Since 2004 it has been a karst biosphere reserve. Since 2006 it has been regularly visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.

CAVES MULU / MULU CAVES

Where: Borneo, Malaysia

Photo: flickr.com

The Mulu Caves are located in the Gunung Mulu National Park in Borneo and are one of the top tourist attractions in Malaysia. The park includes incredible caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting.

Sarawak Grotto, found here in one of the underground caves, is about 700 m long and 396 m wide, at least 70 m high, and is the largest cave grotto in the world. It is claimed to be so large that it can accommodate about 40 Boeing 747 aircraft, including wings. nine0007

Features. The national park in which the caves are located is extremely diverse in landscape – there are peat bogs and jungle-covered hills, where about 1500 species of flowers grow, 10 of which are carnivorous.

PUERTO PRINCESA UNDERGROUND RIVER / PUERTO PRINCESA

Where: Palawan, Philippines

Photo: commons. wikimedia. org

Puerto Princesa is an underground river and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enter the cave where the river flows, possibly from a nearby town, walking several kilometers.

In 2010, a group of ecologists and geologists discovered that the underground river has a “second floor” and there are numerous small waterfalls in its cave. There is also a 300m cave dome above an underground river where you can see incredible rock formations, other river channels, another deep cave, large bats and an abundance of sea creatures. nine0007

The cave is navigable by boat up to 4 km deep – this part of it is accessible to tourists. The deep part of the cave cannot be explored due to the lack of oxygen. There are also several large grottoes inside the cave, including the 360-meter-high “Italian Grotto”, which is one of the largest cave grottoes in the world.

Features. An underground river flows underground towards the South China Sea. Its length is more than 24 km. A similar underground river is also known on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, but Puerto Princesa is recognized as the largest. nine0007

List of Russian caves | this is… What is the List of caves in Russia?

Interpretation

List of Russian caves

Satellite map of Russia.

List of caves located on the territory of Russia.

Contents 1A 2 B 3 V 4 G 5 D 6 F 7 Z 8 and 9 K 10 L 11 M 12 O 13 P 14 C 15 T 16 x 17 H 18 W 19 S 20 Yu 21 See also 22 Literature

A

• Akhshtyrskaya cave
• Atsinskaya cave (Sochi)

B

• Behemoth Cave
• White Star Cave System
• Big Azish Cave
• Big Oreshnaya
• Cave Grand Prize
• Bondarevskaya Cave
• Botovskaya cave
• Greve Brothers Cave

V

• Volodar (quarries)
• Vorontsovskaya cave
• Vorontsov cave system

G

• Gypsum-1
• Gremyachevsky karst caves
• Gunkina cave
• Guryev quarries

D

• Denisova cave
• Divya cave
• Dolganskaya pit
• Dolgaya Cave

Zh

• Zhernovogorsk cave

Z

• Ziganovka

I

• Ignatievskaya cave
• Isheevskaya cave system

K

• Kek-Tash
• Boar failure
• Kamkinskaya quarry
• Kapova cave
• Karakokshinskaya cave
• Kashkulak cave
• Cave Kirov-600
• Kolatselg adits
• Kungur cave
• Kuntsevskaya Cave

L

• Labyrinth Cave
• Leningrad cave

М

• Small Azish cave

O

• Okladnikova Cave
• Orda Cave
• Oroktoy cave

P

• Soaring Bird Cave
• Archaeological Cave
• Borodino Cave
• Cross Cave
• Cave PKB (New)
• Plastunskaya cave (Sochi)
• Quarries near Moscow

С

• Salavat cave
• Sernovodskaya Cave
• Cave Through (Adygea)
• Sugomak cave
• Siany
• Syukeyevo caves

Т

• Tavda caves

X

• Khazinskaya cave

H

• Miraculous

W

• Shatrishe
• Shubi-Nykhasskaya cave

Y

• Ylasyn

Yu

• Southern Elephant
• Yurievskaya cave

See also

• List of caves Sochi

Literature

• National parks of Russia.