10 Incredible Places To Go Cave Diving and Spelunking In The U.S.
- Written by
- On Thursday, July 6, 2023
Looking for the best places to go cave diving and spelunking? You’ve come to the right place. When searching for the best caves to explore in the United States, we sought out beautiful locations that can be experienced with deep cave diving, as well as enchanting caverns that can be traversed on foot.
Remember, before you head out cave diving in any of these locations, make sure you’ve got the right gear, training, and certification to safely experience these wonders of nature. Beginners should practice cavern diving before delving into a full cave such as these! As for the spelunking adventures, most are family friendly excursions any fit individual can enjoy.
Best Places to Cave Dive
Lanai, Hawaii - First Cathedral
Not that you need another reason to take a trip to Hawaii, but let’s just pile on anyway. First Cathedral is located off Lanai island and is one of the most popular cave diving sites among Hawaii's islands.
The intricately sculpted landscape with tunnels, cavers, sinkholes, and more was carved from lava and at its depth gets to 50 feet. The most iconic location within the cave is a huge chamber where light filters in and forms what some people call “stained glass windows.” First Cathedral is a great cave dive for anyone with a basic Open Water certification.
Sweetwater, Tennessee - The Lost Sea
Image Credit: The Lost Sea Adventure Facebook
Located in Eastern Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains, The Lost Sea is a part of the Craighead Caverns and is actually registered as a national landmark. The Lost Sea was a must have on our list because it offers both cave diving and spelunking!
Made up of an extensive system of caves, you can go for the guided walking tour of the caverns or take the adventure up a notch with a full cave dive. Once a moonshine operation for Native Americans, the caverns have a rich history including Cherokee artifacts and rare crystalline structures.
Wimberly, Texas - Jacob’s Well
Located just outside Austin, Texas, Jacob’s Well may look unassuming but the water system goes at least 4,500 feet underground. The cave drops 30 feet that you can see from the surface, and then the tunnel turns and continues downward. The cavern wasn’t fully mapped out until 2007, when a full exploration project was put together to record every winding inch.
So while it may look like just a simple diving hole, make sure you’ve got the proper equipment and knowledge if you’re going to attempt to plunge into its winding depths.
Tallahassee, Florida - Sherlock Springs
Image Credit: sherlocksprings.com
The best time to visit Sherlock Springs, also known as Indian Springs, is from late April to October. Located on private property in Florida, the main passage reaches 600 feet at which point there’s a T-junction and divers can choose to go right upstream, or left downstream.
Within the cave you can explore the Power Room, the Bone Narcosis Room, or the Wakulla Room, all of which require technical skill.
Ginnie Springs, Florida - Devil’s Cave System
The clear waters of Florida offer several places to do some spelunking including the Devil’s Cave System comprising three different springs: Little Devil, Devil’s Eye, and Devil’s Ear. Breaking off from the Santa Fe River, the waters are so clear that divers who descend to the bottom of the Little Devil can look up and see straight through to the trees 50 feet above.
Best Places to go Spelunking
Eddy County, New Mexico - Carlsbad Caverns
More than 300,000 visitors flock to New Mexico every year to see the underground treasures that lie beneath the desert at Carlsbad Caverns. There are guided tours available for all skill levels through the 8.2 acre Big Room where you can crawl through passageways into Spider Cave or the Hall of the White Giant.
It’s sheer size makes Carlsbad Caverns a great place to explore for beginners, as well as veteran wild cavers.
Berryville, Arkansas - Cosmic Cavern
Image Credit: cosmiccavern.com
Privately owned in Arkansas, Cosmic Cavern was discovered in 1845 and features two bottomless cave lakes. That’s right, the final depths of these lakes haven’t been found yet! The newest area is the Silent Splendor, which houses the longest soda straw formation in the Ozarks at over 9 feet tall.
Glenwood Springs, Colorado - Glenwood Caverns
Glenwood Caverns in Colorado is an entire underground world to explore through a Wild Tour, King’s Row Tour, or the Historic Fairy Caves Tour. The Wild Tour will have you crawling and wiggling through tight spaces for three hours to uncover spectacular views of cave formations.
King’s Row is the most decorated cave and offers an easier guided tour to see the five-story ceiling that’s nearly as long as a football field. And finally the Fairy Caves Tour is the shortest and takes you on a quarter-mile stroll through winding passages with natural water features and magical panoramas.
Walker County, Georgia - Fantastic Pit at Ellison’s Cave
Image Credit: walkercountyga.gov
A much more technical excursion than the rest of our spelunking list, Ellison’s Cave in Georgia requires repelling gear to head 586 feet into the Fantastic Pit. Large enough to hold the Washington Monument and almost as tall as Seattle’s Space Needle, this sheer drop is perfect for adrenaline junkies searching for a truly amazing experience.
Naukati, Alaska - El Capitan Cave
Officially the longest mapped cave in Alaska, El Capitan can be explored at no cost every summer. Free, but most certainly not for the faint of heart, the Forest Service takes visitors on a 1,100 foot hike down a steep stairway to the mouth of the cave and in about 500 feet to explore the inner beauty.
Note: We included on our list because it’s beautiful, but tours are currently closed due to COVID-19. Visit the Forest Service site for updates.
Looking for more exploration inspiration? Check out all of our featured Parks + Recreation articles.
