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- There Are Two More Massive Caves To Check Out
Summary
- The Kazumura Cave in Hawaii is the longest and deepest lava tube in the world, measuring 40.7 miles long and 3,614 feet deep. Tourists cannot enter the cave, but there are tours available in the surrounding area.
- Fingal's Cave in Scotland is known for its impressive acoustics and is accessible by boat. The cave's length varies between 227 and 270 feet, with its arched roof reaching up to 72 feet above the sea. Visit during low tide for the best access.
- The Clearwater Cave System in Malaysia is over 30 miles long and exists within Gunung Mulu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It features an underground river and unique rock formations. The cave system is still being explored.
Serving as a gateway into the past and an example of the way our planet has evolved, the world's incredible caves have always sparked human interest. While some are inaccessible to tourists, many of the world’s most famous caves contain distinct rock formations, underground bodies of water, and other fascinating highlights, making them major attractions for locals and visitors alike. It’s humbling to think that there are some caves large enough to house New York City's epic skyscrapers and entire city blocks within them. Here are the largest caves in the world and where tourists can find them.
UPDATE: 2023/09/28 14:36 EST BY NOAH STAATS
There Are Two More Massive Caves To Check Out
This article has been refreshed with two new caves to see this year and helpful information on existing locations. Whether someone wants to cave dive, take a tour of an active volcanic site, or simply do some research, the planet is filled with incredible cave systems worth understanding. Be safe, and have fun!
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Kazumura Cave, Hawaii
- This is the longest and deepest lava tube in the world.
For anyone in Hawaii, the Kazumura Cave is one not to miss. Here lies the lava tube, which has been surveyed at 40.7 miles long and 3,614 feet deep, making it the longest and deepest lava tube in the world. The Kazumura Cave in Hawaii is located on the island of Hawaiʻi on the eastern slope of Kīlauea and is one of the more recently active in the area. Tourists are unable to go inside the cave as it is an active volcanic site, but there are tours in the surrounding area. After all, Hawaii is filled with stunning scenery (volcanoes and beyond), so this is a hidden gem.
15 Fingal's Cave, Scotland
- This cave is known for its impressive acoustics.
Another massive cave worth exploring is Fingal's Cave in Scotland. This cave is not only on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, but is also known for its natural acoustics. Many tourists will venture to the cave to scream, sing, and hear the vast echoes of afar. Fingal's Cave is accessible by boat, making it a nice sight for those willing to get on the water. Moreover, this cave's length varies between 227 feet (69 meters) and 270 feet (82 meters), and its arched roof is said to reach between 66 feet (20 meters) and 72 feet (22 meters) above the sea.
During low tide, guests have the best access to Fingal's Cave.
14 Clearwater Cave System, Malaysia
- This cave system runs 30+ miles and exists in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Situated in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia, the limestone Clearwater Cave System consists of a series of interconnected caves rather than just a single one. Clearwater - on its own - has been mapped to just above 30 miles; however, Clearwater Cave System is more than just its longest member. Discovered in the late 1970s, the cave system exists within Gunung Mulu National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the Clearwater Cave System, people will find an underground river, as well as a plethora of unique rock formations. Containing an exceptionally large passage, the Clearwater Cave System is one of the longest of its kind in Southeast Asia and serves as a major tourist attraction. The amazing thing about caves is that nobody knows their true size. Clearwater is still being explored to this very day.
13 Hölloch Cave, Switzerland
- This is one of the biggest caves in the world that tourists can enter.
Tourists can enter the Hölloch, one of the biggest caves in the world. This enormous underground marvel is 124.5 miles long and impressively deep at 3079.3 feet. The Hölloch is a natural wonder not to be missed, with its striking limestone structures and subterranean waterways.
12 Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico
- Located within the Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Lechuguilla Cave is located within Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. A limestone and gypsum cave spanning more than 138 miles, Lechguilla is full of interesting mineral formations that have attracted the interest of geologists around the world. While discovered in the 1950s, approximately three decades would pass before Colorado would permit the cave to be explored further. Since the decade of hair metal, explorers have investigated Lechuguilla Cave while marveling at its beauty.
11 Wind Cave, South Dakota
- This is one of the oldest National Park cave attractions in the United States.
Wind Cave National Park is one of the oldest of its kind in the United States. Another cave that’s classified as a “maze cave” due to its convoluted structure and many underground passages, Wind Cave's density is staggering, even compared to other caves on this list. Those visiting the cave should also take some time to explore the national park in which it resides.
Wind Cave National Park is brimming with picturesque views and serves as a protective habitat for the local wildlife.
10 Shuanghedong Cave Network, China
- This is the longest cave network in China and the continent of Asia.
The Shuanghedong Cave Network is the longest cave in China and Asia, situated in Guizhou. Running for more than 150 miles, the network was discovered in 1987 and is a fine example of underground ecosystems. There are at least three rivers in the lower levels of the cave, as well as a number of waterfalls.
Within these bodies of water live creatures such as fish and salamanders. Since its discovery in the late 1980s, various expeditions have been carried out in an attempt to map the passages and discover the cave's secrets.
9 Optymistychna Cave, Ukraine
- Ukraine boasts the longest gypsum cave in the world.
Earning the crown for the longest gypsum cave, Optymistychna Cave in Ukraine extends for over 161 miles and is divided into 10 different areas. These are based on the various passage structures and gypsum varieties found within. Optymistychna Cave, located in Korolivka, Ukraine, is widely known as a maze cave due to the fact that it is extremely elaborate and a little complicated to navigate.
Visitors should be prepared for a lot of mud, especially in the depths of the cave.
8 Sistema Ox Bel Ha, Mexico
- This cave runs within a 30-mile radius of Mexico's other largest cave system.
Mexico’s Sistema Ox Bel Ha is located within a 30-mile radius of the country’s other largest cave system, Sistema Dos Ojos. Discovered in 1996 and spanning over 160 miles, Ox Bel Ha is thought to have begun forming approximately 18,000 years ago. The name Ox Bel Ha comes from the Yucatec Maya language and translates to “Three Paths of Water” in English.
Since its formation, Ox Bel Ha has become flooded due to the effects of global warming. Today, the system is valued as one of the prominent sources of freshwater in the region.
7 Mulu Caves, Borneo
- These caves are home to the Sarawak and Deer Chambers and hundreds of bats.
Home to the Sarawak and Deer Chambers, Mulu Caves houses hundreds of bats and one of the world's most impressive and largest cave formations. Some of the most stunning cave formations may be seen at the Mulu Caves, situated in the Gunung Mulu National Park on the island of Borneo (home to some of the biggest cave systems in the world).
The Deer Chamber is one of the biggest underground tunnels on Earth, while the Sarawak Chamber, with a surface size of 1.66 million square feet, is the largest cave overall. Tourists may take guided excursions to explore their maze-like pathways.
6 Jewel Cave, South Dakota
- This Jewel Cave is one of the most beautiful in the United States.
As far as aesthetically pleasing caves go, South Dakota’s Jewel Cave is not to be missed. Nestled in the Black Hills National Forest, this gem boasts beautiful scenery below the ground as well as above. The name Jewel Cave comes from the colorful crystals that can be found adorning the inner corners of the cave.
There are a number of tours visitors can take to truly experience Jewel Cave in all its splendor, whether they want to trek to the cave system underground or enjoy the trails on the land above ground.
5 Sistema Dos Ojos, Mexico
- This cave network runs for over 200 miles and is connected to other underwater caves.
Located in Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico, Sistema Dos Ojos was discovered in 1987 and has hooked the interest of explorers ever since. Running for over 200 miles, this limestone cave is connected to the underwater cave of Sistema Sac Atun.
According to Largest.org, Sistema Dos Ojos is considered a prime archeological site. Archaeologists have discovered information within this cave system that has led to many discoveries about a number of cultures. After the channel connecting Sistema Dos Ojos with Sistema Sac Atun was discovered, this cave system became known as the largest underwater cave in existence.
4 Sac Actun, Mexico
- This is the largest cave system in Mexico.
The greatest cave system in Mexico is an underwater one, and new parts of it are constantly being found and investigated. Sac Actun is one of the world's largest underwater cave systems; it presently extends over 228 miles as new caverns are found. Sac Actun won't let down adventurers with all the beauty and majesty that a cave of this size involves.
3 Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
- Mammoth Cave is not fully understood or mapped yet.
It’s unknown how far Mammoth Cave actually extends, but to date, it has been recorded that the underground system stretched at least 365 miles. New caves in the network are constantly being discovered, so there’s no telling just how expansive the system really is - some believe it could be the biggest cave in the world, given that nobody knows its true size yet.
Humans have been exploring Mammoth Cave for over 4,000 years, and today, it’s still a major tourist attraction in Kentucky. A particularly stunning cave, it hosts a variety of stalactite formations. These were created through water that leaked through the limestone ceiling of the cave over the millennia.
2 Miao Room Cave, China
- This cave is only reachable via its underground stream.
The Miao Room is undoubtedly one of the largest caverns in the world. This chamber, 380,700,000 cu ft in volume, is only reachable via its underground stream. These measurements were discovered during a laser-mapping trip that was supported by the National Geographic Society, and they were then presented at the national caving conference in the UK.
1 Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
- The Son Doong Cave is one of the largest in the world, forcing guests to drop 260 feet to enter.
With caverns large enough to house a 40-story skyscraper, the recently discovered Son Doong Cave in Vietnam is the largest cave in the world and forces visitors to descend 260 feet just to enter its perimeters. Son Doong was discovered in 1991 by a man named Ho Khanh, who was living in the nearby jungle.
The first expedition to the cave was led by the British Cave Research Association in 2009. They found that Son Doong is more than 400 million years old. For those wanting to visit, Oxalis Adventures is the only company to run tours into the Son Doong Caves. Overall, this beast dwarfs many of the other largest caverns in the world, so it's a must-see for any cave enthusiast looking for their next adventure.