List of longest caves in the United States
The following is a list of the longest caves in the United States per length (> 50 km) of documented passageways. Many passageways are still being discovered; this list is based on the latest verifiable data.[1]
# | System | Length | Location | coordinates | Associated parks, protected areas |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mammoth Cave | 685.6 km (426.0 mi)[2][3] | near Brownsville, Kentucky | 37°11′15″N 86°06′13″W / 37.18758°N 86.10357°W / 37.18758; -86.10357 (Mammoth cave historic entrance) | Mammoth Cave National Park, also a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. Longest cave in the world. |
2 | Jewel Cave | 353.69 km (219.8 mi)[4][5] | near Custer, South Dakota | 43°43′46″N 103°49′46″W / 43.72944°N 103.82944°W / 43.72944; -103.82944 (Jewel Cave) | Jewel Cave National Monument |
3 | Wind Cave | 266.8 km (165.8 mi)[6] | near Hot Springs, South Dakota | 43°33′29″N 103°28′46″W / 43.55804°N 103.47955°W / 43.55804; -103.47955 (Wind Cave) | Wind Cave National Park |
4 | Lechuguilla Cave | 244.7 km (152.0 mi)[7][8] | near Carlsbad, New Mexico | 32°11′26″N 104°30′12″W / 32.1906420°N 104.5033091°W / 32.1906420; -104.5033091 (Grotte de Lechuguilla) | Carlsbad Caverns National Park |
5 | Fisher Ridge Cave System | 212.1 km (131.8 mi)[1] | near Brownsville, Kentucky | 37°11′14″N 85°58′30″W / 37.1873°N 85.9751°W / 37.1873; -85.9751 (Fisher Ridge System Historic Entrance) | partly within Mammoth Cave National Park |
6 | Great Savannah Cave System,(Maxwelton Sink Cave[9]-McClung Cave[10]) | 82.5 km (51.26 mi)[11] | near Greenbrier County, West Virginia | 37°51′35″N 80°24′22″W / 37.859703°N 80.406044°W / 37.859703; -80.406044 | none |
7 | Friars Hole Cave System | 81.2 km (50.46 mi)[12] | near Renicks Valley, West Virginia | 38°04′02″N 80°19′47″W / 38.067203°N 80.329775°W / 38.067203; -80.329775 (Friars Hole Cave) | none |
8 | Binkley's Cave System | 72.4 km (44.99 mi)[1] | near Corydon, Indiana | 38°10′57″N 86°09′01″W / 38.1824995°N 86.1501717°W / 38.1824995; -86.1501717 | none |
9 | Fort Stanton Cave | 71.7 km (44.55 mi)[1] | near Lincoln County, New Mexico | 33°30′24″N 105°29′37″W / 33.506670°N 105.493610°W / 33.506670; -105.493610 | Fort Stanton–Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area |
10 | Hellhole | 70.1 km (43.56 mi)[1] | Germany Valley, West Virginia | 38°46′17″N 79°22′41″W / 38.771361°N 79.378103°W / 38.771361; -79.378103 | none |
11 | Kazumura Cave | 65.5 km (40.70 mi)[1] | Pahoa, Hawaii | 19°31′08″N 155°01′52″W / 19.518890°N 155.031110°W / 19.518890; -155.031110 | none |
12 | Double Bopper Cave | 65.3 km (40.58 mi)[13] | Coconino County, Arizona | 36°16′07″N 112°15′19″W / 36.2686°N 112.2552°W / 36.2686; -112.2552 | Grand Canyon National Park |
13 | Blue Spring Cave | 64.4 km (40.02 mi)[1] | near Sparta, Tennessee | 35°57′46″N 85°23′07″W / 35.962811°N 85.385311°W / 35.962811; -85.385311 | none |
14 | Carlsbad Caverns | 63.5 km (39.46 mi)[1] | near Carlsbad, New Mexico | 32°10′37″N 104°26′28″W / 32.177057°N 104.441039°W / 32.177057; -104.441039 | Carlsbad Caverns National Park |
15 | Organ Cave | 61.9 km (38.46 mi)[1] | Greenbrier County, West Virginia | 37°43′05″N 80°26′11″W / 37.7181564°N 80.4362982°W / 37.7181564; -80.4362982 | none |
16 | Wakulla-Leon Sinks Cave System | 56.6 km (35.17 mi)[14] | Wakulla County, Florida | 30°14′07″N 84°18′10″W / 30.2354147°N 84.3028754°W / 30.2354147; -84.3028754 | none |
17 | Whigpistle System | 55.7 km (34.61 mi)[15][16] | Edmonson County, Kentucky | 37°07′11″N 86°08′10″W / 37.1196°N 86.1362°W / 37.1196; -86.1362 (Whigpistle System Whigpistle Entrance) | none |
18 | Crevice Cave | 50.2 km (31.19 mi)[17] | Perry County, Missouri | 37°45′10″N 89°52′30″W / 37.7527°N 89.8749°W / 37.7527; -89.8749 (Crevice cave) | none |
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See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Gulden, Bob (August 10, 2022). "USA Longest Caves by State". Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Additional Miles Added to Mammoth Cave - National Park". National Park Service (NPS). September 11, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
- ^ "Mammoth Cave just got a little more "Mammoth"". National Park Service (NPS). September 8, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ "Jewel Cave Cave Exploration". National Park Service (NPS). January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ "Jewel Cave Reaches 200 Miles". National Park Service (NPS). December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "150 miles and counting: Wind Cave celebrates significant milestone". National Park Service (NPS). October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ "Lechuguilla Cave Info". 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ "Lechuguilla Cave". National Park Service (NPS). July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ West Virginia Cave Conservancy. "Management plan for the preserve of great Savannah cave system's lightner entrance to Maxwelton Sink Cave".
- ^ West Virginia Cave Conservancy. "Management plan for the preserve of great Savannah cave system's lightner entrance to historic McClung Cave".
- ^ Dave Socky (June 2022). "Great Savannah Cave System - 51 miles". The Carbide Dump, Journal of the Blue Ridge Grotto of the National Speleological Association. 57 (6): 40. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Projects - West Virginia Association for Cave Studies". Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ "Grand Canyon's Double Bopper Cave. Reaches 40 Miles Long". caves.org. Retrieved 18 October 2021..
- ^ Todd Kincaid; C.L. Werner (2008). "Karst Hydrogeology of the Woodville Karst Plain Florida". Retrieved 2023-05-05.
- ^ Glennon, J.A. (2001). "Narrative of the Exploration and Survey of the Martin Ridge Cave System Edmonson County, Kentucky". Retrieved 2023-05-05.
- ^ Patricia Kambesis; Joel Despain; Chris Groves (2013). "The Making of a Connection: Exploration/Survey in Whigpistle Cave System". Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ The Missouri Speleological Survey. "Crevice Cave". Retrieved 2023-05-06.
External links
- USA Long caves by state: [1]
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