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 37.18758°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 349.7 km (217.3 mi)[4][5] near Custer, South Dakota 43.72944°N 103.82944°W / 43.72944; -103.82944 (Jewel Cave) Jewel Cave National Monument
3 Wind Cave 260.2 km (161.7 mi)[6] near Hot Springs, South Dakota 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 32.1906420°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 37.1873°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 37.859703°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 38.067203°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 38.1824995°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 33.506670°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 38.771361°N 79.378103°W / 38.771361; -79.378103 none
11 Kazumura Cave 65.5 km (40.70 mi)[1] Pahoa, Hawaii 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 36.2686°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 35.962811°N 85.385311°W / 35.962811; -85.385311 none
14 Carlsbad Caverns 63.5 km (39.46 mi)[1] near Carlsbad, New Mexico 32.177057°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 37.7181564°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 30.2354147°N 84.3028754°W / 30.2354147; -84.3028754 none
17 Whigpistle System 55.7 km (34.61 mi)[15][16] Edmonson County, Kentucky 37.1196°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 37.7527°N 89.8749°W / 37.7527; -89.8749 (Crevice cave) none

Mammoth Cave, the longest known cave system in the world

See also

References
  1. Gulden, Bob (August 10, 2022). "USA Longest Caves by State". Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  2. "Additional Miles Added to Mammoth Cave - National Park". National Park Service (NPS). September 11, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  3. "Mammoth Cave just got a little more "Mammoth"". National Park Service (NPS). September 8, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  4. "Jewel Cave Cave Exploration". National Park Service (NPS). August 13, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  5. "Jewel Cave Reaches 200 Miles". National Park Service (NPS). December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  6. "150 miles and counting: Wind Cave celebrates significant milestone". National Park Service (NPS). October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  7. "Lechuguilla Cave Info". 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  8. "Lechuguilla Cave". National Park Service (NPS). July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  9. West Virginia Cave Conservancy. "Management plan for the preserve of great Savannah cave system's lightner entrance to Maxwelton Sink Cave".
  10. West Virginia Cave Conservancy. "Management plan for the preserve of great Savannah cave system's lightner entrance to historic McClung Cave".
  11. 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.
  12. "Projects - West Virginia Association for Cave Studies". Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  13. "Grand Canyon's Double Bopper Cave. Reaches 40 Miles Long". caves.org. Retrieved 18 October 2021..
  14. Todd Kincaid; C.L. Werner (2008). "Karst Hydrogeology of the Woodville Karst Plain Florida". Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  15. Glennon, J.A. (2001). "Narrative of the Exploration and Survey of the Martin Ridge Cave System Edmonson County, Kentucky". Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  16. Patricia Kambesis; Joel Despain; Chris Groves (2013). "The Making of a Connection: Exploration/Survey in Whigpistle Cave System". Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  17. The Missouri Speleological Survey. "Crevice Cave". Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  • USA Long caves by state: []
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