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Mammoth Cave, the longest known cave system in the world

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
Map all coordinates in "List of longest caves in the United States" using OpenStreetMap

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See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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). January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  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.

External links

  • USA Long caves by state: [1]
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