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The United States boasts some of the most spectacular show caves
in the world. Each year millions of visitors flock to developed caves in some thirteen
National Parks and Monuments, including Mammoth Cave in Kentucky (by far, the longest
cave in the world at over 350 miles!) the spectacularly decorated Carlsbad Cavern in
New Mexico, and the complex, crystalline labyrinths of Wind and Jewel Caves in South
Dakota.
 Many people that have
visited the caves mentioned above might feel that they've seen the biggest and the best
that caves have to offer. Seen a few holes in the ground, they've seen them all. What
more could they possibly experience?
Answer: LOTS! Just as
every mountain or river has its own character, so, too, does every cave. Some show
caves you explore by foot, others by boat, or even by rappel. Most show caves feature
calcite stalagmites, stalactites, columns, draperies or soda straws, but in each cave
these formations develop in their own, unique way. Some cave passages are lofty, winding
canyons, others are broad, flat galleries, or open, cathedral-like chambers. Some caves
are organic and spongelike in shape, others look as if they were laid out by a city
architect. Some caves feature towering, fluted domes or are pocked by seemingly
bottomless pits. And some present rushing waterfalls, underground rivers, or placid
reflecting pools. All caves are worlds unto themselves, with minerals, life forms,
sights, sounds, smells or simply feels that are entirely their own.
So even if you've toured
the parks and plumbed their depths, you've only scratched the surface of caves. Many
times it is the small or less celebrated cave that offers visitors a particularly
rewarding experience. Less frequently visited caves allow for more intimate, leisurely
tours and suffer minimal impact due to human traffic. This guide allows you to seek out
all show caves, and surely dozens you might otherwise overlook. Visit as many as
you can. Each is an unforgettable experience waiting for you.
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