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National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Caves are a frontier for discovery, 

a terra incognita with deep secrets 

and guarded mysteries to explore, 

study and preserve.

E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A TM

The National Park Service homepage links to 

information that will help you plan your visit to any 

of the 391 National Park areas:

http://www.nps.gov

The National Park Service’s Views of the National 

Parks web site provides a multimedia introduction 

to understanding caves and karst resources: 

http://www.nature.nps.gov/Views/layouts/Main.html#/

Caves/

Tour of National Park Geology:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/tour/

National Park Service cave managers’ newsletter, 

Inside Earth:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/caves/newsletter.

htm

Cave photographs of Speleothems, Speleologists, 

Chambers, Entrances, and Cave Critters:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/caves/photo.htm

Links for caving websites, book list (including 

children’s literature), and other resources:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/caves/links.htm

National Speleological Society:

http://www.caves.org

Discover

National Park Caves

Become a Trogloxene (cave visitor)

There are many different varieties of caves in the 

National Park Service and there are public access 

policies just as varied to protect those caves. 

Always check the cave visitation policies of each 

individual park before exploring caves on your own.

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Make sure that everyone in your party follows the 

cavers’ motto:

Take nothing but pictures

Leave nothing but carefully placed 

footprints

Kill nothing but time
SOLUTION CAVES

Solutional caves are formed by the dissolving of rock 

along fractures in the presence of weak, acidic water.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Outstanding display of cave formations, large bat flights in 

summer.

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Beautiful Gap Cave was used by both Union and Confederate 

soldiers.

Great Basin National Park

Richly decorated Lehman Caves has abundant shield 

formations.

Jewel Cave National Monument

2nd longest cave in the world; a 3-dimensional maze cave.

Mammoth Cave National Park

At over 360 miles, the longest cave in the world; several tours 

offered.

Oregon Caves National Monument

Marble cave with diverse geology.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways

Outstanding karst features with over 300 caves.

Russell Cave National Monument

Contains 10,000 years of archaeological evidence.

Sequoia National Park

Crystal Cave contains banded marble and the famous 

spiderweb gate.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Beautiful displays of helictite and anthodite formations.

Wind Cave National Park

Largest display of boxwork formation, one of the world’s 

longest caves. 

TALUS CAVES

An enterable space between boulders (such as at 

the base of a cliff or mountain) is considered a talus 

cave. 

Pinnacles National Monument

Self-guided hikes to 2 talus caves.

LAVA CAVES

These caves form when lava flows freeze over, drain, 

and leave behind open tubes.

Craters of the Moon National Monument

Scenic, volcanic terrain with a variety of features including 

lava tubes. 

El Malpais National Monument

View cave life close up in several large lava tubes. 

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

Witness lava tubes in the making! 

Lava Beds National Monument

Rugged, volcanic landscape with over 700 lava caves.

July 2009

SEA CAVES

Sea caves form at seashores and lakeshores from the 

pounding action of waves.

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Caves and spectacular scenery await summer and winter 

visitors.

Point Reyes National Seashore

Sea caves formed along the Pacific coast.

Ozark

Sequoia

Lava Beds Wind Cave

Pinnacles

Jewel Cave

El Malpais

Point Reyes

Great Basin Mammoth

Cave

Russell Cave

Oregon Caves

Cumberland Gap

Timpanogos Cave

Apostle Islands

Carlsbad Caverns

Craters of

the Moon

NEVADA

UTAH

NEW MEXICO

CALIFORNIA

TEXAS

SOUTH DAKOTA

IDAHO

OREGON

KENTUCKY

ALABAMA

MISSOURI

WISCONSIN

C A N A D A

M E X I C O 0 mi 500

Hawai’i 0 km 500

Volcanoes

HAWAI’I

0 mi 50

0 km 50

Lava

Talus

Solution

Sea

Type of Cave

U.S. National Parks with Cave Tours

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE