If you are just starting out with your spelunking pursuit, the central region of the country is the best place to explore caves. Of the top ten caves in the United States, four are located in this region. Exploring these caves is indeed well worth the journey.



You can start from up north in Minnesota. The Niagara Cave found here has a ceiling that is over a hundred feet in height. It is characterized with deep walls and ravines below. It is believed that the cavern has been carved out by subterranean streams; with some still active to this day. The cave is one of the region's biggest limestone caves.

Inside Niagara Cave you can come across subterranean spectacles like Paul Bunyan's Bed, an echo hall, a wishing well and the famous Niagara Cave Wedding Chapel in which hundreds of ceremonies have already been held. In a gigantic chamber located in the bottom chambers, a stalactite displays rock formations as if they came straight out of fantasy novels.

Next, go down south to South Dakota where you can find the Jewel Cave. This cave is number three on the list of longest caves in the world! Much of the cave remains unexplored today. But tours inside the cave offer breathtaking walks and intense caving adventure. Aside from stalactites and stalagmites, several varieties of bats reside inside the cave especially during winter.

Further south will lead you to the Meramec Caverns of Missouri. Although Missouri is home to 6,000 caves, Meramec Caverns is the most popular because it is like a theme park with its restaurant, gift shop, and ice cream parlor. Its Stage Curtain is the world's single biggest cave structure.

Rumor has it that the caverns served as a hideout for Jesse James and that a subterranean railroad was built inside.

On the southernmost tip of your journey, you will find the Caverns Of Sonora in Texas. This cave formation has a complicated combination of passages which are lined with sparkling crystals. Up to this day, the caverns continue to churn out crystals.

With these caves, the central region is truly the best place to explore caves in the United States, if not the whole world. Inside these caverns, you will experience the greatest show on or below earth.