Top 6 Caves in North America

Top 6 Caves in North America
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Table of Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Cave of the Swallows, Mexico............................................................................................................... 3 Polar Caves, New Hampshire ................................................................................................................ 4 Cave of Crystals, Mexico ....................................................................................................................... 4 Castleguard Cave, British Columbia ...................................................................................................... 5 Fantastic Cave Pit, Georgia ................................................................................................................... 6 Onondaga Cave, Missouri ..................................................................................................................... 7
1. Cave of the Swallows, Mexico

The Cave of the Swallows in Aquismon, Mexico is an open-air pit cave with one of the largest known cave shafts in the entire world and is tall enough that you can essentially fit a skyscraper inside. This cave system is popular for cavers interested in vertical caving and other extreme sports such as basejumping have been done in the cave. The bottom of the cave is over 330 meters from the top so its a popular destination for daredevils. As one of the most beautiful caves in North America it is a must see for amateur and experienced spelunkers alike. Opened up by water erosion in a fault on an impermeable limestone plain and with a roughly conical shape, the cave has been known to the local Huastec people since ancient times. The first documented exploration was on 27 December 1966 by T. R. Evans, Charles Borland and Randy Sterns. The cave's Spanish name Stano de las Golondrinas means Basement of the Swallows owing to the many birds which live in holes on the cave walls. These are mostly white-collared swifts (vencejos in Spanish) and green parakeets (periquillo quila). Each morning, flocks of birds exit the cave by flying in circles, gaining height until they reach the opening and the sky. In the evenings a large flock of swifts circle the mouth of the cave and about once each minute, a group of perhaps fifty breaks off and heads straight down towards the opening. When they cross the edge, the birds pull in their wings and free-fall, extending their wings and pulling out of the dive when they reach the heights of their nests. Watching this has become popular with tourists. Temperatures in the cave are low. Vegetation grows thickly at the mouth, where rains can cause waterfalls cascading into the cave. The cave floor is covered with a thick layer of debris and guano on which "millipedes, insects, snakes, and scorpions" live. There is also a narrow sinkhole in a fault of lower Cretaceous limestone which goes down at least a further 512 m. The cave is a popular vertical caving destination. The high side of the mouth is covered with heavy foliage, so cavers most often fix their ropes on the low side, where bolts have been fixed into the rock and the area is clear of obstructions. Rappelling to the floor takes about twenty minutes, in which time abseil equipment and rope can heat up to hazardous levels. Climbing back out may take from forty minutes to more than two hours. A person without aparachute would take almost ten seconds to
freefall from the mouth to the floor; hence the pit is also popular with extreme sports enthusiasts for BASE jumping. An average-sized hot air balloon has been navigated through the 160-foot (49 m) wide opening and landed on the floor below. Base jumpers can get out in about 10 minutes using an extraction rope.
2. Polar Caves, New Hampshire

Polar Caves is a set of glacially-formed caves located in New Hampshire's White Mountains region, in the United States. They were formed from granite boulders and are unspectacular but durable, as is typical of New Hampshire granite caves. The caves are so named because the deepest cave is cold enough to allow snow to linger long into the summer. The caves are a popular tourist destination. The cave park contains gardens and a small zoo, with emphasis on pheasants and other unusual game birds, as well as a semieducational mining game for children. The caves themselves are well-marked and relatively easy to traverse, though all have stairs. They are naturally cool during the summer. Polar Caves are located in the town of Rumney, along New Hampshire Route 25, approximately 5 miles (8 km) west of Interstate 93 in Plymouth. It is one of the most interesting cave systems in North America. The caves were formed from granite boulders and are located deep in the White Mountains. Many tourists visit the caves and while there arent dedicated tours you will be able to find a private tour if you were so inclined. There is even a small zoo at the caves that contains unusual birds and a wealth of mining information. They are called the Polar Caves because the cracks and crevices are so deep they can still hold snow throughout the heat of the summer.
3. Cave of Crystals, Mexico

Cave of the Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave (Spanish: Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave connected to the Naica Mine 300 metres (980 ft) below the surface in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. The main chamber
contains giant selenite crystals (gypsum, CaSO42 H2O), some of the largest natural crystals ever found. The cave's largest crystal found to date is 12 m (39 ft) in length, 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The cave is extremely hot with air temperatures reaching up to 58 C (136 F) with 90 to 99 percent humidity. The cave is relatively unexplored due to these factors. Without proper protection people can only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time. A group of scientists known as the Naica Project have been heavily involved in researching these caverns. It is connected to a lead mine and is full of these incredible selenite crystals which are some of the largest natural crystals in the world. Due to the geographic conditions of the cave it experiences extreme high temperatures in excess 55c and almost 100% humidity. Special protective equipment is needed for cavers visiting this caving system and much of the cave is still unexplored. There are no tours offered here and there area is essentially closed to the public. Naica lies on an ancient fault and there is an underground magma chamber below the cave. The magma heated the ground water and it became saturated with minerals, including large quantities of gypsum. The hollow space of the cave was filled with this mineral-rich hot water and remained filled for about 500,000 years. During this time, the temperature of the water remained very stable at over 50 C (122 F). This allowed crystals to form and grow to immense sizes.
4. Castleguard Cave, British Columbia

Castleguard Cave is a limestone cave located at the north end of Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Canada. With 20,357m of surveyed passages (as of 2007), it is Canada's longest cave, and its fifth deepest at 384m. Castleguard Cave ascends gently from its entrance and terminates beneath the Columbia Icefield. Castleguard Cave is modest in size compared to other great caves of the world, but nevertheless is well known amongst cavers and speleologists internationally. It is the subject of a film and a coffee-table book, and is mentioned in most cave reference books in print. This attention is due in part to its magnificent, remote mountain setting. Its location within a protected area in a national park prohibits motorized ground access, and the risk of flooding in its entrance has limited most explorations to mid or late winter, so cavers must access it via a 20 km (12 mi) ski with
towed sleds, or by helicopter. This feeling of remoteness is compounded by the cave's linear layout and its single entrance. The classic trip, from the entrance to the Ice Plug by the shortest route, traverses 9 km (6 mi) of cave passage. Cavers often are underground for four or five days, staying at two underground camps. Most northern caves are not well decorated with cave formations, but Castleguard Cave has some sections with good flowstone and stalactites, and is known for its nest of exceedingly rare cubic cave pearls and extensive displays of flagged soda straws. The back passages of Castleguard Cave are the only ones in the world that end in plugs of glacial ice pushed into the cave from the sole of a surface icefield. It has been suggested that the cave was a refuge for the isopods and other life found in its pools during periods of glaciation. One unique species, the amphipod Stygobromus canadensis, was identified in 1977.
5. Fantastic Cave Pit, Georgia

The Fantastic Cave Pit, otherwise known as Ellisons Cave, is located in Walker County, Georgia. While its not nearly the deepest cave in the U.S, you can find the longest underground pitch here called Fantastic Pit. Ellisons cave itself is longer than 12 miles with countless miles of unexplored terrain. Some of the tallest pits in North America are located here and are only accessible to experienced cavers. There are some tours offered here but the best parts of the cave can only be accessed by spelunking. Ellison's features a number of underground vertical pitches including the two tallest pits in the continental United States: Fantastic (586 feet) and Incredible (440 feet). These two pits lie on opposite sides of the cave. Nearby and parallel to Fantastic are Smokey I (500 feet), Smokey II (262 feet), and other extremely deep pitches. There are over 7 routes to reach the bottom level of the cave from the Fantastic side. Fantastic and Smokey I both extend to TAG Hall, a passage at the bottom of the cave. To reach Fantastic, or the large pits on the Fantastic side, cavers must also descend the Warm Up pit (125 feet).
Ellison's is a solution cave in the Ridge and Valley geologic region of northwest Georgia and lies within a bedrock fault in Pigeon Mountain. During the Ordovician Period, tectonic subduction responsible for forming the Appalachians left a number of seismically active fault lines stretching from northern Alabama to eastern Tennessee. Continued orogeny created a large fault zone in the bedrock throughout the southern Appalachians and northern Georgia. This fracturing along with the proliferation of gypsum and limestone contributes to the exceptional depth of Ellison's.
6. Onondaga Cave, Missouri

The Onondaga Cave State Park is located in Leasburg, Missouri. The park was established in 1982. The park offers many activities including cave tours, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and swimming. The caves were discovered over 100 years ago and offer a stunning view of stalagmites and limestone features. There are tours offered every day but there are many options throughout the State Park that provide cavers with an opportunity to explore off the beaten path. This is one of the most spectacular caves in the United States and the area is full of incredible natural beauty.
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Top 6 Caves in North America

1. Cave of the Swallows, Mexico

2. Polar Caves, New Hampshire

3. Cave of Crystals, Mexico

4. Castleguard Cave, British Columbia

5. Fantastic Cave Pit, Georgia

6. Onondaga Cave, Missouri

Contact: [email protected] Visit us: www.spelunking-gear.com

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