List of longest caves

Mammoth Cave, the world's longest known cave system

This list of longest caves includes caves in which the combined length of documented passageways exceeds 100 kilometres (62 mi). In some of these caves, passageways are still being discovered.

Geographical distribution

Caves are found around the world. The largest form in areas of karst landforms whose rocks dissolve easily. Preferable conditions for karst cave formation are adequate precipitation, enough plants and animals to produce ample carbon dioxide, and a landscape of gentle hills which drains slowly. The highest concentrations of long caves in the world are found in the Pennyroyal Plateau of southern Kentucky, United States, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, United States, and in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico.

List

#	System	Length	Location	coordinates	Discovery	Associated parks, protected areas
1	Mammoth Cave	685.6 km (426.0 mi)	near Brownsville, Kentucky, United States		Prehistoric	Mammoth Cave National Park, also a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and International Dark Sky Park
2	Sistema Ox Bel Ha	524.1 km (325.7 mi)	near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico		Prehistoric	southern parts in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
3	Shuanghedong Cave Network	437.4 km (271.8 mi)	Guizhou, China		1988	Suiyang Shuanghedong National Geopark
4	Sistema Sac Actun / Sistema Dos Ojos	387.1 km (240.5 mi)	near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico		Prehistoric	{{{1}}}
5	Jewel Cave	354.59 km (220.3 mi)	near Custer, South Dakota, United States		1900	Jewel Cave National Monument
6	Wind Cave	266.8 km (165.8 mi)	near Hot Springs, South Dakota, United States		1881	Wind Cave National Park
7	Clearwater Cave System	265.8 km (165.2 mi)	near Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia		1978	Gunung Mulu National Park, also a World Heritage Site
8	Optymistychna Cave	264.5 km (164.4 mi)	near Korolivka, Ukraine		1966	Dniester Canyon National Nature Park
9	Lechuguilla Cave	244.7 km (152.0 mi)	near Carlsbad, New Mexico, United States		1900	Carlsbad Caverns National Park
10	Fisher Ridge Cave System	215.9 km (134.2 mi)	near Brownsville, Kentucky, United States		1981	partly within Mammoth Cave National Park
11	Sistema del Alto Tejuelo	213.7 km (132.8 mi)	Cantabria, Spain		1965	{{{1}}}
12	Hölloch	212.4 km (132.0 mi)	Muotathal, Switzerland		1875	{{{1}}}
13	Siebenhengste-Hohgant-Höhle	164.5 km (102.2 mi)	Switzerland		1966	{{{1}}}
14	Schönberg Cave System	156.9 km (97.49 mi)	Austria		1976	{{{1}}}
15	Mortillano system	146.5 km (91.03 mi)	Cantabria, Spain		1960	{{{1}}}
16	Priest's Grotto	142.1 km (88.30 mi)	Ukraine		1940	{{{1}}}
17	Schwarzmooskogel-Höhlensystem	137.7 km (85.56 mi)	Austria		1929	{{{1}}}
18	Réseau Félix Trombe	127.2 km (79.04 mi)	France		1908	{{{1}}}
19	Marosakabe cave system	124 km (77.05 mi)	Madagascar		2006	Tsingy de Namoroka Strict Nature Reserve
20	Bullita Cave	123 km (76.43 mi)	Australia		1990	Gregory National Park
21	Helms Deep Cave	119.8 km (74.44 mi) ·	Perry County, Tennessee, United States		1970	{{{1}}}
22	Sistema del Gandara	119.0 km (73.94 mi)	Cantabria, Spain		2005	{{{1}}}
23	Hirlatzhöhle	117.8 km (73.20 mi)	Austria		1949	{{{1}}}
24	Toca da Boa Vista	114 km (70.84 mi)	Brazil		1987	{{{1}}}
25	Ojo Guareña	111 km (68.97 mi)	Spain		1956	{{{1}}}
26	Sistema K'oox Baal	103.9 km (64.56 mi)	near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico		1987	{{{1}}}
27	Sistema Purificacion	101.4 km (63.01 mi)	Mexico		1970	{{{1}}}
28	Sistema Huautla	100.2 km (62.26 mi)	Mexico		1965	{{{1}}}

See also

• List of caves
• List of longest caves by country
• List of longest Dinaric caves
• List of deepest caves
• Show cave
• Speleology

External links

• World's Deepest Caves
• World's Longest Caves