Visitors can expect a playful romp around in the red clay mud and an amazing view of the natural world in action. We've gathered the most magical caves from sea to shining sea. Pro tip: Located just six miles outside of Sweetwater is the Tsali Notch Vineyard. Situated at the intersection of Texas Hill Country and the Chihuahuan Desert, the Caverns of Sonora have become known as "crystal kingdoms," thanks to the thousands of calcite crystal formations lining its walls. Take a walking tour or explore the deep darkness, our guides are ready to help you experience the world underground! Make sure you bring your camera to capture this wonderful cavern and its formations. Radio headphones guide you through the cave as you pass amazing formations of stalactites and stalagmites. Luray Caverns is the largest caverns in the eastern United States, yet walking through feels more akin to an unearthly experience. Normally, a light jacket is all that is needed for comfort. It's 500 feet in length and about 80 feet high. Where to fly: Louisville International Airport (SDF). The Buffalo National River allows you to explore some caves with a cave tour guide, including Eden Falls Cave at Lost Valley. It's believed that the "moaning" lured the original gold miners to its depths in the 19th century. The facility includes a picnic pavilion and gift shop. The path leads to Alum Cave, which isn't very deep, making it more of a concave bluff. The cave extends for about 100 feet. Easy access ramps take you to this Arkansas cave, and a non-strenuous trail leads you through it. For information about exploring Arkansas caves and attaining permits, contact: Buffalo National River; Harrison, Arkansas (870) 741-5443. The nine granite caves feature a series of adrenaline-inducing drops and tight squeezes through the rocks, which is perfect for the more adventurous traveler. Others are open only from spring until fall for people who wish to go cave spelunking. Visitors pay an admission fee to explore the caves. The Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia are the biggest set of caverns in the Eastern United States. All because of the prince and the incoming first lady. The site of the Ozarks' largest underground lake, offers a one-hour guided tour through subterranean rooms and across an underground bridge; gemstone panning. Five decades later, visitors can tour the vast system of caverns in Jeep-drawn trams along a one-mile route that provides an in-depth history of the cave's unique geology, as well as an up-close look at its beautiful rock formations. Ditch the tourist track for a more secluded escape. Located in Deschutes National Park, just outside of Bend, Oregon, the Lava River Cave features a series of arches, like the one shown here, that make visitors from all over the country stop and revel in Mother Nature's creations. Tuckaleechee Caverns is in Townsend, about 25 miles from Gatlinburg, and also features a constant temperature of 58 degrees. Learn about cave formations, cave creatures, waterfalls, and more. Along the route, enjoy prime opportunities for wildlife sightings and rock climbing. Where to fly: Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT). Pro tip: The Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort is located right along the Comal River in downtown New Braunfels. But what really put this cavern on the map was the discovery of some of the oldest human remains in America, dating back nearly 12,000 years. In fact, if anything, these stateside caves prove that some of the country's most beautiful relics have been hiding underground all this time. Of course, the hotel has been updated to fit the times, but still maintains its historic charm. Some wild caves in the Ozark Mountains require permits or guides for entry. Where to fly: St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL). The caves are wet and frequently muddy. © Copyright 2020 Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, Top 20 things to do in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A trip to Black Chasm Cavern is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Also known as "America's Most Colorful Caverns," this set of underground treasures contain a brilliant array of colors, ranging from blue and orange to white and a deep, reddish-black. Rock climbers, no matter their skill level, are also welcome to get vertical on the Polar Caves' Glacial Wall, where they can also find different kinds of mica minerals like purple lepidolite, black biotite, brown phlogopite, and clear muscovite as they're climbing. Pro tip: Experience true Kentucky charm with a stay at the Grand Victorian Inn in Park City. This means the formations, which result when minerals are deposited by dripping water, are still changing. Though the Polar Caves in Rumney, New Hampshire are closed during the winter months, you'll find that a visit to this sprawling system of caves surrounded by winding creeks and green forests is well worth the wait. He currently serves as an editor of poker-based "Rounder" magazine and writer for the Alabama football publication "Crimson" magazine. It remains closed during the other months of the year to protect the bat populations. In the darker portions of the cave nest hundreds of harmless bats. Tuckaleechee Caverns (tuckaleecheecaverns.com) consists of a series of caves, the most remarkable of which is the Big Room, which measures 400 feet long, 300 feet wide and 150 feet deep. Even if you wouldn't consider yourself Indiana Jones, per se, a trip to an ancient cave is still within your reach. Located on a secluded site used by the Indians hundreds of years before the first European settlers came to the area. Its comfortable and sophisticated rooms provide immaculate views of the surrounding rural countryside. 28 foot "pipe organ." While these falls may exist on a smaller scale than that of the Niagara Falls in New York and Canada, Niagara Cave in Minnesota features an impressive 60-foot subterranean waterfall, 100-foot-high ceilings, ancient fossils, unusual limestone rock formations, an echo chamber, and even a wedding chapel for those who want to say "I do" underground. Pro tip: You don't have to be particularly outdoorsy to enjoy a rugged hike along the Cathedral Spires Trail in the depths of nearby Custer State Park. All of the Arkansas tour caves are "living." Tours along lighted, paved walkways lead visitors through cathedral-sized rooms with ceilings 10-stories high, towering stone formations, and natural wonders at every turn. There, guests can enjoy the sights of the city from their spacious private balconies—or even make the easy walk to New Braunfels' burgeoning arts district. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group, Carlsbad Caverns; Eddy County, New Mexico, Natural Bridge Caverns; New Braunfels, Texas, Blanchard Springs Caverns; Stone County, Arkansas, Kartchner Caverns State Park; Benson, Arizona, Wind Cave National Park; Hot Springs, South Dakota, Marvel Cave at Silver Dollar City; Branson, Missouri.