While it’s not hard to see all the surface-level beauty the Midwest has to offer, sometimes overlooked is what’s just below the surface throughout the region: caves. The Midwest teems with a number of caves, each with its own unique makeup and history.
Discovered in 1924 and opened for tours a decade later, Niagara Cave in Harmony, Minnesota, is one of two publicly accessible caves in the state. The cave is privately owned by the Bishop family, which has operated the cave since its purchase in 1995. Just north of the Iowa border in the Driftless Region, Niagara Cave is set in limestone. Layered in the rock is 450 million years of aquatic history. Water, which filled in through cracks in the limestone, created the cave system and left behind fossils of aquatic creatures embedded in the rock.
Also made up of limestone is Crystal Cave in Spring Valley, Wisconsin, the state’s longest cave. Tours of the cave span seven underground stories of limestone and dolomite. Tourgoers will learn about the history of the cave’s formation and the bats that call the cave home. On the topic of bats, most caves that are open to the public are closed for the winter season, not just because of the chilly Midwest winters, but also for the health and safety of their hibernating bat residents.
Winter, however, is when the Eben Ice Caves are at their best. A short drive from Marquette, Michigan, the caves are situated in the Hiawatha National Forest. A moderate hike from the trailhead is involved but is well worth the trek to see the ice formations. Created by water and snow dripping off the cliff, these “caves” aren’t caves in the true sense of the word, but they do feature stalactites made up of ice forming from the cliff’s overhang.
If you’re looking for stalactites with less of a hike, Bluespring Caverns might be the place for your group. Situated south of Indianapolis in Bedford, Indiana, the Bluespring Cavern Park touts its “Myst’ry River Boat Tour.” Traverse America’s longest navigable underground river in a boat while keeping your eyes peeled for blind cavefish and cave salamanders. For the adventure-seekers, kayak tours are available for small groups.
Credit: Indiana Caverns Family Adventure Park
Indiana Caverns Family Adventure Park is a great stop for those adventure-seeking groups. The cave itself offers a boat tour featuring a 40-foot waterfall and the aptly named “Big Bone Mountain.” The caverns are part of the Binkley Cave system and are home to “an immense cache of significant prehistoric remains,” per the park’s website. The fossils in the nearly 40-mile-long cave system date back to the ice age. The adventure park also offers a steel rail coaster, zip lining, and underground cave exploration for groups with thrill-seekers in their midst.
Adventurers and history buffs alike should also make a stop at the Squire Boone Caverns located on the Ohio River in Mauckport, Indiana. Originally discovered in 1790 by Squire Boone and his brother, the famed pioneer Daniel Boone, the caverns went largely unnoticed until the 1970s, when the caverns’ founder was excavating and stumbled upon human remains that were determined to be those of Squire Boone.
The cavern is said to have once been where Squire Boone hid from enemies, and thus he determined it would eventually be his final resting place. He was buried in the cave upon his death in 1815. Aside from their historical significance, the caverns boast a myriad of natural formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and the largest rimstone dams accessible to the public in the country.
When exploring these fascinating caves of the Midwest, visitors are advised to follow this simple motto, as it rings true wherever one is in nature: “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.”
By Bridget Kelley
Main Image: Crystal Cave, Spring Valley, Wisconsin; Credit: Adobe/Jacob
