To find some of the largest caves, cave systems and chambers in the world, you do not need to go farther than the United States. The biggest caves here offer opportunities for hikers, rock climbers, those with an interest in geology and people who like cave-dwelling creatures like bats. Some are even in interesting places, so you can make an entire vacation out of the caves and the surrounding area.

The Big Room

Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico is home to the largest cavern room in the United States: The Big Room. With the room's floor of more than 350,000 square feet, you are going to have to be ready to walk when you get there. It has more than eight acres of jutting stone and cave growth. The tour around the edge of the cavern is the essential self-guided tour at Carlsbad Caverns. Everything is lit and well explored, but it is still a cave floor and you should exercise caution. Wear rubber-soled sneakers or hiking boots, and do not bring children in strollers.

Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky has nearly 400 miles of explored caverns, making it the longest known cave system. Wear pants and a long-sleeved shirt no matter the time of year, as the temperature inside Mammoth Cave is always in the 50s and low 60s. Also be sure to wear shoes with rubber soles to prevent slipping. As of 2012, a major outbreak of the highly deadly bat disease white nose syndrome is endangering bat populations across the United States. Park rangers in Kentucky ask that you walk on special mats to prevent the spread of this disease when you finish your tour. To help further prevent the spread, do not wear the same clothes into another cave in any other area after your visit or wear clothes worn in other caves into Mammoth Cave.

Jewel Cave

The strange and beautiful rock formations of North Dakota pale in comparison with what is beneath the state's surface. Jewel Cave National Monument is the second-longest known cave system in the United States and the third longest in the world. The cave has just over 163 miles of explored area, with 849 feet of it new to humankind as of December 2012. The aragonite frost, spar crystals and other speleothem (mineral deposits) of Jewel Cave give the location its name and the alluring feeling it gives you of having walked into a geode. The cave's year-round temperature is 49 degrees, so you will want a coat or sweater. You should also choose the tour that best matches your physical stamina, as some walks in the cave are quite long and strenuous.

Wind Cave

Wind Cave is a less than a one-hour drive to South Dakota from Jewel Cave in North Dakota. Wind Cave is the next-largest cave system in the United States after Jewel Cave, so if you want to explore both as thoroughly as possible, it will not be a day trip, but you could easily visit both in a single vacation. Wind Cave gets its name from winds caused by changes in barometric pressure near its entrances. The speleothem in Wind Cave are unusual in that they form boxwork, which is essentially a honeycomb-like formation that hangs from the ceiling.

About the Author

Shelly Barclay began writing in 1990, focusing on fiction. She has been writing nonfiction articles since 2008. Her work appears on various websites, focusing on topics such as history, cooking, scrapbooking, travel and animals. Before she began writing, Barclay was a line cook for 10 years.