This article was updated by Zoe Yarborough in July 2022.
It’s not a Southern road trip without colorful billboards studding the roadside, advertising adventures with promises of bedazzlement and wonder. While these billboards are often ignored en route to your intended destination, what better time than the scorching summer months to escape the heat and retreat to cooler depths? Check out this bucket list of iconic underground destinations in the South!
Mammoth Cave National Park: Kentucky
1 Mammoth Cave Pkwy, Mammoth Cave, KY 42259 • (270) 758-2180
Mammoth Cave National Park is located in the hilly country of south-central Kentucky. Mammoth Cave has the title of being the world’s longest known cave system, well earning its “mammoth” moniker. There’s a wide variety of ranger-led tours available, starting at $8, so you can let the pros show you the highlights of the 400 explored miles of this cave (don’t worry, you don’t hike all 400 miles!).
Mammoth Cave National Park is the world’s longest known cave system. Image: Facebook
Ruby Falls: Tennessee
1720 S. Scenic Hwy., Chattanooga, TN 37409 • (423) 821-2544
Ruby Falls will pique your interest with its zipping aerial adventures, cave tours, lantern tours, and killer views of the Tennessee River Valley at Lookout Mountain Tower. Ruby Falls is the nation’s largest and deepest waterfall open to the public, and it is well worth the hype. In 1928, the caves were discovered by Leo Lambert, who then named the location after his wife, Ruby. We love a cave with a romantic back story!
Ruby Falls’ illuminated Hero Falls | Image: Ruby Falls
Remember those aforementioned roadside signs? Ruby Falls takes the cake with its bold barn-top advertising. Image: Flickr
Cumberland Caverns: Tennessee
1437 Cumberland Caverns Rd, McMinnville, TN 37110 • (931) 668-4396
Like many of these underground spectacles, Cumberland Caverns has tours and activities for all explorer levels, from daily walking tours to overnight camping expeditions. Music lovers can snag tickets to a truly unique concert experience more than 333 feet underground. Past performers have included Lee Ann Womack, The Civil Wars, Old Crow Medicine Show, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, and Bela Fleck. Also worth noting, in the Volcano Room, there’s a 1,500-pound crystal beaded chandelier from the Lowes Metropolitan Theater in Brooklyn, NY. You never know what you’ll find in caves these days! And, if you get hungry, there is a barbecue counter for sandwiches, with picnic table seating available — inside the cave in plain view of the music stage as well!
PBS’s Bluegrass Underground concert series used to be at Cumberland Caverns but is now filmed at The Caverns — the next place on our list! Image: Bluegrass Underground
The Caverns: Tennessee
555 Charlie Roberts Rd, Pelham, TN 37366 • (931) 516-9724
Another magical subterranean music venue and cave system, The Caverns (known as Big Mouth Cave to locals because of its huge arched mouth-like entrance), is a treasure trove of underground adventure. They host a packed calendar of concerts and even offer a “Stay-and-Cave” package with lodging and transportation to and from The Caverns. You can learn about the cave system’s folklore, geology, and history during the daily guided tours. Whether you’re visiting during the day or jammin’ through the night, be sure to pack a light jacket and comfy shoes.
Rolling Stone called The Caverns “Tennessee’s version of Colorado’s stunning Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but smaller — and deep underground.” Image: The Caverns
Luray Caverns: Virginia
101 Cave Hill Rd, Luray, VA 22835 • (540) 743-6551
You’ll want to schedule a whole day to spend at Luray Caverns because there’s so much to do! There are multiple caverns and underground structures, including Dream Lake, Saracen’s Tent, Giant’s Hall, Titania’s Veil, Double Column, and the famous Stalacpipe Organ, the world’s largest musical instrument. After exploring underground, return to the surface and visit the Luray Valley Museum for a dose of history, check out The Car and Carriage Caravan Museum for automobile lovers, and explore Toy Town Junction to bring out the kid in you. There’s so much to do — plan to experience it firsthand.
Dream Lake at Luray Caverns | Image: Luray Caverns
Louisville Mega Cavern: Kentucky
1841 Taylor Ave, Louisville, KY 40213 • (877) 614-6342
This cavern is definitely for the more adventurous crew! We are all familiar with the thrill of treetop ziplining, but have you ever been underground zip lining? Now is your chance! What better way to tour through this man-made cavern than by a 2.5-hour zipline tour? Louisville Mega Cavern also offers an underground ropes course, an extreme biking park, or a more relaxing 17-mile guided tram tour for those less athletically inclined. TripAdvisor rates this excursion the #1 attraction in Louisville, and we can see why.
Zip-lining is just one of the many adventures you can have in Louisville Mega Cavern. Image: Louisville Mega Cavern
What did we tell you? Caves and caverns love a good billboard. Image: Discover the Midwest
Lost River Cave: Kentucky
2818 Nashville Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42101 • (270) 393-0077
Kentucky’s only underground boat tour, the Lost River Cave, provides its passengers with stories of history and visions of chilly limestone. In addition to this guided, educational tour, the Kayak the Cave tour is also available, offering a flatwater experience for beginners and experts alike. Also, every second Monday of the month, Lost River Cave hosts Water Wheel Rounds, a songwriter showcase in the round. Being just over an hour outside of Nashville, it only makes sense for this cave to host some of the nation’s brightest musicians in such a unique setting.
Take an underground cave boat tour at Lost River Cave. Image: Lost River Cave
The Lost Sea Adventure: Tennessee
140 Lost Sea Rd, Sweetwater, TN 37874 • (423) 337-6616
Part of the Craighead Caverns cave system, The Lost Sea Adventure takes you on a glass-bottomed boat to tour America’s largest underground lake. The massive underground lake was discovered in 1905, and the extent of its size is still unknown. Besides the spectacular water formation, about a mile from the small natural entrance is a room known as “The Council Room,” which holds artifacts like pottery, jewelry, arrowheads, and weapons, showing evidence of Cherokee inhabitance in the area. This cave holds a rich history that is better left for the boat tour guides to share. Head over to East Tennessee to discover these fun stories from the past and share visions of rare crystalline structures and seemingly endless waters.
Beautiful waters of The Lost Sea Adventure | Image: Facebook
Majestic Caverns (formerly DeSoto Caverns): Alabama
5181 Desoto Caverns Pkwy, Childersburg, AL 35044 • (256) 378-7252
Family-owned for over 100 years, Majestic Caverns has some of the most spectacular stalactite and stalagmite formations in the South. These cavern tours emphasize a rich Native American history and stories from the Civil War and the Prohibition Era. Besides the caves themselves, Majestic Caverns has more than 20 outside attractions, including a maze, gem panning, water golf, archery, amusement park-style attractions, and more. And if the cave’s natural wonders aren’t enough to wow you, the light, sound, and water show is an experience unlike any other.
The Healing All Cathedral in Majestic Caverns is simply breathtaking! Image: Majestic Caverns
Natural Bridge Caverns: Texas
26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, San Antonio, TX 78266 • (210) 651-6101
For all Texas travelers, Natural Bridge Caverns is a spectacular underground cave near San Antonio under a 60-foot natural limestone bridge discovered by four curious college kids in 1960. On the surface, there are ziplines, a ropes course, a 5,000-square-foot outdoor maze, and gem and fossil mining. Choose from a few different cave tour options starting at $30 to explore the otherworldly inner workings of Natural Bridge Caverns and its wildlife.
From a private VIP tour to a bat-centric exploration, there is something for everyone here. Image: Siara Levine on Instagram
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