Ava Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.8517°N, 89.5524°W
INTO THE DARK · CAVES DIRECTORY
Caves in Illinois
31 Caves Found
The southern tip of Illinois — the Shawnee Hills karst along the Ohio River bluffs — has more cave entrances than most people realize. The limestone beneath Shawnee National Forest has been dissolving since before the Midwest was the Midwest. Most Illinois caves are small and wild; the developed show cave options are limited, but the raw numbers in the rock are significant.
Every cave listed here is on public or accessible land. Always bring three light sources, water, and let someone know your plans before entering any undeveloped cave. Temperature inside: typically 50–62°F year-round. Explore all caves on the Trek4Free map →
Type
Access
Bat Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.6011°N, 88.3278°W
Bear Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.5097°N, 88.7581°W
Brasher Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.2379°N, 88.5370°W
Buzzard Chimmey Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.5882°N, 89.0838°W
Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 38.9730°N, 90.4762°W
Cave in Rock
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.4672°N, 88.1594°W
Cave of the Spirit
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 41.8177°N, 88.3233°W
Dry Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 38.9011°N, 90.2053°W
Equality Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.6866°N, 88.4138°W
Foglepole Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 38.1969°N, 90.1291°W
Frieze Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.4799°N, 88.5918°W
Hawk's Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.5430°N, 88.9844°W
Horsethief Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 41.2070°N, 87.9845°W
Illinois Caverns
Limestone Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 38.2356°N, 90.1372°W
Indian Caves
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 41.1465°N, 87.8934°W
Inlet South
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 41.8107°N, 88.3406°W
Outlet
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 41.8112°N, 88.3422°W
Ox Lot Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.6071°N, 88.2800°W
Panther Den
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.5896°N, 89.0809°W
Peter Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.5096°N, 88.6208°W
Rich's Cave Main
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.5364°N, 89.2114°W
Rich's Cave Upper
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.5348°N, 89.2125°W
Saltpeter Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 38.1730°N, 90.2184°W
Saltpeter Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.5339°N, 88.5496°W
Sand Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.5019°N, 88.6471°W
Stemler Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 38.4659°N, 90.1609°W
The Hideout Shelter Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.6091°N, 88.3461°W
Wet Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 38.9080°N, 90.2146°W
Whipple's Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 41.8493°N, 89.3363°W
Whiskey Cave
Cave Public Land
OSM-mapped cave entrance · 37.6108°N, 88.3507°W