Lost River Cave 1 mi
Kentucky's only underground boat tour: a 20-minute guided walk followed by a 25-minute boat ride, an hour north of Nashville.
Bowling Green, KY, 57°F inside
Caves near Bowling Green, KY
22 show caves with public tours within 150 miles of Bowling Green. The closest is Lost River Cave, about 1 miles away, and 12 are within 60 miles.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Bowling Green; driving takes longer. Tour details checked 2026-10-22 against each cave's own site.
Cave Spring Caverns 16 mi
Now the Crumps Cave Research and Education Preserve, a 2.1-acre Western Kentucky University site near Smiths Grove used for karst and groundwater research. It isn't run as a show cave.
Smiths Grove, KY
Mammoth Cave National Park 25 mi
A national park with more than a dozen ranger-led cave tours, from a $12 Discovery Tour to a $79 Wild Cave crawl, at around 54°F underground.
Mammoth Cave, KY, 54°F inside, from $15
Diamond Caverns 25 mi
A cave inside Mammoth Cave National Park, off exit 48, with one-hour guided tours of a half-mile loop at 58°F, open year-round.
Park City, KY, 58°F inside, from $24
Great Onyx Cave 28 mi
A separate cave inside Mammoth Cave National Park with stalactites, gypsum crystals and helictites, seen only on the summer weekend Great Onyx Lantern Tour.
Kentucky, from $31
Onyx Cave 31 mi
A small cave in Cave City, Kentucky with quick 30-minute tours at around 60°F.
Cave City, KY, 60°F inside, from $12.50
Crystal Onyx Cave 31 mi
A cave on Prewitts Knob Road in Cave City with one-hour, half-mile guided tours at 58°F.
Cave City, KY, 58°F inside, from $18.99
Outlaw Cave Tours 31 mi
A small cave tour on Mammoth Cave Road in Cave City, run alongside horseback trail rides and mini golf.
Cave City, KY, from $9
Hidden River Cave 35 mi
A cave in Horse Cave, Kentucky, off I-65 exit 58, with the free American Cave Museum on site and what it calls the world's longest swinging underground bridge.
Horse Cave, KY, from $26
Kentucky Caverns 35 mi
Mammoth Onyx Cave at the Kentucky Down Under animal park, an easy guided tour with 144 stairs, included with park admission.
Horse Cave, KY, 58°F inside
Bell Witch Cave 41 mi
The cave tied to the Bell Witch legend, about 40 minutes from Nashville, with 40-minute guided tours plus a John Bell cabin tour, open seasonally.
Adams, TN
Dunbar Cave 53 mi
A Tennessee state park cave with summer tours by handheld flashlight past historic cave art; tours often sell out.
Tennessee, 56°F inside
Squire Boone Caverns 78 mi
A cave in Mauckport, Indiana with one-hour guided tours, running seven days a week for most of the year.
Mauckport, IN, 54°F inside, from $27.00
Indiana Caverns 86 mi
A cave near Corydon with year-round guided tours that go about 110 feet down and include an underground boat ride, at around 56°F.
Corydon, IN, 56°F inside
Marengo Cave 98 mi
A cave in Marengo, Indiana with two easy walking tours, the 40-minute Crystal Palace and the 60-minute Dripstone Trail, at 52°F.
Marengo, IN, 52°F inside, from $22.95
Cumberland Caverns 100 mi
A cave in McMinnville open year-round with walking tours, crawling adventure tours and overnight stays, at 56°F.
McMinnville, TN, 56°F inside
The Caverns 119 mi
A large cave best known for its underground concert venue, also open for guided walking tours on weekends.
Pelham, TN, 59°F inside, from $22.95
Spring Mill State Park Caves 122 mi
Caves in an Indiana state park: a $3 summer boat tour into Twin Caves, and the dry side of Donaldson Cave that you can explore on your own from Trail 4.
Mitchell, IN, from $3
Bluespring Caverns 126 mi
A one-hour tour by electric boat along an underground river 5 miles southwest of Bedford, covering 1.25 miles on the water.
Bedford, IN, 53°F inside, from $26
Russell Cave NM 146 mi
A national monument built around a cave shelter. You can't go inside the cave itself, but you can see the shelter, and the park is a stop on the Alabama Birding Trail.
Bridgeport, AL
Raccoon Mountain Caverns 147 mi
A Chattanooga cave with a 45–55 minute guided walk through the first quarter mile, plus wild cave expeditions.
Chattanooga, TN, 58°F inside
Ruby Falls 149 mi
An underground waterfall inside Lookout Mountain, reached by a 260-foot elevator ride and a guided walk on a paved cave trail.
Chattanooga, TN, 60°F inside, from $29.95