Illinois Caverns State Natural Area

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Illinois Caverns State Natural Area is a nature preserve in Monroe County, Illinois. It features Mammoth Cave, the second-largest cave in Illinois, which has been mapped for six miles. The cave is formed in limestone by water solution, and includes cave formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, rimstone dams, flowstone, and soda straws. The cave has a constant temperature of 58 °F., and portions flood during wet weather. Passages can be twenty feet high and just as wide.

Fauna in the cave includes bats, salamanders, frogs, crickets, amphipods, and isopods.

Persons desiring to enter the cave need a permit; see official web site below for more information. A minimum of four people per party is needed for entrance into the cave. Each person needs to have a hardhat, boots, sturdy clothing, and three sources of light.