Looking for the best caves in Colorado? You’re in luck—these geologic masterpieces are scattered across the entire state. Whether you’re looking for a natural spelunking adventure or a soak in the vapor caves, Colorado has exactly what you need.
Some of these caving expeditions require equipment, experience, and an incredible tolerance to claustrophobia—something I don’t quite possess yet. However, you’ll also find plenty of family-friendly entry-level caves that still manage to take your breath away.
Colorado has it all—from some of the country’s highest mountains to depths below unknown, the Centennial state is a geological playground. Sign up for the Unknown Colorado newsletter to get all of Colorado’s outdoor hidden gems delivered exclusively to your inbox.
Ready to explore the best caves in Colorado? Let’s jump (or crawl) right in! We’ll start with a few family-friendly options before getting into the spicier spelunking opportunities.
Warning: Caving can be extremely dangerous. While many of the best caves in Colorado require tours, some are wild caves and have no restrictions. These spelunking adventures require expert caving experience, top-notch gear, and intense knowledge of the area. Please, proceed with caution and don’t do anything stupid.
Best Caves in Colorado
1. Rifle Ice Caves
Rifle Mountain Park has dozens of little caves and crevices to explore in the summer, but the fall freeze brings about some magical changes to these waterfalls. Two of the park’s waterfalls freeze over, leaving incredible caves behind them full of crystal-clear blue ice.
It’s less of an adventure and more of a sight, but it’s well worth the trip. However, if you try to get behind the falls and through the caves, things will get spicy and icy quickly. Prepare for super slick surfaces. As one photographer put it, “It is slick as snot on a doorknob inside this cave.”
2. Cave of the Winds
Cave of the Winds is a jaw-dropping 500-million-year-old cave system in Manitou Springs, Colorado. The surrounding area has evolved into a theme park full of rides, attractions, and ziplines, and they’ve also developed the caves into a more family-friendly experience.
It’s a tour-only route that takes 45-60 minutes to complete along the electrically lit portion of the cave. Along the way, you’ll explore 15 different rooms and climb 196 stairs.
Want more? Take the Haunted Lantern Tour to ditch the lights and explore more of the Manitou Grand Caverns by candlelight. This route features dark narrow tunnels, uneven stairs, original floors, and low passageways. It’s still a “tour,” but it’ll definitely give you a bigger thrill.
3. Glenwood Caverns
Glenwood Caverns is another cavern system hidden under a theme park., but it offers plenty of different underground adventure opportunities:
- King’s Row: Travel through large passages to the King’s Row, a massive, “highly decorated cave room” with stunning stalactites, stalagmites, cave bacon, and soda straws.
- Fairy Caves: Take a 40-minute guided walking tour (with a bit more narrow passages) to see a subaqueous calcite ceiling, Exclamation Point (offering panoramic views of Glenwood Springs, Pendant Room’s bulbous formations, and more.
- Wild Tour: Squeeze your way through narrow caverns and discover hidden rooms with your headlamp on an authentic caving adventure. You’ll have to shimmy through 18-inch openings…so if claustrophobia is your thing, skip this one.
4. Vapor Caves at Yampah Spa
Ready for a break from all the adventures? You’ll need it because we’re just getting to the good, raw stuff. Before we dive into the wild caves below, relax at the Vapor Caves at Yampah Spa.
These natural geothermal baths can reach temperatures over 112 degrees—that’s toasty. Considering that most hot tubs stop around 104 degrees, this is a straight-up roasting…that you pay for and will surely enjoy.
The Vapor Caves also feature a nearby cooling room with cold water and small tubs to get your temperature back down. Heat, chill, rinse, repeat—do that until all your stress melts away and you regain the courage to test your mettle against Fulford Cave.
Before we do that, let’s explore a couple of other mines.
5. Orient Mine
The Orient Mine used to be a functioning mine that gave birth to the town of Orient. Since the mine has closed, over 250,000 bats have migrated into the caverns below. Due to White Nose Syndrome (which may or may not end the world, according to Wanderers), the mines are now prohibited to visitors.
However, visitors can get a glimpse of the bats exiting and entering the caves in huge, non-stop waves. These bats sleep during the day and feast at night, leaving the caves right around dusk to go and snack on insects in the fields of the San Luis Valley. While you can’t go inside the caves, you can at least witness this memorable experience.
6. Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine
The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine drops you down a 1,000-foot manmade vertical gold mine shaft. You’ll get to see gold in its natural state and explore the evolution of underground mining.
Once you’ve reached the bottom, you’ll also get to ride an underground tram air locomotive and experience the smells, sights, and sounds of mining equipment. It’s an easy, family-friendly guided experience that should take you right around an hour.
7. Fulford Cave (Advanced Spelunkers)
Now, we’re getting into the adventure side of caving in Colorado. Hold your breath—because this is where things start to get interesting. Fulford Cave is free to the public but doesn’t have handrails or guided tours. This cave is wild and raw.
You’ll find Fulford Cave near Eagle, Colorado, inside the White River National Forest. It’s about a mile in length, and the average temperature year-round is 42 degrees Fahrenheit, so pack a jacket, a pair of gloves, and a helmet (of course).
You can find multiple ways into this cave, but the culvert entrance is the classic route. While this cave is free to the public, you’ll need a permit before you go below and start exploring. Permits, rules, and regulations can be found on this USDA Forest Service page.
8. Fault Cave (Advanced Spelunkers)
You’ll find the Fault Caves outside of Golden, Colorado, and they get their name due to their unique formation method.
Instead of being carved by wind or water, these caves were formed by faults (hence the name) in surrounding rocks. These faults created conveniently tight passageways that you can explore at your leisure—no permit required here.
This is a great entry-level cave for those looking to explore spelunking, but don’t let your guard down. These are still wild caves with tight spaces and places where you can get hurt—do your research and know what you’re getting into.
9. Spring Cave (Advanced Spelunkers)
Spring Cave is found outside Meeker, Colorado, in the White River National Forest. You’ll need a permit to explore this cave system, and you’ll also need to follow the USDA Forest Service’s rules and decontamination processes to avoid hurting wildlife in the caves.
The hike up to this cave is gorgeous, with nice switchbacks that wind through blue spruce, scrub oak, and aspen forests. Once you arrive at the cave, things get real quick. First, you’ll climb a large ladder, and then you’re going to need a rope for the next part of your journey—after that, it’s a build-your-own adventure. Explore the caves and find the cavern’s massive underground lake.
And if you hear anything about a “precious,” just turn around and make your way out…unless you’re good with riddles?
10. Indian Hot Springs
The Indian Hot Springs are located off of I-70 in beautiful Idaho Springs, and they’re one of the closest hot springs to access from Denver. While the resort has pools, baths, spas, lodging, and the like, you’re here for the natural hot spring caves.
These geothermal caves were carved out over a century ago, and they’re a fantastic place to relax and soak. Check the calendar before you go for clothing-optional and clothing-mandatory days—if you don’t want any fun surprises.
11. Rainbow Falls
Hike your way up a short .3-mile out-and-back trail in Rainbow Falls Recreation Area (outside of Manitou Springs) to find Rainbow Falls. These beautiful falls have a splash of extra color due to local “artists,” but try at these might, nothing can detract from the beautiful falls themselves.
But you’re not here for waterfalls—you’re here for caves. Venture behind the falls, and you’ll find a short little cave hidden by the cascading water. It’s not huge, but it’s a cave—and that means something!
12. Premonition Cave (Advanced Spelunkers)
Get out your trekking shoes because only the committed spelunker will make it to this cave. You’ll find Premonition Cave in a buttress on the north rim of Deep Creek Canyon (12 miles west of Gypsum, Colorado). And it’s worth the trip.
Inside, you’ll find over 2 miles of caverns to explore with everything from chimneys to squirm-ways to walking passages—a little bit of something-something for any caving expert’s heart. Bring your gear, an expert, and hype for adventure because Premonition Cave delivers.
13. The Grottos
Explore The Grottos on a 1.2-mile loop trail outside of Aspen, Colorado. These aren’t necessarily caves but rather amazing rock formations that the river has carved out. You’ll find amazing waterfalls, ponds, and trails to take you through all of it. During the winter, these pools freeze over, creating fantastic ice caverns.
You won’t find much solitude here, though. This is a busy, well-trafficked trail. Not quite a hidden gem, but we think it’s still worth the discovery and adventure.
14. Groaning Cave (Advanced Spelunkers)
Deep within (again, you guessed it) White River National Forest lies Colorado’s largest cave system, Groaning Cave. This cave has over 12 miles of passageways to explore, but you’ll need a permit to do so. Large colonies of sensitive bats live in these caves, so you’ll need to do your due diligence and follow protocols to keep them protected.
Groaning Cave is in the top 60 longest caves in the country. It promises endless adventure and repeat journeys because you’re not getting through most of what this cave has to offer in a single trip.
15. Mallory Cave
You can’t explore Mallory Cave any longer because it’s been closed to protect the bats, but it’s still a fun scramble to find the cave entrance. You’ll find Mallory Cave in Boulder, Colorado, and it’s just a 1-mile hike with about 600+ feet of elevation gain.
16. Wiesbaden Hot Springs Vapor Caves
Under the Wiesbaden’s main lodge (in Ouray, Colorado) lies natural hot spring vapor caves. There’s a spring with 78-degrees cascading water, and then there are hot pools with temperatures ranging from 107 to 109 (hot!). It’s the perfect way to relax after a day of ice climbing or backcountry skiing in the San Juan Mountains.
17. Country Boy Mine
The Country Boy Mine (in Breckenridge, Colorado) provides gold panning and mine tours. You’ll journey down a 1,000-foot shaft to explore the mines and get to take part in a treasure hunt that’s described as “an outdoor escape room.”
Kickstart Your Colorado Caving Adventure
Learning about the best caves in Colorado is one thing—going inside them is a whole ‘nother experience. Caving isn’t really my thing, but it’s something I’m looking to explore and get more comfortable with.
Because who doesn’t want to experience climbing, waterfalls, and unexplored natural wonders deep below the Earth’s surface?
Want to stay on land instead? Explore all of Unknown Colorado’s other hidden gems, including: Exploring, Hiking, Biking, and more.
