Discover the Top 11 Best Caves in All of Michigan

Michigan is a hub for unique caves. You can explore everything from old mines to ice and underwater caves. And most of the state’s caves occur in karst landscapes, where bedrock dissolves, creating underground draining systems and caves. But the state has much variety when it comes to exploring these underground worlds. Discover the top 11 best caves in all of Michigan, including how you can visit and what you will find.

1. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Caves

Hugging the south shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula, Pictured Rocks is famous for its dramatic cliffs painted in multi colors, sandstone formations, secret coves, and hidden caves along the water’s edge. The best way to explore this area is by kayak, where you can really get up close to these remarkable natural wonders. The largest cave you’ll find is the Rainbow Cave, which features a large arch you can paddle into. You will also find the Miners Castle, Caves of the Bloody Chiefs, several waterfalls, and secluded swimming beaches.

2. Adventure Mine

Do you want to go back in time and experience copper mining the way it was in the 1800s? Check out Adventure Mining Company! Located near Greenland, the mining company provides underground tours using nothing but a hardhat with a single light. Bring good shoes because you will be repelling down a mine shaft, scrambling over rocks, and participating in drilling and blasting workshops. There are different levels of tours that cater to age and difficulty. The easiest tour is perfect for people of all ages and takes about 1.5 hours. And the hardest tour is six hours long and is only for those 13 and up. 

3. Grand Island Ice Caves

These spectacular ice caves are in Lake Superior on Grand Island, about a half mile from Munising. February is one of the best times to visit the west side of Grand Island, where you can see magnificent ice structures that form as water seeps down from the top of the sandstone and freezes. You can get to the caves by snowshoeing or snowmobile. But make sure the water is completely frozen before venturing out. It’s also an excellent spot for ice climbing!  Note that this adventure is for those more experienced with tough hikes and frigid temperatures.

4. Mari Vineyards

If you’re looking for something completely different and unique, you must visit Mari Vineyards in Traverse City. While this attraction may not be a traditional cave, it’s still a great place to visit and enjoy sipping wine on the patio overlooking the bay. Mari Vineyards use caves to store and age their wine, which is a traditional process that goes back 6,000 years. You can go on a tour of the wine caves before trying some dry white and a charcuterie board. This is easily one of the best wine tastings in Northern Michigan.  

5. Millie Hill Bat Cave

The Millie Hill Bat Cave is another quirky attraction that you have to see if you’re in the area. But it’s only worth visiting at certain times of the year. Located right near the border of Wisconsin, Millie Hill is a real live bat cave that houses one of the largest hibernating and breeding bat colonies on the continent, around one million. The cave is actually an abandoned vertical iron mine and people are not allowed to go inside. In fact, the entrance to the mine shaft is covered with a steel grate to prevent people from falling inside. But it’s designed so that bats can still come and go as they please. There are viewing benches near the entrance for people to watch swarms of bats coming out of the shaft. Unfortunately, you won’t see much bat action until April or September. 

6. Hendrie River Water Cave

The Hendrie River Water Cave is the longest-known cave in Michigan. It’s located on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in a 480-acre preserve. It’s a 1,500-foot limestone cavern featuring narrow passages and streams running along the cave floor. It’s a challenging cave system to explore because it’s narrow, windy, and wet. Plus, it’s also prone to flooding. But if you manage to get to the end of the cave, you will find a spectacular waterfall room.  You must secure a permit to enter the cave. And it’s recommended that only knowledgeable cavers explore this area.

7. Eben Ice Caves

Are you looking for a Michigan winter adventure? Check out the Eben Ice Caves in the Rock River Canyon Wilderness in the Upper Peninsula. But you’ll need a good pair of cleats and some walking poles for this one. From the parking lot, you will walk about a mile through a snow-covered forest. While a mile isn’t too long, the trail gets wet and slippery the closer you get to the caves. You can enter the caves at your own risk. And you will find multi-colored ice in hues of green, blue, and yellow.

8. Spider Cave

The Spider Cave, also known as Burnt Bluff Cave, is an archeological site on the Garden Peninsula. It is one of the most significant sites in Michigan, featuring ancient cave pictographs. While the cave was once open to the public for viewing and exploring, the area is now closed to visitors due to careless vandalism. The cave is named after an unusual drawing just outside the cave’s southern wall. The picture is of a humanoid figure attached to a spider-like creature by an umbilical cord. As you can probably guess, there is a lot of mystery and intrigue surrounding this peculiar drawing. There were also arrowheads located inside the cave. And another small nearby cave held ancient human remains. 

9. Bear Cave

Bear Cave is in Southwest Michigan near Lake Michigan. It is the only cavern in the Great Lakes area and was formed 25,000 years ago. You descend into the cave by walking down a long, winding stairway that opens up into a small cavern about six feet wide and 15 feet high. This secondary limestone cave played an essential role in the Underground Railroad during slavery. And it was also a hiding place for loot from an 1875 bank robbery. Today the area features campsites and RV hookups, and you enter the cave by way of the gift shop.

10. Alger Underwater Preserve

The Alger Underwater Preserve is on Lake Superior’s south shore near Pictured Rocks and Grand Island. This is a diving attraction where people can explore sea caves, underwater trails, and intact shipwrecks. The preserve’s mission is to protect the shipwrecks and educate people on their history. There are 15 shipwrecks in the area, which was a safe harbor for ships escaping the rough conditions of the lake. The sea caves are shallow and only go about ten feet below the water’s surface, but they are a popular attraction for snorkeling and underwater photography.

11. Skull Cave

This small and shallow cave is located on Mackinac Island. Skull Island has somewhat of a creepy past. It was once used as a burial site for Native Americans. And the English fur trader, Alexander Henry, used the cave as a hiding spot during Pontiac’s Rebellion in 1763. He claimed the cave floor was covered in human bones. Much of the cave’s interior has collapsed, so you can not enter inside. But it’s still a nice stop on the carriage tour.

Summary of the Best 11 Caves in All of Michigan