Warren's Cave facts for kids

Warren's Cave, also known as Warren Cave, is a cool, dry cave found in Alachua County, Florida. It's a special kind of cave called a karst or solutional cave. This means it formed when water dissolved rock over a very long time. Warren's Cave is the longest dry cave in Florida, with over 4 miles (about 6.4 kilometers) of passages that explorers have mapped!

The cave is located near Gainesville, close to the San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park. The land where the cave entrance is, called the Warren Cave Nature Preserve, belongs to the National Speleological Society. This group is dedicated to exploring, studying, and protecting caves.

How Warren's Cave Formed

Warren's Cave likely formed a very long time ago, during a period called the Quaternary Period. Back then, sea levels were much higher than they are today, almost 100 feet (30 meters) higher! When the water table (the level of water underground) was high, it slowly dissolved the limestone rock, creating the cave's tunnels and rooms. This process is how many caves in Florida are made.

A Look into History

Local stories say that Colonel John Warren discovered the cave. He was a leader of government troops during the Second Seminole War. This war was a conflict that happened in Florida a long time ago. The cave was named after him.

In the late 1800s, Warren's Cave became a popular spot for tourists. It was even mentioned in travel guides! People tried to make it a commercial attraction, meaning they wanted to charge visitors to see it. They even built wooden stairs leading into the cave's entrance, which is in a sinkhole.

For many years, people only knew about 400 feet (about 120 meters) of the cave. But since 1959, explorers have found many more narrow passages. These tight squeezes led to the discovery of much more of the cave, making it the longest dry cave in Florida!