Top 10 Creepiest Cave Mysteries That Will Freak You Out
History, Education, Facts, creepiest cave mysteries, creepy caves, caves, caving, spelunking, creepiest places, creepiest locations, mysterious locations, creepy and mysterious places, creepy and mysterious locations, scary places, mysterious caves, gough’s cave, krubera cave, cave of sibyl, kabayan mummy burial caves, cave of the winds, bell witch cave, hellfire caves, killing caves, devil’s hole, mammoth cave,
Script Written by Catlin Spencer
Caves are already dark, claustrophobic and full of creepy crawlies. But what else could possibly be hiding in those deep, dark depths? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Creepiest Cave Mysteries That Will Freak You Out.
For this list, we’ll be looking at caves entrenched in so much macabre history and supernatural lore that it'll make you think twice about going spelunking.
These days, this cave is used to age delicious cheddar cheese. Perfectly normal. But that's not the kind of food that used to be kept in Gough's cave. In 1903 explorers discovered the body of a man dating back to 7150 BC. Besides showing signs of a bone infection, there's also evidence that he died a violent death. Aaand was eaten. Up to seven other bodies were also found cannibalized. That's right, people used to be the food of choice hoarded away in Gough's cave. Not the usual wine and dine accompaniment. The next time you're in England nibbling on a piece of cheese, just try not to think about how it may have shared the same space as a consumed corpse.
Imagine a bottomless pit. Now imagine what kind of things might live inside its pitch-black, freezing depths. That's Krubera Cave. The longest and farthest expedition into the cave’s tunnel system took about four weeks and reached 6,600 feet below the surface. And yet, there's more of the cave left to explore. Now, if the idea of a cave of unimaginable depths isn't enough to freak you out, maybe it's inhabitants are. At its deepest explored depths, explorers found endemic species of insects, spiders, and other arthropods living inside the cave - that is, species that exist only inside this cave system. And considering they have yet to reach the bottom, it means we don't know what else could be living down there.
It's always nice to have a tour guide to show you where you're going and teach you neat little facts. Except, of course, if you're in Sibyl cave and your tour guide is a priestess, because that means you're dead. While there are many caves around the world that claim to be entrances to the underworld, for most of them you end up on the other side by mistake. According to lore, not only does this cave have an otherworldly guide that will bring you there, you're already doomed the moment you step foot inside. Definitely saves the trouble of bringing a map.
Anyone who's seen the Mummy movie franchise or heard about Tutankhamen's tomb knows how one mummy can royally mess up your day. Now imagine an entire cave of mummies. Luckily, the Fire Mummies of the burial caves don't have any specific lore about curses placed upon those who disturb them. But there has to be some bad mojo for those who disrespect the dead. The caves were discovered when logging began in the area, and the burial site fell victim to pillaging and vandalism. How someone's first thought upon entering a cave full of preserved human bodies is to loot it, is a mystery in itself. Thankfully, the caves are now a protected site.
Located just off of Highway 24, this cave has daily tours and even features a ride called the Terror-dactyl. And also ghosts. There are ghosts. One team of paranormal investigators was just setting up for the night when they started catching strange phenomena. Growls, floating spirit orbs, and unexplained lights were just a few of the things caught on film. Other visitors have reported hearing whispers in the dark and having their clothes tugged on by unseen forces. Management now invites paranormal teams to come investigate. While tour guides provide folklore and ghost stories about the area, it's otherwise unknown what exactly could be haunting the depths of this otherwise lively tourist attraction.
Some properties should really come with warnings before you buy them. Like, for example: the hot-water heater needs to be changed every five years. Or, there's a witch that lives in a cave behind the shed. Sometimes a heads-up would be nice. Not to be confused with the Blair Witch, the Bell Witch terrorized the Bell family back in 1817. It’s said that once the family left the property, the Bell Witch returned underground to her cave. However, acting as the world's scariest landlord, the witch still considers the property to be hers. And it's rumoured that anyone who steps foot on the land will incur her wrath.
There's something about graveyards and places where tragedies have occurred. It leaves an unease in the air that lasts for decades. Instead of becoming places to avoid, however, they somehow become tourist attractions. The Killing Caves were used by Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge community party in the 1970s as an execution ground. Victims would be killed above the cave's skylight opening and then tossed into the cavern below. As such, the cave was filled with bodies and torture devices, the remains of which can still be seen today. Chicken-wire and piles of bones in glass displays make for a chilling reminder of the Khmer Rouge’s atrocities.
Hearing that these caves were built by an aristocrat named Sir Francis Dashwood, you might think they'd have a fancy, old English study vibe. The problem is that Dashwood remodelled it for his Hellfire Club, which rumors associated with black magic. Historically, it's not exactly clear what the Hellfire club did at their meetings inside the caves. Whatever they did though seems to have left behind some dark residue. Visitors report hearing strange echoes, seeing apparitions and feeling an ever-increasing sense of dread the further they go into the caves. Perhaps something the club summoned back in the mid-1700s is still roaming the tunnels. And ancient demons, much like fine wine, only get stronger with age.
If a cave is said to be the home of an ancient evil, that’s already bad enough. Throw in a murder and a massacre, and it's only proven itself. Native Iroquois claimed that the cave was the home of the embodiment of evil itself, a demonic snake entity called the Evil One. Straightforward name. Anyone who entered the cave would either never return or go mad from what they witnessed. French explorers neglected the warnings and entered the cave, and later mutinied and killed their leader. Then in 1763, Seneca warriors used the site to ambush a wagon train, and the British soldiers who came to help. Now known as the Devil's Hole Massacre, the battle left 81 British soldiers dead.
I’m sure there are people who would love to go on tours of all these caves, but I am not one of those people - I’m freaked out! They’re super creepy! But let’s get through our Hms so we can name our creepiest cave mystery
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Rumor Has It SOMETHING Lives in These Nazi-Dug Caves
Riese Tunnels, Poland
Urban Explorers Claim the King of Hell Has a Door in Minnesota
Satan's Cave, Minneapolis, USA
This Was Once the House of Demons, Slain by Hindu Deity Murugan (muh/moo-roo-ghin / murra ghin)
Batu Caves, Gombak, Malaysia
A Creature Was Allegedly Caught on Film Climbing the Walls
Austrian Ice Caves, Hallstatt, Austria
People usually stop using caves once they've run out of material or become unstable. When a cave is abandoned for no reason, there might be cause for concern. Mammoth Cave is aptly named, as it is vast. Native Americans mined the cave for materials and even used it to bury their dead. This went on for about thousands of years until one day, they just up and left. To this day, no one knows why. What could have possibly forced a whole group of people to abandon such an expansive resource as well as their native burial ground? It's possible that the answer lies further within the cave - that is, if we want to find it.
Top 10 Creepiest Cave Mysteries That Will Freak You Out
Caves are already dark, claustrophobic and full of creepy crawlies. But what else could possibly be hiding in those deep, dark depths? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Creepiest Cave Mysteries That Will Freak You Out.
For this list, we’ll be looking at caves entrenched in so much macabre history and supernatural lore that it'll make you think twice about going spelunking.
#10: Gough's Cave (gawff)
Somerset, EnglandThese days, this cave is used to age delicious cheddar cheese. Perfectly normal. But that's not the kind of food that used to be kept in Gough's cave. In 1903 explorers discovered the body of a man dating back to 7150 BC. Besides showing signs of a bone infection, there's also evidence that he died a violent death. Aaand was eaten. Up to seven other bodies were also found cannibalized. That's right, people used to be the food of choice hoarded away in Gough's cave. Not the usual wine and dine accompaniment. The next time you're in England nibbling on a piece of cheese, just try not to think about how it may have shared the same space as a consumed corpse.
#9: Krubera Cave (KROO-burr-RUH / KROO-burra)
Abkhazia, GeorgiaImagine a bottomless pit. Now imagine what kind of things might live inside its pitch-black, freezing depths. That's Krubera Cave. The longest and farthest expedition into the cave’s tunnel system took about four weeks and reached 6,600 feet below the surface. And yet, there's more of the cave left to explore. Now, if the idea of a cave of unimaginable depths isn't enough to freak you out, maybe it's inhabitants are. At its deepest explored depths, explorers found endemic species of insects, spiders, and other arthropods living inside the cave - that is, species that exist only inside this cave system. And considering they have yet to reach the bottom, it means we don't know what else could be living down there.
#8: Cave of Sibyl
Naples, ItalyIt's always nice to have a tour guide to show you where you're going and teach you neat little facts. Except, of course, if you're in Sibyl cave and your tour guide is a priestess, because that means you're dead. While there are many caves around the world that claim to be entrances to the underworld, for most of them you end up on the other side by mistake. According to lore, not only does this cave have an otherworldly guide that will bring you there, you're already doomed the moment you step foot inside. Definitely saves the trouble of bringing a map.
#7: Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves (kuh-BYE-YEN)
Kabayan, PhilippinesAnyone who's seen the Mummy movie franchise or heard about Tutankhamen's tomb knows how one mummy can royally mess up your day. Now imagine an entire cave of mummies. Luckily, the Fire Mummies of the burial caves don't have any specific lore about curses placed upon those who disturb them. But there has to be some bad mojo for those who disrespect the dead. The caves were discovered when logging began in the area, and the burial site fell victim to pillaging and vandalism. How someone's first thought upon entering a cave full of preserved human bodies is to loot it, is a mystery in itself. Thankfully, the caves are now a protected site.
#6: Cave of the Winds
Colorado, USALocated just off of Highway 24, this cave has daily tours and even features a ride called the Terror-dactyl. And also ghosts. There are ghosts. One team of paranormal investigators was just setting up for the night when they started catching strange phenomena. Growls, floating spirit orbs, and unexplained lights were just a few of the things caught on film. Other visitors have reported hearing whispers in the dark and having their clothes tugged on by unseen forces. Management now invites paranormal teams to come investigate. While tour guides provide folklore and ghost stories about the area, it's otherwise unknown what exactly could be haunting the depths of this otherwise lively tourist attraction.
#5: Bell Witch Cave
Tennessee, USASome properties should really come with warnings before you buy them. Like, for example: the hot-water heater needs to be changed every five years. Or, there's a witch that lives in a cave behind the shed. Sometimes a heads-up would be nice. Not to be confused with the Blair Witch, the Bell Witch terrorized the Bell family back in 1817. It’s said that once the family left the property, the Bell Witch returned underground to her cave. However, acting as the world's scariest landlord, the witch still considers the property to be hers. And it's rumoured that anyone who steps foot on the land will incur her wrath.
#4: Killing Caves
Phnom Sampeau, CambodiaThere's something about graveyards and places where tragedies have occurred. It leaves an unease in the air that lasts for decades. Instead of becoming places to avoid, however, they somehow become tourist attractions. The Killing Caves were used by Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge community party in the 1970s as an execution ground. Victims would be killed above the cave's skylight opening and then tossed into the cavern below. As such, the cave was filled with bodies and torture devices, the remains of which can still be seen today. Chicken-wire and piles of bones in glass displays make for a chilling reminder of the Khmer Rouge’s atrocities.
#3: Hellfire Caves
Buckinghamshire, EnglandHearing that these caves were built by an aristocrat named Sir Francis Dashwood, you might think they'd have a fancy, old English study vibe. The problem is that Dashwood remodelled it for his Hellfire Club, which rumors associated with black magic. Historically, it's not exactly clear what the Hellfire club did at their meetings inside the caves. Whatever they did though seems to have left behind some dark residue. Visitors report hearing strange echoes, seeing apparitions and feeling an ever-increasing sense of dread the further they go into the caves. Perhaps something the club summoned back in the mid-1700s is still roaming the tunnels. And ancient demons, much like fine wine, only get stronger with age.
#2: Devil's Hole
New York, USAIf a cave is said to be the home of an ancient evil, that’s already bad enough. Throw in a murder and a massacre, and it's only proven itself. Native Iroquois claimed that the cave was the home of the embodiment of evil itself, a demonic snake entity called the Evil One. Straightforward name. Anyone who entered the cave would either never return or go mad from what they witnessed. French explorers neglected the warnings and entered the cave, and later mutinied and killed their leader. Then in 1763, Seneca warriors used the site to ambush a wagon train, and the British soldiers who came to help. Now known as the Devil's Hole Massacre, the battle left 81 British soldiers dead.
I’m sure there are people who would love to go on tours of all these caves, but I am not one of those people - I’m freaked out! They’re super creepy! But let’s get through our Hms so we can name our creepiest cave mystery
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Rumor Has It SOMETHING Lives in These Nazi-Dug Caves
Riese Tunnels, Poland
Urban Explorers Claim the King of Hell Has a Door in Minnesota
Satan's Cave, Minneapolis, USA
This Was Once the House of Demons, Slain by Hindu Deity Murugan (muh/moo-roo-ghin / murra ghin)
Batu Caves, Gombak, Malaysia
A Creature Was Allegedly Caught on Film Climbing the Walls
Austrian Ice Caves, Hallstatt, Austria
#1: Mammoth Cave
Kentucky, USAPeople usually stop using caves once they've run out of material or become unstable. When a cave is abandoned for no reason, there might be cause for concern. Mammoth Cave is aptly named, as it is vast. Native Americans mined the cave for materials and even used it to bury their dead. This went on for about thousands of years until one day, they just up and left. To this day, no one knows why. What could have possibly forced a whole group of people to abandon such an expansive resource as well as their native burial ground? It's possible that the answer lies further within the cave - that is, if we want to find it.
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