Descending into a chasm on the side of an eastern road Kentucky the mountain may not sound like an epic start to a kayaking expedition. Yet here, in the heart of Red River Gorge Geological Areaa 29,000-acre canyon system home to sandstone arches, cliffs and abandoned mines, it's the best way to experience the water without the crowds.
With sales of kayaks in the United States up almost 25 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels in March 2023, congested lakes and rivers have become the norm. This trend shows no signs of slowing down, with the global kayak market expected to approach a billion dollars by 2031.
Yet, for those seeking tranquility on the water, there remain unknown refuges hidden beneath the surface.
Explore the depths below
Our guide, JP Stamper, descends into a cold cavern with a life jacket, helmet and paddle in hand. Flashlights shine as we navigate the icy water cascading from the mine ceiling, 40 feet above. Venturing deep underground on water may seem intimidating to some, but floating on calm water, in surreal silence, provides an overwhelming sense of calm.
For 90 minutes, we paddle through winding chambers and vast caverns, our glass-bottomed kayaks revealing huge boulders and rainbow trout below. Above us, tiny Kentucky brown bats are nestled deep in their winter hibernation. Here and there, wires and pipes, remnants of a once-thriving mining industry, seem strangely preserved beneath the water's surface.
The interior of Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park in Guerrero, Mexico features vast limestone caves, lit by LED lights that highlight the subterranean landscape. Photography by Daniel Slim, Getty Images
Kayakers navigate the world's longest navigable underground river in Kentucky's Red River Gorge. Photography by Lindsey Hancock
At no time during the Kentucky SUP Kayak Tour was it claustrophobic. In the parts of the circuit where the water is deepest, paddlers rise about six feet from the rock above their heads. The absence of power and the presence of our two guides on stand-up paddle boards monitoring our group also helped.
Underground kayaking may not be at the top of the list for most paddlers, but for Don Marsan, who runs kayak tours from the massive 150-acre underground lake at Cave of the Crystal City in Missouri there is no such thing. “Thousands of people from all over the world have come here to try this. We welcome around 20,000 people a year,” he says.
SUP Kentucky saw a 26% increase in visitors between 2021 and 2023. Last year, it began offering unguided kayak and paddle board tours to meet demand from more adventurous paddlers.
“We welcome them, show them around, and then let them rest for two hours,” says Stamper. “But people can't get lost: there is a lighted path that leads to the entrance.”
(These trails are not for hikers, they are for kayakers.)
The company also offers the choice between a transparent bottom kayak or a paddleboard with multi-colored LED lights illuminating the water below.
At Blue Springs Cavern Park in Bedford, Indianakayakers can navigate America's longest navigable underground river with a local travel agency which offers three-hour kayak and boat tours 100 feet below the surface.
Where to try underground kayaking
Underground kayaking is not limited to the United States Dongyang Jade Cave (also known as Chungju), visitors can paddle through the cool, wet underworld. In BelizeIt is Nohoch Che'en Caves Branch Archaeological Reservetour operators offer kayaking and tubing through the caves where the ancient Mayan culture is represented on the walls of the caves.
Photography by J3Impressions, Stockimo, Alamy
A 450-year-old former metal mine in the north Slovenia has become a mecca for underground kayaking.
“We had 2,100 people in 2021, last year we had 3,371, despite the three-week closure due to the floods in August,” explains Darja Komar, the director of the establishment. Podzemlje Pecea tour operator at the mine.
Visitors take a short train ride into the mine before walking 328 feet through hip-deep water to reach the kayaks. From there, paddlers spend 45 minutes on tandem kayaks, navigating through 1.7 miles of tunnels and open spaces. Guided tours are in English, German and Slovenian, with each tour limited to 10 participants.
(Discover the world that glows in the dark of the ocean on a fluorescent night dive.)
“It’s not just a tour,” says Komar, “it’s an experience where you learn about the history of mining and this region. »
For some, exploring underground water worlds from a kayak is adventurous enough, while others have taken it to another level.
The Rio Chontalcoatlán in MexicoIt is Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park offers one of the most challenging whitewater kayaking adventures. Expert kayakers navigate nearly three kilometers of underground rapids and narrow passages, guided only by tiny lights on their helmets: an adventure particularly suited to the most experienced whitewater paddlers.
