There are few things more exciting that exploring in an area never seen before by anyone else. That's what happened recently when some spelunkers adventured in uncharted areas of Illinois Caverns.

KOLM - 1520 The Ticket logo
Get our free mobile app

Illinois Caverns is one of the few caves in the state open to the public. Many parts of it have not been documented which makes it a wild place to explore.

Hiking With Shawn on YouTube shared the interesting backstory of how this adventure happened:

A group of us explored Illinois Caverns before they closed in October. This was my first time filming in a wild cave setting...DISCLAIMER: Illinois Caverns is not a National Park cave. It is wild caving. There is no guide. It can be dangerous. You'll sometimes get into deep water. You have to sign a waiver and bring the required gear. Spelunking isn't for everyone.

This is exciting, but not for the faint of heart.

Shawn broke up the adventure into several parts to make it easier to watch. Here's part 2.

Here's the latest episode of their adventure just uploaded to YouTube a few days ago.

The Illinois state parks website says that Monroe County has over 100 caves which is the most in the state. Illinois Caverns specifically was opened back in 1901, but many parts of it are still without maps. If you know what you're doing and have a big enough group, it's possible to go adventuring yourself. However, as Shawn mentioned in his video, this is not something you do unless you are a pro or have one in your group. Wild caving is dangerous, but worth it if done safely with the right guidance.

Illinois' Most Romantic Place is This Hot Tub in the Woods

More From KOLM - 1520 The Ticket