Did you know the highest cave in the United States is in Colorado?

America's Highest Cave

At an elevation of about 12,000 feet, La Caverna del Oro, otherwise known as Spanish Cave, is the highest cave in the nation - and some would say it's haunted.

Not only is Spanish Cave high in elevation, located in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in southern Colorado, it's also one of the most dangerous caves in the country. According to spelunker Derek Bristol, the cave is wet, cold, and physically challenging - meaning ropes, climbing gear, and climbing experience is required. Bristol says the remoteness of the cave on Marble Mountain makes it "objectively the most dangerous in Colorado."

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Permit Required

To explore the cave, a permit is required from the U.S. Forest Service, but this is no place for amateurs as you will see in the photos below. There are substantial drops and narrow openings that have to be navigated.

Spanish Hauntings

It's been reported that around 1900, Elisha Horn came across a skeleton dressed in Spanish armor with an arrow sticking out of its back and a red cross painted at the cave entrance - which supposedly can still be seen today. Also reported was the finding of a skeleton chained by the neck. It's believed the Spanish army may have used the cave in the 1600s. With human remains being found in the cave, some believe a spirit still haunts the cave.