Naracoorte Caves National Park

Naracoorte Caves National Park
Skeleton of a marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) in the Victoria Fossil Cave
Naracoorte Caves National Park
LocationSouth Australia, Joanna & Mount Light
Nearest cityNaracoorte
Coordinates37°2′10″S 140°47′51.5″E / 37.03611°S 140.797639°E / -37.03611; 140.797639
Area6.60 km2 (2.55 sq mi)
EstablishedConservation Park 27 April 1972 (1972-04-27)
National Park 18 January 2001 (2001-01-18)
Visitors90812 (in 2022)
Governing bodyDepartment of Environment and Water
WebsiteOfficial website
Part ofAustralian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte)
CriteriaNatural: viii, ix
Reference698-002
Inscription1994 (18th Session)
Area300 ha

Naracoorte Caves National Park is a national park near Naracoorte in the Limestone Coast tourism region in the south-east of South Australia (Australia). It was officially recognised in 1994 for its extensive fossil record when the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List, along with Riversleigh. The park preserves 6 km2 of remnant vegetation, with 26 caves contained within the 3.05 km2 World Heritage Area. Out of the 28 known caves in the park, only four are open to the public. Other caves are kept away from the public eye as they are important for scientific research and also for the protection of the caves and their contents. Many of the caves contain spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.