Gokgol Cave

Gokgol Cave

Gokgol Cave is located on the right side of the road, right by the Zonguldak entry of the Zonguldak-Ankara highway. Geologically incorporating the geomorphological and hydrological development stages and characteristics of the region, Gökgöl Cave consists of four different floors. The mouth of the cave and its surroundings that comprise the first floor (the first formed section of the cave) and the second floor that features the stalactites at the Grand Collapse Hall are completely fossilized. There is the Gallery of Stalactites, an underground creek, and an active embranchment on the third and fourth floors which are the youngest sections of the cave.

The cave has three pieces; two of them are fossilized and one is active. The large mouth, one of the fossil mouths that enables passage into the cave, is remarkable with its majestic view. The narrow and moist active mouth is not suitable for entry. With a total length of 3250 meters with all its embranchments, Gökgöl Cave was formed with two large tributaries with a main gallery growing towards east, southeast – west, northwest. After the main gallery that ends with a narrow and moist siphon, the underground creek is seen at the Grand Collapse Hall, formed with accumulation of water coming from tributaries. This creek is situated on the walking trail and crossed with bridges and pours into Erçek Creek through the active mouth of the cave. Gökgöl Cave is quite rich in terms of in-cave stalactites and decorated with flag, curtain, and flowing stalactites.