Biržai District Municipality
Aukštaitija
geological nature trail in a karst sinkhole reserve
Karajimiškis, Biržai District, Biržai Regional Park
56.21100, 24.69000
45-90 minutes
April-October, when the trail is not slippery
Karajimiškis Geological Trail, Badger Cave
Badger Cave Trail: looking into active karst
The Badger Cave Geological Trail crosses one of the most interesting places in the Biržai region: the Karajimiškis sinkhole field in Biržai Regional Park. Here karst is happening underfoot as groundwater dissolves gypsum and sinkholes and collapses open at the surface.
The Biržai area is Lithuania's most active karst zone. VLE notes that sinkholes form here as upper Devonian gypsum dissolves, and new collapses are recorded every year. The trail therefore shows not a frozen landscape, but a living and changing surface history.
Badger Cave and the sinkholes
The trail takes its name from Badger Cave, a collapse discovered by speleologists in an old sinkhole in spring 2011, when they found caves inside it. The name came from presumed badger tracks. Badger Cave formed as at least several sinkholes merged, giving it an elongated, distinctive shape.
Besides Badger Cave, the trail passes the well-known Geologists' Pit, the natural-heritage object Fox Cave, and large older sinkholes with Devonian rock outcrops. Some collapses are deep and hold water at the bottom, so the landscape keeps changing.
The nature trail
The geological trail is a loop of about 700 m in an area of roughly 2.5 ha. For safer and clearer visiting it has wooden stairs, small bridges over collapses, and information panels explaining karst processes, so visitors can understand the underground story even without a guide.
The trail is part of a wider Biržai karst route. Nearby in the same reserve is Cow Cave, and farther on are the Kirkilai karst lakes with their observation tower. Together they make a strong geology-focused day trip.
How to visit
The trail is open, free, and self-guided. It is best walked from spring to autumn in dry conditions; wooden stairs and paths can be slippery after rain, so wear suitable shoes and move carefully. The full loop usually takes 45-90 minutes.
Stay on the trail and do not climb into sinkholes. This is both a safety issue and a nature-protection rule. Combine the visit with Cow Cave, Kirkilai, and other Biržai karst sites.
