Is it disliked to enter abandoned places, caves, or dark places, and has it been reported by scholars that these are among the jinn's preferred dwellings?

There is no prohibition in the Quran or Sunnah against merely entering abandoned places, caves, or dark places, nor do we know of any scholar who prohibited it. Therefore, there is no harm in entering them as long as no danger is feared from them, or unless entering them leads to a person spending the night there alone or staying there for a long period without necessity, due to the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibition of being alone while sleeping or traveling.