Pennsylvania’s Largest Cave Has Tours And Family Enjoyable South Of Pittsburgh

From the traditional bones lining the Paris Catacombs to the military of glowworms twinkling within the depths of New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves, a few of the world’s most fascinating locations lie hidden underground. Subterranean worlds are sometimes crammed with wonders too cool and fragile to exist in daylight, making the daring journey into darkness definitely worth the trek. Lying deep within the earth beneath Pennsylvania is a cave so distinctive and huge that it holds the distinction of being the state’s first and solely underground state park. Laurel Caverns State Park is residence to the most important cavern in Pennsylvania that, at a depth of 476 ft, can also be one of many world’s steepest. Guided excursions led by the Laurel Caverns Conservancy and family-friendly actions make this park, about an hour-and-a-half south of Pittsburgh, price a go to.

Laurel Caverns is a 4-mile underground labyrinth tunneled out in sandstone. Within are pockets of pristine water and ceilings that soar as excessive as 50 ft. In addition to being Pennsylvania’s largest cave, Laurel Caverns boasts one other distinctive declare to fame: it is residence to the most important pure bat hibernaculum within the Northeast. If these flying critters make you squeamish, don’t fret — you are unlikely to come across any throughout your go to. The caverns are closed in wintertime, which is the bats’ hibernation season. Visits are carried out in spring, summer time, and autumn when there is not a bat to be discovered — a minimum of in public areas.

The Laurel Caverns Conservancy operates a number of excursions and packages that information guests by means of the caves. While you are free to discover aboveground trails at your leisure, in addition to the recreation areas and quite a few actions contained in the adjoining 59,000-acre Forbes State Forest, the caverns themselves are accessible solely with a paid tour. To roam freely by means of one other of Pennsylvania’s unbelievable state parks within the space, a go to to the underrated paradise of Ohiopyle State Park is just 40 minutes away.

The best tour is the Traditional Guided Tour ($18), a 30 to 45-minute loop route that takes you a couple of quarter-mile underground. The more difficult Self-Paced Tour ($20) takes an hour to finish and covers extra floor, together with a 143-step flight of stairs. While workers monitor the route, after a quick orientation, you are by yourself to discover the labyrinth and its pair of hovering waterfalls. Physically match thrill seekers can be part of the 90-minute Tour and Crawl Program ($30), a rigorous journey that can have you ever climbing 17 tales and slithering by means of the sandy earth. Traditional and self-paced excursions usually run day by day in the course of the season, whereas the crawl program is usually supplied on weekends.

There aren’t any on-line reservations, so tickets should be bought on-site on the customer heart. The exception is for teams of 15 or extra, who ought to name the Conservancy instantly to rearrange admission. Don’t overlook to inquire about group charges and reductions.

Exploration and enjoyable await youthful guests as effectively. Teens ages 14 and older can expertise immersive thrills caving by means of intensive passages in the course of the two-hour Introduction to Caving Program ($40). Tykes as younger as 3 can be part of the Caving for Kids Program ($9), an introduction to archaeology, paleontology, and the park’s historical past. The program brings the caverns above floor throughout its presentation in a ten,000-square-foot, wheelchair-accessible house designed to appear like a cave. For 14-and-ups who need to dig deeper, the five-hour Deep Depths Caving Program ($60) drops members 45 tales beneath the earth’s floor, the place they will scale and crawl huge boulders. 

Back above floor, youngsters can pan for gems, a throwback to gold mining instances carried out in a particular room that appears like an actual cave. Outside, the entire household can benefit from the Family Lookout Deck, which wows with panoramic views of the forested panorama within the surrounding Chestnut Ridge.

Before heading out to the park, it is price noting that on-line journey websites have combined evaluations of the excursions. “The tour was OK but I found myself waiting for it to be over,” shared one Tripadvisor reviewer who outlined it as a “tourist trap.” In distinction, a Tripadvisor reviewer who gave their tour 5 stars rhapsodized: “We had an excellent crawl tour and really tested our fears but never stopped smiling! So fun!” The caves are open day by day from mid-April by means of the tip of October, with excursions departing each 20 minutes. Laurel Caverns is situated in Farmington, about an hour’s drive from bustling, revitalized Pittsburgh, the place even the airport is recent from a much-needed makeover.