If you’re looking for something unique and fun to do on a hot summer day, look no further than the legendary Ohio Caverns in West Liberty, Ohio.
As a family, we tend to appreciate caves and cool underground adventures.
We have long been fans of Olentangy Caverns, which we’re lucky to have close to our home. We love exploring the caves there as well as spending time visiting the epic petting zoo and going gem-mining.
We’ve also visited Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, home to the longest cave system in the world. A few years ago, we took a two-hour guided cave tour there on our way down to Gatlinburg. Truth be told, I felt like one hour would have been enough. After an hour, those caves all started to look the same.
But do you know which caves don’t look the same? Ohio Caverns, known as America’s most colorful caverns!
My hubby and daughter visited Ohio Caverns without me this spring, but I vow to make it there myself before summer’s over. They were blown away by the natural wonders of this place – and trust me when I say that those two are tough to impress.
The Ohio Caverns are known for spectacularly colorful crystal and stalactite features, including The Crystal King, the largest stalactite in Ohio. Perhaps most amazing of all, these caverns and colorful crystals were discovered by a farmer beneath his property in 1897. Imagine what wonders could be existing under your own home and yard right this very minute?!
According to the Ohio Caverns website, guided tours take guests through two different parts of the cavern. The Historic Tour begins at the site of discovery and includes the area that was originally explored from 1897 to 1925. The Natural Wonder Tour takes guests on a 1 mile walk through parts discovered after 1925. It includes the largest stalactite along with many other marvelous formations and colors.
If you’re not super into going underground, I can tell you that my family also gave top marks to the Ohio Caverns gift shop. They sent me pictures of all the crystals for sale here, and it looks like a must-visit for crystal collectors. They brought me back a slab of fluorite that is one of my all-time favorites!
Ohio Caverns may be visited year-round and is always 54 degrees so you may want to bring a sweatshirt or light jacket. We love visiting caves in the summertime as they provide a nice respite from Ohio’s hot days!
Have you visited Ohio Caverns to see the Crystal King and other colorful rock formations? I’d love to hear your spelunking tales in the comments below or over on Facebook or Instagram.
