This Day Trip To The Deepest Cave Near Pittsburgh Is Full Of Adventure
By Beth Price-Williams|Published February 21, 2020
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.
Day trips from Pittsburgh can take us to some pretty fascinating places – from hiking through a forest cathedral at Cook Forest State Park to coming face-to-face with giraffes, goats, and other animals at Living Treasures Wild Animal Park. The deepest cave near Pittsburgh also offers a fun way to spend a day, including taking a traditional tour and playing a round or two of miniature golf.
Go deep underground when you visit Laurel Caverns, in Hopwood, just under 60 miles from downtown Pittsburgh. The cave has earned distinction as the largest and the deepest in Pennsylvania.
Laurel Caverns boasts a depth of 464 feet, although visitors will generally go down 150 feet below the earth’s surface on the cave’s traditional tour. While the cave boasts three miles of passages…
Traditional tours generally span 3,000 feet in an hour of walking. Before you head down into the cave, however, make sure you’re dressed appropriately for the 52-degree Fahrenheit temperature the cave maintains all year around.
Follow a seasoned tour guide on the tour that requires quite a bit of walking, and you’ll have to walk what’s equal to about five flights of stairs. However, don’t worry if you can’t set off on the traditional tour.
If you’re a bit of a daredevil, sign up for a spelunking/caving session. Choose between the upper (two-hour tour) or the lower (three-hour tour) cave, both of which offer different views of Laurel Caverns.
After your tour and caving experience, head over for a game or two of miniature golf at Kavernputt, a massive mini-golf course that spans 10,000 square feet. The mini golf course is even wheelchair accessible.
Laurel Caverns welcomes visitors daily from April 18, 2020 through October 27, 2020. The day’s first tour sets off at 9 a.m. with the final tour departing at 4:30 p.m.
Have you ever been to Laurel Caverns, the deepest cave near Pittsburgh? Share your experience in the comments! Do you consider Laurel Caverns one of the natural wonders in Western PA?
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