Laurel Caverns, Pennsylvania’s 125th state park and first underground state attraction, is slated to open to the public April 22 in rural Fayette County.
The facility is a 435-acre park centered around the largest and deepest limestone cave in Pennsylvania. The property includes four miles of cave passages that go as deep as 476 feet and the largest bat shelter in the northeast.
The caverns have attracted about 50,000 visitors each year. The park will open to the public on Earth Day.
The property had been owned by David and Lillian Cale since 1986 and has been operated through the Laurel Caverns Conservancy. David Cale has been involved as a part owner since 1973 and is the president of the conservancy.
They decided the cave needs to remain open to the public and donated the land to the state.
“We want to preserve the property for future generations,” he said. “We have owned the property for 40 years and we don’t have any children. We want to make sure the cave is protected. So we don’t want to just put it out there as we don’t know what people might use this rock for. So, we know with the state it will be protected,” he said. “Part of our philosophy is that it really belongs to everybody. We’re happy to see this happen. It’s really something my wife and I wanted for a long time.”
Cale’s grandfather, Norman Cale, first operated the property and then sold it to a private developer. David Cale worked for the developer and then was able to purchase the property.
“The only way I could pay for it was the public coming in. The public paid for the salaries of all my staff, the public made all my mortgage payments for me, the public provided the money for all the bills I had all along, so therefore in a way the public kind of paid for the cave. It’s about time it belongs to the public,” Cale said.
Corie Eckman is the first park manager for Laurel Caverns and the first Pennsylvania park manager for an underground public facility.
“Laurel Caverns has long been recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s unique natural treasures. It has the longest cave in the state,” she said. “It has provided generations of visitors with the opportunity to explore its remarkable geological formations and experience the beauty that is above its surface.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro thanked the Cales for their gift of the land to the Commonwealth to protect.
“Thank you for being great stewards of this land and great stewards of this cave. Thank you for sharing the stories with us,” he said. “You put these caves in a position to now be shared with the public forever. That’s an extraordinary thing.”
He encouraged the public to see Laurel Caverns, but to also plan time to visit some of the other nearby attractions like Ohiopyle State Park.
“It has incredible kayaking and rafting and hiking. It’s an amazing place to go with family,” he said.
The governor also thanked lawmakers for accepting the property and making it a state park. With a property like this one, he said, “You can find our common humanity, you find our common decency, you find that commonality that brings people together,” Shapiro said.
Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), also thanked the Cales for what they created with the Laurel Caverns property. “Their vision is something we realize we can carry forward,” she said. “We will steward it well.”
John Hallas, DCNR director of the Bureau of State Parks, was excited about the new facility.
“It’s a great day for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” he said. “It’s a legacy conservation donation by David and Lillian Cale. In addition to that conservation legacy donation of the entire property including the cavern, we’re starting a new public-private partnership with David and Lillian Cale and they will continue on with cave operations in the future,” Hallas said. “It’s a momentous day.
A master plan for the entire property is underway. Dunn said it’s too early to tell if there will be overnight accommodations available at Laurel Caverns. “It’s a little early but we will look at all the possibilities,” she said. “We would see what the need is, see what the interest is and look at the landscape. That’s not off the table.”
Visiting Laurel Caverns
The facility, located at 1065 Skyline Drive, Farmington, is slated to be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day of the week.
According to the DCNR’s website, the aboveground park will be open every day of the year, sunrise to sunset. Day use areas close at dusk.
The underground caverns are open from mid-April through the last weekend of October. They close in the winter for bat hibernation. To access the caverns, you must purchase tickets at the Visitors Center for a guided tour through the Laurel Caverns Conservancy.
While the surface land is free to the public, there are fees for the variety of tours. The traditional guided tour costs $18 for adults with discounted rates for senior citizens and those under 16.
For the staff-monitored, self-pace tour, the cost is $20 for adults. There are discounted rates for senior citizens and those under 16.
