Penn ’ s Cave Centre Hall , PA
Penn ’ s Cave & Wildlife Park
222 Penn ’ s Cave Road , Centre Hall , PA 16828 P : 814-364-1664 ; W :
pennscave . com Open : Closed Thanksgiving Day , Christmas Day and January ; Hours vary by season – check the website Admission : 2020 rates – Adult $ 20 ; Senior ( 65 +) $ 19 ; Child ( 2-12 ) $ 11.50 ; Child ( under 2 ) free
Join a guided cave tour in a flat-bottom motorboat to explore stalactites and stalagmites in magnificent shapes that resemble , “ The Statue of Liberty ” and “ The Garden of the Gods ” in Penn ’ s Cave . The formations include flowstone , curtains , cascades and draperies against a background of pillars and gigantic columns . Once you ’ ve finished the cave tour , check out the wildlife park residents , which include bison , bears , elk , foxes , mountain lion , bighorn sheep , mustangs , Texas longhorn cattle and whitetail deer .
Other activities include gem mining , maze , café , gift shop and visitors center .
Woodward Cave
2825 Countryside Drive , Lancaster , PA 17601 P : 814-349-9800 ; W :
woodwardcave . com Hours : April – October ; Winter tours by appointment
Woodward cave is named for its five spacious rooms , including “ the Hall of Statues ,” which is 200 feet long and features the “ Tower of Babel ” is a 14-foot high stalagmite , one of the largest in the region . An experienced guide will lead the 50-minute tour through rooms with helictite , cave coral , stalactites , ribbon formations and flowstone .
Woodward Cave Campground is nearby and offers RV , cabin and tent camping . Amenities includes private showers , dumping station , honey wagon service , camp store , game room and WiFi ($ 10 fee ).
Animal Inhabitants
As you are touring Pennsylvania ' s caves and caverns , you won ' t see many animals inhabiting them with one possible exception — bats . Many species of bats utilize the caves to hiberate in the winter .
Laurels Caverns is the largest natural bat hibernaculum in the northeastern United States , due to its size . At one time , the caverns were home to nearly 100,000 bats . More than 13 years ago a fungus started getting into the caves and caused the bats to develop white-nose syndrome . It is decimating the bat population . Bats infected with the white-nose syndrome wake up early to warm temperatures , causing them to utilize their fat reserves in cold weather and they end up dying of starvation . Bats eat insects , which helps crops and people .
Scientists are working on ways to slow the spread of fungus and on vaccines to treat it . Let ' s hope they can save these helpful creatures , some of which are endangered . www . prvca . org EXPLORE Pennsylvania 2021 | 11