Florida Caverns State Park ~ A Photo Essay

Since we had nothing planned for our weekend, we decided to go tour the Florida Caverns State Park located in Marianna, Florida.  It was the perfect day for such an excursion.  The temperature outdoors had warmed enough that only a light windbreaker was required.

The Florida Caverns State Park is a 1300 acre parcel that was once owned as a private tourist attraction.  Later it was transferred to the state and became Florida's seventh state park.

The caves were used for gathering clay, temporary shelter and burials by the Native Americans.  Pottery and chert tools were found in the caves and surrounding areas.  Later the caves were utilized by Civil War refugees to hide from Union Soldiers and Seminole Indians to hide from Andrew Jackson during the Seminole Wars.

There are actually three caves on this land, however only one is open to the public.  During this cave tour, you travel 55 feet underground.  There are emergency exits located in the first and second rooms.  After those two rooms, you are committed to travel through the entire length of the tour.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a CCC worker (Depression era Civilian Conservation Corps).  He stood proudly at the boardwalk's entrance.  The young men of the CCC excavated tons of rock and soil to create passages through the caverns.  They were compensated with $1 a day.  According to our tour guide, at the end of the month the workers would send $25 to their families and keep $5.  Tutors were brought in to allow the young men opportunities to further their education.  The young men of the CCC also spent free time on various sports.

The CCC also built the Visitor's Center.  This endeavor took them from 1936 until the outbreak of WWII to complete.  Inside the Visitor's Center one can find a gift shop, museum, a video room (for those unable to go on the tour), and museum.  The beautiful building is made of stone and blends well with the surrounding area.

To begin the tavern tour, you descend a flight of stairs.  About half way down the stairs, you can feel the temperature change.  The caverns stay 65 degrees year round.

During the tour, you must stoop through some passages as they are quite small.

Others are of average height and makes for easier passing.

There are passages that you can not explore.  In order to go through these, you must have the right equipment and have training for cave exploration.

The caverns are scenic and beautiful.  The formations inside include stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, rip pools, columns and other drip formations.  It is magnificiently stunning.  I do not think the pictures do it justice, but I will let you be the judge:

Since the oils from our hands damage the various formations the state park officials have one that you are allowed to touch during the tour.  The rest are off limits.  The "rubbing post" was smooth, moist, and cold.

This park also offers camping, canoe rentals,  hiking trails, and several picnic areas.  There was a swimming area, but due to low water levels it is currently closed.  I could not resist taking pictures of the bridge over part of the swimming area.  I could not decide which I liked best, so I posted them all.

This was a great way to spend the day and I am sure that camping here would be a very relaxing way to get back to nature.  I highly recommend this park for children as well as adults to enjoy the beauty of our world.