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Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's online News, Opinion, Arts and Entertainment information archive, serving the PA Capital Region. |
 One
Tank Getaway:Caving in Centre Hall, PA by Jennifer Daggs |
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| Directions from Harrisburg: Take 322 West to Potters Mills To 144 north to Centre Hall Follow signs to Penn’s Cave (This will include a right turn onto route 192) Penn’s Cave Directions to To route 45, turn left onto 45 toward Woodward. Follow the signs to Woodward Cave (beware that this road does twist and turn and when you get to the "T" you will need to go left and then turn left onto to driveway – you’ll see the sign for The Big One). Woodward Cave Wheelchair and stroller accessible Things to Bring: Camera, jacket, comfortable shoes (preferably not sandals), flashlight if you have one (not necessary) Places to Eat: Whistle Stop Restaurant Damon’s Places to Stay: Poe Paddy State Park Woodward Cave Campground Inns Nitanny Lion Inn Hotels Best Western – State College Inn Courtyard by Marriot Bed and Breakfasts Centre Mills B&B Harmon House B&B |
Have those last few hot days of early fall gotten the best of you? Imagine this – in less than two hours you could be sitting in a boat, enjoying nature’s amazing air conditioning while floating underground. No that’s not a type-o. Just outside of Centre Hall, PA. Sits America’s only all water cavern, Penn’s Cave. This is a fine example of Roadside Americana. Once you get past the gift shop and into the cave you will soon see why it’s worth the $9 admission. On the way down the hill to the mouth of the cave a sign has been erected to tell the tale of the Indian Princess, Nitanee (yes, blue and white fans this is your mascots namesake), her lover and how his fate lead him to the cave. Once you’re at the cave entrance you’ll
notice the temperature difference. The cave was reported
to be 52 degrees the day I went, a nice change from the
high humidity and mid-90’s we were dealing with
outside. This is one trip where you won’t want to
forget your coat. A tour guide will help you into one of the flat-bottomed boats at the entrance. While you wait for the tour to begin don’t forget to look down into the water, there are plenty of good-sized trout at the mouth of the cave, sorry anglers no fishing allowed. The tour guides are very informative, so listen carefully as they tell the history of the cave. As you travel through the cave the guide will point out the cleverly lit formations with his spotlight. These beautiful creations are absolutely stunning. Now, don’t expect a rainbow of colors, everything is one of four shades: white, red, black or gray. Rather, it’s the shapes that will really impress you. The guides love to point out formations that resemble familiar things like the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls. If you have a good imagination you’ll start finding your own pictures in the living rocks. The 50-minute trip covers one mile of cave passage. You will actually travel in one side of the cave and out the other and then go back through for a second look. Before going into the cave for the second pass your guide will take you for a ride around Lake Nitanee. There you can catch a brief glimpse of some of the animals in the Wildlife Sanctuary, the other main attraction at Penn’s Cave. This trip is not only fascinatingly beautiful but also educational. You will learn about geology, stalagmites, stalactites, flowstone and much more. It’s a great trip for young and old alike. When the tour is done, stop by the mountain lion cage to see Princess on your way back up the hill. We choose to skip on the Wildlife Sanctuary tour,
missing out on the Gray Wolves, Timber Wolves, Black
Bears and other animals. Instead, we headed Southeast
toward another cave in the area. Woodward
The difference between Woodward and Penn’s Cave is that you have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the living cave and its formations. When I toured Woodward only six other people joined us. It was a more intimate tour compared to the 15 or more people on the boat in Penn’s Cave. A leisurely day of cave touring can be made by leaving the Harrisburg area in the late morning, stopping for lunch on the way, touring Penn’s Cave, then Woodward and stopping for an early dinner on the way home. When I called Penn’s Cave for direction the staff recommended taking an afternoon tour instead of a morning tour since the wait on a Saturday morning can be as long as two hours. We arrived at 1:45pm and were able to go on the 2:20pm tour, using the time to browse through the gift shop. We lucked out at Woodward and were able to start our tour immediately after buying our tickets. A full weekend could also be made by visiting other area caverns, antiquing or heading to State College to roam through the various boutiques and bars. Because of the university, there are plenty of places to stay. There are quite a few charming Bed and Breakfasts and most of your national hotel chains are represented. You can also rent a cottage at Woodward Cave or camp at Poe Paddy State Park. Although Penn’s Cave is open all year round, Woodward Cave is closed from November 15 through March 15 due to bat hibernation in the cave. So you will want to make this trip soon or make plans to visit Woodward Cave another time. Sometimes, when the hustle and bustle of everyday life takes over we forget to notice the beauty of the world we live in. Caves are a great way to remind you just how incredible the world really is. |
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Cave, nicknamed The Big One, is
a less tourist oriented walking tour cave. For $10 you
can get a 50-minute tour of the 45-degree cave. This cave
consists of five large chambers with equally beautiful
formations.