PA's First Underground State Park To Debut

FAYETTE COUNTY, PA — Pennsylvania now has a subterranean state park.

Approximately 50 miles from Pittsburgh, Laurel Caverns is a 435-acre park centered around the largest and deepest limestone cave in Pennsylvania, which includes four miles of wide cave passages that go as deep as 476 feet and the largest bat shelter in the Northeast.

The caverns attract 50,000 annual visitors and will officially reopen to the public on Earth Day, April 22, to remain open until October.

Gov. Josh Shapiro was on hand Monday with other state officials to announce the opening of the 125th state park.

“Parks like Laurel Caverns give our kids a new place to learn, our families a place to make memories, and all of us a chance to get away, take a breath, and just enjoy nature,” Shapiro said.

Plans are underway to make initial upgrades to enhance visitors’ experiences at the park, with several improvements currently underway, including electrical upgrades; improved accessibility in parking spaces, entryways, and bathrooms; and routine updates to the foundation and structural system of the visitor center.

Like all Pennsylvania state parks, entrance and participation in recreational activities such as hiking, birding, and picnicking will remain free at the caverns, but fees to enter the cave for one of five guided or self-guided tours will remain in place throughout the 2026 season.