As if Ohio doesn't have plenty of interesting sites for exploration above ground, it offers a bunch of sites of remarkable underground beauty. Ohio has several different types of bedrock, one of them being limestone, much of which covers the western part of the state. From that limestone comes Columbus Limestone and that is basically found in a line starting at Kelleys Island and going south to Columbus. In fact, the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus is constructed with this Ohio rock.
Being a porous type of rock, limestone is greatly affected by water. When water works its way through the ground, it can create weak spots in the land. One of the weak spots became a sinkhole and the investigation of that caving in led to the discovery of Ohio's largest and most beautiful caverns, Ohio Caverns. Located near West Liberty, this extensive system opened for exploration many years ago when the farmer who discovered it figured that he could make a few extra bucks by letting people go on self-guided tours.
Those tours weren't quite like what you can expect today. In the olden days adventurous types descended into the caves with nothing more than a lantern that they rented from the owner. Crawling and squeezing through tight spaces was requisite then. While it's still quite an adventure to explore this cave, it's much easier with the help of a guide and the improvements that have been made - lighting being one of them. There is even an accessible route available.
As we descended the cave, we were met by the constant temperature of 54 degrees, fairly typical for caverns. Our guide shared the history of the cave and of the formation of stalactites and stalagmites, which formed due to the calcium content of the water that constantly drips in the cavern. The various colors are formed by the mineral deposits. Our tour took us to several rooms including the Big Room, that covers half an acre.
The Ohio Caverns are open year-round. We were lucky to get there on a quiet day without large groups of tourists who mostly visit during school holidays or during the summer. While there, we learned the Ohio Caverns are a part of the Ohio Cave Trail, which also includes Perry's Cave at Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island and Seneca Caverns in Bellevue. Perry's Cave is small and its discovery is credited to none other than Commodore Perry himself. Seneca Caverns, discovered by two boys and originally named after the farmer whose property they were on, makes the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Registered National Landmark list.
Keep in mind that no two caverns are alike; each has its own special features. Be sure to pick up your Cave Passport, get it stamped as you visit each cavern and collect a t-shirt at the end. In addition to exploring underground, you can try your hand at mining and look for gemstones at each of these caverns. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy on the grounds of any of these sites. What a great way to go exploring Ohio's underground geological wonders.
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