Though our definition of “underground” usually just means the subway, about three hours north of the city you can journey much deeper beneath the Earth at New York’s largest cavern: Howe Caverns NY.
Located in Howes Cave, New York, this amazing natural creation is believed by some scientists to have been crafted by nature some six million years ago.
Through the power of erosion over a long period of time, small cracks began to open up on the layers of limestone in this area from rain water trickling down from the ground above. Eventually, these small cracks grew to be large cracks, allowing room for underground streams to flow.
Thus, over the course of millions of years, the massive caves of Howe Caverns were formed.
This cavern is quite mysterious and will play tricks on your mind—within its depths solid rock appears fluid, creating strange formations and dripping stalactites, while mysterious grottos open to distant, unexplored passages.
And if you decide to embark on a tour you’ll have the entire cavern at your fingertips.
On the Traditional Tour, you’ll begin in Lester Howe’s above-ground study where Howe himself will tell the story of how this great cave system was discovered. You’ll then travel along a well-worn twisting and turning path on a 90-minute, 1.25 mile walk and a 0.25 mile boat ride through the enormous cavern.
If you really want to be adventurous, Howe’s Caverns also offers other tours, including a Signature Rock Discovery Tour and an Adventure Tour where you’ll embark on a two-hour spelunking adventure. Lantern Tours are also available to book, and you can even do Cave Yoga!
If just your regular run-of-the-mill tour isn’t enough for you, try your hand at their escape room in their ultra-max penitentiary known as “The Cave” that houses the most notorious criminal geniuses in the country. Luckily, the criminals aren’t real criminals, and none of them have been successful in their escape attempts, but hopefully you will be!
Things to keep in mind before visiting Howe Caverns NY:
- Traditional tour tickets must be booked online
- The cavern is not wheelchair accessible
- There are 139 stairs throughout the tour
- The cavern is 52°F so a jacket or sweatshirt is recommended
For more information on how you can tour this cavern that’s older than even the extinct woolly mammoth, head to their website.