Caves and caverns in central and upstate New York were created more than 6 million years ago and are among the small number of mineral caves around the world. New York was once covered by the Atlantic Ocean, and as ocean life died, it covered the ground with shell particles. This built-up pressure on the ocean's bottom, turning the lower layers of earth into limestone. As millions of years passed, North America rose out of the ocean and water passages drained, carving away at the limestone and leaving dry caverns. Today, people can visit these caverns in awe of earth's wonder.
Located in central New York, Howe Caverns' Traditional Tour, which is an 80 minute walking tour with a boat ride. An experienced guide leads you through the massive main cavern, through galleries and under boulders that hang above your head. The tour then brings you to the shore of Lake Venus where a boat brings you downriver. On the way back, you have the option of kneeling at the Bridal Altar and navigating through a 500-foot passage called Winding Way, one of the world's best examples of underwater erosion. Howe Caverns also offers the Lantern Tour and the Adventure Tour for a two-hour adventurous exploration of the caverns.
Howe Caverns, Inc.
255 Discovery Drive
Howes Cave, NY 12092
518-296-8900
howecaverns.com
Secret Caverns explore nature's wondrous underground, featuring a100-foot underground waterfall and limestone caverns under the hills of central New York. Trained guides give tours from the main lodge every 20 minutes, making it convenient for all schedules. Guided tours last about one hour and travels a half mile underground through caverns. You will get an intimate view of ancient calcite formations and prehistoric fossils. It is open from mid-April to early November.
Secret Caverns
671 Caverns Road
Howes Cave, NY 12092
518-296-8558
secretcaverns.com
Natural Stone Bridge and Caves offers a self-guided exploration tour throughout New York's marble caverns. The caves were formed during the last Ice Age, when a fault exposed a layer ancient marble which eroded from acidic floodwater. It begins traveling through the largest marble stone arch entrance in the east, and leads you to a discovery of unique rock features, such as marble gorges, grottos, mill side waterfalls, and surface caves. The tour is about an hour in duration and about three-quarters of a mile in length. Natural Stone Bridge and Caves additionally offer an adventure tour and a winter tour for extra exploration.
Natural Stone Bridge & Caves Park
535 Stone Bridge Road
Pottersville, NY 12860
518-494-2283
stonebridgeandcaves.com
