** Tragically Florida Caverns State Park was deeply affected by Hurricane Michael in October 2018 and is not yet open to the public. I will update when the park releases more information on the status of the park’s reopening.
I know, I know, North Florida has impressive beaches. But there is SO much to explore that will leave you with a deep appreciation for the beauty and wonder of the rest of the state. For instance, Florida Caverns State Park!
So if it’s raining at the beach, or you’re driving through North Florida on I-10, or just looking for a day trip with the kids, I have the perfect solution for you! Florida Caverns State Park!
Located in North Florida, boarding both Alabama and Georgia, you’ll find Jackson County, home to the city of Marianna and the Florida Caverns State Park. Located an easy one-hour drive from Tallahassee or two hours from Pensacola, Florida Caverns is a fun day trip from most of North Florida.
Y’all, when it’s hot two places in North Florida are tops on my list – Florida Caverns to explore the cool (literally and figuratively) caves and Jackson Blue Springs Recreational Area to enjoy the cool (read: freezing cold), refreshing water. You have to check these places out if you’re ever in the area! I think we’ve been nearly every summer since we moved back to Florida and it never disappoints.
While my kids can recite most of the park rangers’ tour at this point, they always come away with a sense of awe and a new tidbit of knowledge. Plus you get to enjoy a respite from the Florida heat and humidity while down in the caves.
Have I sold it to you yet? If so, read on to make the most of your trip to the Florida Caverns with kiddos!
10 Things to Know When Exploring Florida Caverns State Park with Children
1. Florida Caverns History!
The history is fascinating and will help the kids engage with the park, the scenery, and the tour.
Florida Caverns State Park (also referred to as Marianna Caverns among locals), became a State Park in 1935 after FDR created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Projects Administration (WPA) to employ men during the great depression.
While the men were initially employed to construct park facilities and roadways, when the cave was accidentally discovered in 1937, the CCC and WPA workers were used to excavate and develop the cave system – using only pickaxes and hand tools! The workers were paid $1 a day. Of that, 75 cents was sent to their families and they were allowed to keep 25 cents. The cave was opened to the public in 1942 and remains the only state park in Florida to offer cave tours to the public.
The cavern system itself is made of limestone, originally under the ocean and formed over 38 million years by flowing water. As the waters receded, the caves were drained and continued to be molded by rain and minerals found in rainwater. Inside the cave, you can find many fossils, including a shark’s tooth, that highlight this process.
While this cave system wasn’t discovered until the 20th century, folklore suggests that Indians used the caves to escape Andrew Jackson’s efforts to remove Native Americans in the early 19th century. How cool is that?!?
2. Cave Tour Information!
Cave tours are now offered every day (in the past the caves were closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tours are limited to 25 people and are offered starting at 9am (Central Time Zone) until 4pm, but tours quickly fill up, especially in the summer, so don’t wait until the afternoon to show up or you may find yourself unable to get in a tour.
Coming from the Eastern Time Zone, we usually aim to get there before 10am so the kids aren’t waiting hours for our tour to start. Of course, always call ahead in case schools or camps have several tours booked when you are looking to arrive (call 850-482-1228 to ensure tours are not sold out). Cave tours last 45-60 minutes.
Cave tour tickets can be purchased at the gift shop below the Visitor’s Center, a short walk from the main parking lot.
3. Wear Closed-Toe Shoes!
While not required, I highly recommend closed-toe shoes. The cave has steps leading down to the entrance and the actual tour can be slippery either due to loose dirt or wet conditions.
I find it much easier to navigate for myself and the kids if we have appropriate shoes. Plus it makes the hikes around the cave more fun when you aren’t digging rocks out of sandals.
4. Don’t Touch!
There are a few things you need to prep the kids on before touring the caverns and one is DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING! The cave formations are very sensitive to the oils on our hands and merely touching them can destroy thousands of years of cave growth.
So please either hold their hands or give the little hands something to hold onto to keep those hands off the formations.
HOWEVER, let the kiddos know there is one formation they are allowed (and encouraged) to touch on the tour and to get excited about that opportunity (see picture below)!
5. The Caves are Chilly!
The cave is a near-constant 65 degrees, which feels quite refreshing in the hot, humid summer months, but can feel chilly when you walk in soaked with summer sweat or when it’s cooler outside.
If your kiddo is sensitive to cooler temps, simply bring a light jacket for him or her to wear on the tour.
6. It’s Dark(ish)!
While the cave is well-lighted by electric lights (the tour guides all have heavy duty flashlights to point out interesting structures and in case of emergency) throughout the tour, it’s still an adjustment from the bright Florida sun.
You’ll also want to know that there is typically a point in each tour where the tour guides demonstrate absolute darkness for the tour guests by turning off all artificial lights. If you think your child may have an issue with this, I would discuss with the tour guide.
I have found it best to either: (1) tell the kids ahead of time that the lights will go out and have them hold my hand while it is pitch dark so they don’t feel alone in the dark or (2) for the more sensitive kids, I just tell them to hold my hand and close their eyes, so they never actually “see” the darkness. It is a neat experience for you and the kids to experience what life would be like underground with absolutely zero light.
7. It can get Tight.
There are about twelve rooms that you get to explore on the cave tour. Some are relatively large rooms, and some are a bit more cramped. There are also several times during the tour where you will have to duck or stoop to walk under some lower cave ceilings or through narrow passages.
Be prepared to walk through a real natural cave – this is not one of those cave tours run by private companies that have paved walkways throughout the caverns with handrails.
Much of the Florida Caverns is untouched and preserved so we can view it just as nature created the caves, but be prepared to bend to enjoy that experience. Here is a list of physical requirements the Florida Caverns suggest you possess in order to safety traverse the cavern.
8. There are no food, drink, backpacks, or back infant carriers allowed in the cave!
Carrying a kiddo on your back, or a backpack, would make it difficult to get through the small areas required to traverse the cave system – and that poor babe on your back would end up with quite a few head bumps.
I have, however, carried all my kids in front carriers on the cave tour without issue. Also along that line, strollers are not allowed.
As for snacks and drinks, save them for a picnic after the tour.
9. The educational component of the caverns is fascinating.
The kiddos will get to view not only evidence of the CCC and WPA workers methods in excavating the cave system, but also see evidence left behind from when the caves were underwater – including a shark’s tooth embedded in the ceiling.
Young and old alike will love learning about stalagmites, stalactites, columns, soda straws, “cave kisses,” draperies, and all the other cool cave formations. The tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable and have a grand tour full of interesting information.
10. Don’t forget the Visitor’s Center!
It’s easy to just pop into the gift shop, get your tour tickets and miss the Visitor’s Center above the gift shop – but make time either before your tour while you’re waiting around, or after when you need a blast of A/C after being reintroduced to Florida’s heat and humidity.
The Visitor’s Center offers a walk-through museum and a video tour of the caverns. The Rangers staffing the Visitor’s Center are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.
11. Don’t forget the rest of the park.
It’s easy to just come for the cave tour and assume that’s all this park has to offer, but there is so much more.
Florida Caverns State Park offers fantastic trails (many right around the cave entrance if you have time to kill waiting for your tour), picnic pavilions, canoe and kayak rentals for the Chipola River, camping (35 campsites with electric and water), and swimming at Blue Hole (however I would skip this one and head to nearby Jackson Blue Spring Recreational Area).
Have you been to Florida Caverns? What was your favorite part? Any other tips you would leave others?
As always, thanks for stopping by and happy adventuring!
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