Florida Caverns State Park

Florida Caverns State Park
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
Map showing the location of Florida Caverns State Park
Location Jackson County, Florida, USA
Nearest city Marianna, Florida
Coordinates 30°48′50″N 85°13′59″W / 30.81389°N 85.23306°W / 30.81389; -85.23306Coordinates: 30°48′50″N 85°13′59″W / 30.81389°N 85.23306°W / 30.81389; -85.23306
Established 1942
Visitors 107,597 (in 2013)
Governing body Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Designated December 1976
Sign at the entrance to Florida Caverns State Park
Some of the cave formations in the large, publicly accessible cave at Florida Caverns State Park, 2007.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Florida Caverns State Park.

Florida Caverns State Park is a Florida's State Park, located in the Florida Panhandle near Marianna. It is home to the only air-filled caves accessible to tourists in Florida.

Florida Caverns is unusual for the state. The limestone caverns were formed over time, as water seeped into and dissolved local bedrock, forming stalagmites, stalactites and flowstones. The same phenomenon is occurring in many other locations throughout Florida; as years pass, local fissures may turn to holes, and holes into caves. However, the vast majority of Florida's groundwater erosion formations have stopped at the sinkhole stage and have not developed further into caves.

Florida Caverns State Park and the neighboring golf course were originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of the New Deal.

Recreational Activities

The park has such amenities as bicycling, birding, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking trails, horse trails, kayaking, picnicking areas, wildlife viewing and full camping facilities. Ranger-led tours are available on the hour from 9 AM to 4 PM, and take 45 minutes to 1 hour. It also has a visitor center, interpretive exhibit and concessions.

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 13, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.