Pennsylvania's New State Park Under 2 Hours From Pittsburgh Is Home To The State's Largest Cave

When two men were found barely alive in 1802 after getting lost in an underground cave system beneath the Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania's prettiest region, the entrance was sealed shut. Fast forward to April 2026, and those same caves have become part of Pennsylvania's first and only underground state park. Drawing visitors down steep passages that reach 476 feet below the surface, Laurel Caverns State Park is home to the Keystone State's largest cave system and one of the largest calcareous sandstone cave systems in the world. Four miles of underground passages are waiting to be explored through a series of tours led by the Laurel Caverns Conservancy.

It's not known for sure when the caves were first discovered, but it's believed that Indigenous peoples were the first to find the entrance. The rock dates back around 320 million years, and its sculpted surfaces, with their distinctive swirling patterns, offer a look into a vastly different world to the mountainous, forested terrain above ground. They're also much different from the stalactites and stalagmites that form within limestone caves.

Laurel Caverns State Park is located on Chestnut Ridge, bordering Forbes State Forest near Uniontown. It makes for an ideal stop on a Pennsylvania road trip for adventure seekers, and is less than two hours away from Pittsburgh, one of Pennsylvania's must see cities. The park is open all year round from sunrise until 5 p.m., with plenty more to discover above ground in the surrounding Laurel Highlands. The actual caves are only open from mid-April until the last full weekend in October, when they close to protect several species of bats during their hibernation period.

The only way to explore underground in Laurel Caverns State Park is on one of five tours. Ranging from short, easy walks to more demanding caving programs, tours are priced between $18 to $60. The passages are, on average, 12-feet wide and 10 to 20-feet high, reaching up to 50-feet in some chambers, but none are wheelchair accessible. Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the season, you don't need to reserve tours in advance unless there's more than 15 of you. Tickets are sold at the visitor center.

The easiest tour, and a good choice if you have kids in tow, is the 35-minute Maze Tour, which includes a light and sound show and a geology presentation. The one-hour Full Lighted Tour follows the same route, adding on Calico Falls, a 45-foot high waterfall. The other three experiences are for the more adventurous. The Tour and Crawl Program offers a taste of caving without any rigorous climbing, while the Introduction to Caving Program features rocky passages and crawling. The most challenging is the Deep Depths Caving Program, which takes you deep under the mountain. You'll need decent hiking boots and clothes that cover your arms and legs, but hard hats and lights are supplied. It may sound exciting, but if you suffer from claustrophobia, you might want to sit this one out.

Laurel Caverns may be the biggest bat hibernaculum in the northeastern U.S., but you're unlikely to see any during the tour season. They've usually left by the time the caves open in spring, and the devastating effects of white-nose syndrome have drastically reduced their numbers. The closure of the caves during winter will hopefully go some way to protecting the bat population that remains.

The caves may be the star attraction at Laurel Caverns but the 426 acres of mountainous terrain hiding what's below are equally as beautiful. Unlike the caves, which have entry fees and close during bat hibernation, the above-ground section of the park is free to enter and open all year-round. The visitor center has a gift shop, while outside, the Family Lookout Terrace provides superb views over Chestnut Ridge. You may even spot Pittsburgh's U.S. Steel Tower on a clear day. With picnic areas and gemstone panning activities, there's plenty to keep the kids happy, plus they get to take their treasure home.

While facilities continue to be developed, there are more than 250 miles of trails in the adjoining Forbes State Forest. One of the nearest is the Whitetail Trail, a difficult 10.7-mile trek through remote woodland along Chestnut Ridge, and accessed from Skyline Drive. The shorter, but strenuous, Pine Knob Trail leads up to Pine Knob Overlook with panoramic views over the Laurel Highlands, particularly pretty in fall when oak and chestnut light up the mountainside. The forest is home to black bears and bobcats, with timber rattlesnakes native to this region, so watch where you step on the rocky parts of the trails.

If staying overnight, the historic Summit Inn is a great choice, and has a strong connection to the caves. Located just five miles away, its owner bought Laurel Caverns in 1972, protecting it from development The Inn has more than 90 rooms as well as a restaurant and is open seasonally from April through November.