Central Ohio's Cave of Wonders

Historic signage near the entrance

In 1897 a teenage farm hand working the land came across a large sink-hole and curiosity has led to a century of Eco-Tourism in the countryside about an hour west of Columbus.  Robert Noffsinger poked around that sinkhole and found a series of caves below and told the farm's owner, William Reams, who immediately saw an economic opportunity.


Over the intervening century-plus, countless visitors have descended and wandered the estimated 2 miles of passageways. A visit is always cool -- in a multitude of ways -- as the year-round temperature is 54 degrees with over 90% humidity.  The air is cleaner than that above the ground, as the water in and around the caves serves to filter it.  While a trip to the caves is possible regardless of the surface weather, keep in mind that accessing the site through the rolling hills and 2-lane roads may be tricky in icy and snowy weather.

There are two tours of the caves, a regular tour and a historic tour, led by a guide in front and in behind.  Part of this dual touring is to keep groups together while another to keep visitors from plundering the cave as the first tourists did in the early 1900's.  First visitors would take home their own stalactite from the cave, as the tour was a simple light and rope and wave to where the entrance was without the assistance of any guides.

The stalactites and stalagmites in the cave of our two types, calcite and iron oxide (yes, rust).  There a places where both exist together and combinations of the two are seen.  The tour is well lit and photography is encouraged.  But watch your step, as puddles off the main pathway make trying to get the perfectly framed shot challenging.

One room, a half-acre in size, offers a panoramic view of formations that is simply stunning.  The alleged largest stalactite in Ohio resides here as well, and is an estimated 400 pounds.  These formations take 500 to 1,000 years to form and, understandably, a strict no-touching policy is in place as even a single finger touch can cause irreparable damage to nature's slow-drip action.

The toughest part of the 45-minute, mile-long tour is the ascent at the conclusion of the experience.  A 60-step concrete stair way leads you back to the surface, and its current weather conditions.  On a hot day the surface conditions strike you quickly.

There are ample facilities at the caverns, as a welcome center has a sizable gift shop and for the warmer months sells bags of dirt with rocks inside that allow for some panning in the outside miniature mill run.

While at first blush it may seem that a visit to the Caverns is all there is to do in the area, driving towards West Liberty reveals more history to discover.  Along, and just off, Ohio Route 287 is a pair of "castles" built by the Piatt Family in the 1860s.  Both striking structures are available for tours and make for a great half-day in Logan County.

The history of Ohio may have been written by humans, but sometimes those humans took advantage of the natural resources around them.  And Ohio has its share of geologic delights that have shaped the history of Buckeye's.

- J.



View Larger Map