\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLaurel Caverns has now become Pennsylvania’s first underground state park, with the governor announcing its official opening on Monday. Gov. Josh Shapiro, alongside Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, announced the opening of Laurel Caverns State Park with local leaders in Fayette County. The park becomes Pennsylvania’s 125th state park and the first subterranean state park in the commonwealth’s history. According to a release, Laurel Caverns will help expand Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy, “which contributed $20.4 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy in 2024 and supported approximately 177,000 jobs.””Parks like Laurel Caverns give our kids a new place to learn, our families a place to make memories, and all of us a chance to get away, take a breath, and just enjoy nature,” Shapiro said in the release. “Pennsylvania’s state parks are an incredible asset to our Commonwealth and our economy \u2013 and when we invest in outdoor recreation, we not only create good-paying jobs, but by bringing people together, we also invest in the well-being of our neighbors and the future of our Commonwealth.”Laurel Caverns, which is located 50 miles from Pittsburgh, is a 435-acre park surrounding the largest and deepest limestone cave in Pennsylvania. It includes 4 miles of wide cave passages that go as deep as 476 feet and the largest bat shelter in the Northeast. The caverns attract 50,000 annual visitors and will officially reopen to the public on Earth Day, April 22, to remain open until October.DCNR plans to make initial upgrades to enhance visitors’ experiences at the park, with several improvements currently underway. Improvements include electrical upgrades, improved accessibility in parking spaces, entryways, and bathrooms, and routine updates to the visitor center’s foundation and structural system.The state designation of the cavern marks the first in Pennsylvania since 2022. Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tFARMINGTON, Pa. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Laurel Caverns has now become Pennsylvania’s first underground state park, with the governor announcing its official opening on Monday. <\/p>\n
Gov. Josh Shapiro, alongside Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, announced the opening of Laurel Caverns State Park with local leaders in Fayette County. <\/p>\n
The park becomes Pennsylvania’s 125th state park and the first subterranean state park in the commonwealth’s history. <\/p>\n
According to a release, Laurel Caverns will help expand Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy, “which contributed $20.4 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy in 2024 and supported approximately 177,000 jobs.”<\/p>\n
“Parks like Laurel Caverns give our kids a new place to learn, our families a place to make memories, and all of us a chance to get away, take a breath, and just enjoy nature,” Shapiro said in the release. “Pennsylvania’s state parks are an incredible asset to our Commonwealth and our economy \u2013 and when we invest in outdoor recreation, we not only create good-paying jobs, but by bringing people together, we also invest in the well-being of our neighbors and the future of our Commonwealth.”<\/p>\n
Laurel Caverns, which is located 50 miles from Pittsburgh, is a 435-acre park surrounding the largest and deepest limestone cave in Pennsylvania. It includes 4 miles of wide cave passages that go as deep as 476 feet and the largest bat shelter in the Northeast. <\/p>\n
The caverns attract 50,000 annual visitors and will officially reopen to the public on Earth Day, April 22, to remain open until October.<\/p>\n
DCNR plans to make initial upgrades to enhance visitors’ experiences at the park, with several improvements currently underway. Improvements include electrical upgrades, improved accessibility in parking spaces, entryways, and bathrooms, and routine updates to the visitor center’s foundation and structural system.<\/p>\n
The state designation of the cavern marks the first in Pennsylvania since 2022. <\/p>\n