Indiana Caves

[Hoosier Carry]

My son was picking at his fossils and rocks last night, he seems obsessed with the earths treasures. He broke out a small sample of a geode that I didnt know he had, so we took a trip down google lane to learn how geodes were formed. He’s really into studying this stuff(as of now), so I started to look into cave tours here in the state.

Started with “Indiana Caverns” and then found the “Squire Boone” website and that looks good also. He is 7, so just looking for an easy day of fun walking and hitting the mining sluice.

Any other recommendations on cave exploring? Or which park you thinks the better of the two?

 

[snorko]

Marengo is really nice and has two different routes you can walk. I've done both with a 7 yo and they were fine.

 

[spencer rifle]

Are you looking for an easy walking developed cave or a wild cave experience?

 

[Hoosier Carry]

Marengo is really nice and has two different routes you can walk. I've done both with a 7 yo and they were fine.

Going to check that out, thank you!

 

[Hoosier Carry]

Are you looking for an easy walking developed cave or a wild cave experience?

Easy walking for now.

 

[dekeshooter]

Marengo is very nice and my wife and I did both walking tours in the same day. She has some minor mobility problems and she had no issues there. Blue Springs Cave is a much younger cavern and it is a boat tour. The tour isn’t very long but we both enjoyed it.

 

[indyblue]

You have to get permission to enter nowdays, but take him to Buckner's cave in Bloomington. All types of caving necessary though, crawling, walking, climbing. The complete circle route is 2/3's of a mile plus the entrance crawl way (300').

It was wild for decades but IU students partied there and ruined it with trash and they had to "modify" my favorite part of the cave to rescue a drunk who fell from the cliff in the volcano room and broke their back.

Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy, Inc. - Property Access

Official website of the Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy which maintains Buckner Cave in Bloomington, IN.

bucknercave.org

Some of my pics from back in the day. The signature room.

Buckner's Cave

Buckner's Cave

albums.indyblue.org

map

 

[spencer rifle]

Easy walking for now.

All kids are different, but all of ours were crawling in cave mud with a helmet when they were 7. Handy to have along - they could push small passages we big people couldn't get into. Now they have "cave mud in their blood."

 

[Hoosier Carry]

All kids are different, but all of ours were crawling in cave mud with a helmet when they were 7. Handy to have along - they could push small passages we big people couldn't get into. Now they have "cave mud in their blood."

View attachment 334378
View attachment 334379

Looks like fun. I have only been to Mammoth cave when I was a kid so looking forward to a revisit of some of the cool stuff caves have to offer.

 

[Hoosier Carry]

You have to get permission to enter nowdays, but take him to Buckner's cave in Bloomington. All types of caving necessary though, crawling, walking, climbing. The complete circle route is 2/3's of a mile plus the entrance crawl way (300').

It was wild for decades but IU students partied there and ruined it with trash and they had to "modify" my favorite part of the cave to rescue a drunk who fell from the cliff in the volcano room and broke their back.

Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy, Inc. - Property Access

Official website of the Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy which maintains Buckner Cave in Bloomington, IN.

bucknercave.org

Some of my pics from back in the day. The signature room.

Buckner's Cave

Buckner's Cave

albums.indyblue.org

map

Very cool. could you imagine being the first person to explore all of that.

So in 60k years, when the earth recovers from nuclear chaos, will this be what the new people will describe us as?

 

[Hkindiana]

Blue spring Caverns down in Bedford has underground boat tours of their cave. You get to see blind (and totally white crayfish and catfish) as well as all of the cave formations. My nephews loved it when they were his age

 

[Hoosier Carry]

Blue spring Caverns down in Bedford has underground boat tours of their cave. You get to see blind (and totally white crayfish and catfish) as well as all of the cave formations. My nephews loved it when they were his age

Oh yeah, kayaking through the underground river. That needs to happen. Thank you. I am writing all of these suggestions down and maybe we will get to do several throughout the year.

 

[indyblue]

Very cool. could you imagine being the first person to explore all of that.

So in 60k years, when the earth recovers from nuclear chaos, will this be what the new people will describe us as? View attachment 334382

That picture is from “the clay room”, my favorite part of Buckner’s. The whole room is about the size of a Volkswagen beetle inside with all kinds of sculptures like that one.

 

[Glock22]

I live next door to Shiloh cave in Bedford. Lots of water at the entrance but I’m told it’s really nice. A waver is needed to be signed if you wanted to explore it.

 

[JTKelly]

My son was picking at his fossils and rocks last night, he seems obsessed with the earths treasures. He broke out a small sample of a geode that I didnt know he had, so we took a trip down google lane to learn how geodes were formed. He’s really into studying this stuff(as of now), so I started to look into cave tours here in the state.

Started with “Indiana Caverns” and then found the “Squire Boone” website and that looks good also. He is 7, so just looking for an easy day of fun walking and hitting the mining sluice.

Any other recommendations on cave exploring? Or which park you thinks the better of the two?

Blue Spring has what you are looking for and there are several others "near by" if that doesn't fill your day.

 

[JTKelly]

You have to get permission to enter nowdays, but take him to Buckner's cave in Bloomington. All types of caving necessary though, crawling, walking, climbing. The complete circle route is 2/3's of a mile plus the entrance crawl way (300').

It was wild for decades but IU students partied there and ruined it with trash and they had to "modify" my favorite part of the cave to rescue a drunk who fell from the cliff in the volcano room and broke their back.

Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy, Inc. - Property Access

Official website of the Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy which maintains Buckner Cave in Bloomington, IN.

bucknercave.org

Some of my pics from back in the day. The signature room.

Buckner's Cave

Buckner's Cave

albums.indyblue.org

map

I believe there is an organized tour doing that every Monday night.

 

[JTKelly]

Easy walking for now.

Indiana Caverns near Corydon.

 

[COOPADUP]

You have to get permission to enter nowdays, but take him to Buckner's cave in Bloomington. All types of caving necessary though, crawling, walking, climbing. The complete circle route is 2/3's of a mile plus the entrance crawl way (300').

It was wild for decades but IU students partied there and ruined it with trash and they had to "modify" my favorite part of the cave to rescue a drunk who fell from the cliff in the volcano room and broke their back.

Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy, Inc. - Property Access

Official website of the Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy which maintains Buckner Cave in Bloomington, IN.

bucknercave.org

Some of my pics from back in the day. The signature room.

Buckner's Cave

Buckner's Cave

albums.indyblue.org

map

Last time I went through that cave old man Blenz was still alive. You had to sign in on a ledger noting what cave and what time you went in.
Made it all the way down to the waterfall once which took a couple hours.

 

[indyblue]

Last time I went through that cave old man Blenz was still alive. You had to sign in on a ledger noting what cave and what time you went in.
Made it all the way down to the waterfall once which took a couple hours.

Yep, my name is on the sheets many times. And that waterfall passage is brutal, you have to brace yourself between those skinny walls all the way there.

 

[COOPADUP]

Yep, my name is on the sheets many times. And that waterfall passage is brutal, you have to brace yourself between those skinny walls all the way there.

Yes that was dicey. Just one slip and you’d be wedged between the rock.