Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday unveiled Laurel Caverns as Pennsylvania’s 125th state park, the Commonwealth’s first park centered on an underground cave system. In the Laurel Highlands of Fayette County, the cave network stretches more than four miles beneath roughly 400 to 435 acres of protected land and adjoins Forbes State Forest and State Game Lands 138. The caverns are set to reopen for guided, paid tours on April 22, 2026, after a winter closure to protect hibernating bats, while aboveground trails will remain free to the public.
State will manage a subterranean preserve
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources lists Laurel Caverns as the state’s next park and notes it sits atop a roughly 435-acre geological preserve with more than four miles of wide, navigable passages. The agency says surface amenities will be free and that underground visits will be offered through guided, ticketed programs as DCNR develops a master plan to balance access with resource protection, according to DCNR.
Tours, bats and a spring reopening
CBS Pittsburgh reported that the caverns, which close in winter to protect bat hibernacula, will reopen on April 22, 2026, with guided tours available for a fee while surface trails remain open without charge. At the unveiling, Gov. Shapiro said he expects roughly 50,000 visitors a year to the new park and emphasized the role outdoor recreation plays in the state’s economy.
From family-run show cave to public stewardship
The caverns were long run by the Cale family as a commercial show cave, and the operation will transition into public stewardship under DCNR as part of the donation, a move the owners have supported for years, according to reporting by WTAE. "For it to be a state park, to me, is the ultimate," owner David Cale told that outlet, underscoring the family’s conservation goals for the property.
Plan your visit
The site’s official pages note that general-public tours run regularly and typically do not require reservations, while group bookings and specialized caving programs can be arranged in advance; the cave holds a steady temperature of about 52 degrees year-round. For hours, tour descriptions and visitor details, see Laurel Caverns.
