If you've never been to the Florida caverns being that there even is any caverns in the state of Florida is pretty awesome and unique the experience is always exciting and fun. I've been to this cave a few times over the last 15 years.. and every time I've come, there's always something different about it. When you first get to the cave, be prepared to stop and pay five dollars to enter the state park this is probably one of the only cons about the whole place. I don't know why the state park doesn't include admission to the park along with your admission to the caves, all in one. . At any route five dollars per car load to enter the state park after driving some twists and turns you come up to the visitor center. Don't be discouraged by everybody coming out in sweatshirts or hoodies I was informed by our tour guide that these items would not be needed as the cave is a Balmy 65° all year round. We scheduled our tour online, which showed up three hours early. They're scheduling physically at the place is different from their scheduling online we showed up with the intentions of waiting around for two hours before our tour and was told by the visitor center. There was a tour leaving in five minutes if you want to jump on that one and I gladly accepted . We joined the tour group of about 25 people and Jack was our guide. A local FSU university student. He did a phenomenal job explaining that to the caves along with a lot of humor to make it more enjoyable. After a short three minute walk from the visitor center down to the entrance of the caverns at a depth between 60 and 100 feet underground.. you emerge in a area on a slight incline, surrounded by slag mites, and slag types. As you walk through the cave, your reminded that overtime, the cave changes, especially after hurricane Michael came through in 2018. The caverns apparently filled completely up to the ceiling and along with it brought several tons of sand into the caverns, which all had to be excavated by hand looking at the massive case system seems like such a daunting task, but with the help of volunteers from FSU in the surrounding area, they were able to get it done in three months time. Back to the caverns as you meandering your way throughout your showing multiple different formation names all of which I can't remember, and you come upon the original entrance to the caverns Jack explained to us the former owner of the caverns and their intended use as a tourist trap before eventually turning hands over to the Florida conservation corps.. the walk through the caverns just about 3/4 of a mile before emerging back out the other side and tour. I didn't wanna leave because it was so extremely hot the day that I went outside and being inside, the cave felt so much more relaxing.. Overall, it's a very unique experience . I highly recommend anybody that hasn't been to go to it. You will not be disappointed in anyway.. it's also very good for children as well. I had my eight year-old with me and they learned a lot.. read more

Florida Caverns State Park made for a memorable stop on our road trip from Tampa to Destin. Exploring the caverns was definitely worth doing in this beautiful state park. We directly went to the office to inquire about the caverns tour. We then booked our tour, which would begin in 20 minutes. Meanwhile, we explored the caverns museum, which provided general historical information. Yardi was our excellent guide for the caverns. She provided us with great information and detailed history about the caves, making the tour both informative and engaging. The tour lasted approximately 45 minutes, and Yardi kept it interesting from start to finish. The park also has a food truck for quick bites. Florida Caverns State Park is a great place to learn about the history of caverns within the park. read more

See all

Wow! This cavern is amazing! The tour is definitely worth the 16.00. Our tour guide Jenn was fantastic. Told us about the history of everything. She answered questions and was super nice! A+ read more

See all

Our guide, Jenn, took us on an awesome journey through this Cavern system. We observed some calcite, manganese, and even iron deposits. We may have also seen a bat or two - I may have avoided that part altogether. Some of the reviews were a bit misleading, and we almost missed out on this experience because of it. For one: Some spaces may be tight and low, but never for more than a few seconds. I was just fine, despite my claustrophobia. If for any reason you are not able to complete the tour, Jenn explained that you can be taken out of the system within 4 minutes or so. Recommendation: Don't let fear keep you from enjoying this once in a lifetime experience. read more

Florida Caverns State Park - Interior of Cavern - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

See all

Florida Caverns State Park. About 260 miles west of Jacksonville on I-10. If coming from the East on I-10, I recommend considering diverting at exit 192 in Midway, Fl (good Pilot and Flying J fuel stop options)and take US 90 West for last 65 miles for more scenery. Nice 4 day stay January 3-7. Cold weather on our last day but still warm enough to hike trails with our dog and sit out by fire ring at sunset. Small campground with full hookups. Most sites gravel but level. We had site 21. Like all of the sites it is perpendicular to the narrow campground roadway and difficult to back into if the site across the roadway is occupied. Back in sites that are set at an angle to the road would be preferred. Centrally located bathhouse (has AC and heat!) with laundry facility. The camp hosts were friendly and helpful. Bathhouse was cleaned daily but by evening it was a bit dirty and could have used touching up. A separate "horse" campground with just a few rv spaces and a stable was nearby for those camping and bringing horses to ride the trails. The horse campground did have its own bathhouse. We enjoyed riding our e-bikes on some of the longer trails, most were grassy with few ruts or above ground roots. There is a nice short trail from the rv campground over to the Blue Hole swimming area and horse campground we enjoyed taking our dog on each morning. The Bluff Trail near the Cavern tour parking lot is a good hiking trail but I wouldn't take a bike on it due to its rocky and uneven surface. We enjoyed walking our dog on this trail and the Sink trail. The Cavern tour was enjoyable and took less than an hour with the small group we were in (4 total people!). The tours before and after ours each looked to have 20 people. I'd ask the tour desk person about the number of people in the tour groups and pick the tour group with fewer people for a better experience. A nice afternoon trip was to Falling Waters State Park about 30 minutes West of Florida Caverns. Nice walkway down to the waterfall and sinkhole. Also a nice spot for a picnic lunch. We noticed that although the website showed the campground to be fully booked that several sites were never occupied the 4 days that we were there. One site in particular that I would have preferred over site 21 showed booked but was never occupied. I wonder if it would be beneficial to ask at checking if there had been any site cancellations and perhaps get a better site than we booked. There were a lot of 1 and 2 night transitory rv's in sites around us, mostly northerners heading further south. At one point we had 4 rv's from Ontario, 1 from Washington state and 1 from Alaska near our site. Nearby Marianna has lots of stores and restaurants. We tried Jim's for their country buffet and Cancun Mexican Grill and enjoyed both of these casual dining places. read more

See all

We had Jack as our tour guide and he made the cave tour SO FUN and was super funny. He told great stories and he def has a bright future ahead of him read more

For many years, visiting Florida Caverns State Park was someplace I wanted to go. My husband always wanted to see caves as well. I'm glad we were finally able to visit on June 6, 2024! The park was first developed by Civilian Conservation Corps workers in the late 1930s through the early 1940s. WWII interrupted the work but during the construction, the caverns underground were discovered. It would be a number of years before the park saw further development. I reserved a tour for 1 pm. Our tour guide was Logan. He made the tour fun and interesting as he included bits of history throughout our time underground. Wear closed toed shoes as the surface underground is uneven and wet. There were some young children in our group who got a little restless during the 60 minute tour and sometimes it was difficult to hear our guide. This tour would probably best for school age and up. It's hard to believe that the men in the CCC dug in the caves with limited lighting and space. The formations in the caverns are stunning and a must see! The staff we met on the grounds were all helpful and informative. The gift shop has the usual souvenir type items as well as a few snacks and drinks. We checked in for our tour in the gift shop as well. Check the website for tours and times. There's a tour of the caverns on selected evenings which sounds like a lot of fun. E-bikes are also available for rent but it was hot and a little bit rainy the day we visited, so we passed. As another reviewer mentioned, visiting the caverns is a nice half day activity. I'd like to visit again when the weather is cooler to hike the trails. The natural beauty of Florida Caverns State Park is something that all Floridians (and tourists) should enjoy! read more

See all

A must see if you're in the area. Make sure to bring a light coat. Bring you're own flashlight as well.

Cool place to visit in Florida. I think because most people think of beaches and swamps when asked about Florida, it's a little hard to imagine caverns in Florida. But lo and behold, these are some sizable caverns to see. Definitely an experience visiting, and the visitor center museum provides a lot of interesting facts and tidbits about the park and the local flora and fauna. If you are already in Tallahassee, this is only about an hour away. I think it is a good place to visit and see a side of Florida that most people don't see and don't know about :) read more

See all

This is a beautiful show cave with over 10 natural rooms. Our tour was about 45-50 minutes, and was led by Alec and Jack. Alec said it was his 3rd day as a guide, but he did a fantastic job with plenty of interesting anecdotes and facts about the cave. It was made for tours in the 1930s by Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps. You have to go down a flight of stairs to get into the cave, and you have to be able to bend down to enter some of the rooms. All of the rooms are tall enough to stand in, though. It seems some people may not have been aware of the stairs and the bending down part of the tour. There were some pretty hammock trails around the cave we hiked after the cave tour. There's also a little museum on the 2nd floor of the gift shop that tells the history of the cave. All in all, a fun day! read more

Got tickets in advance. Showed up early and they let our group slide into an earlier time as they had room. Did not know what to expect as I have been to caverns in SD many many years ago. Needless to say, I was not disappointed and my family who never have been to such natural phenomena were also impressed. We went early, before 11am, and it was perfect timing as a large group of teens came into the gift shop to get tickets as we were checking out after purchasing some items. In another note, you do have to pay to enter the park separately from the cavern admittance. Oh and unless you wanna spent some "real" money while visiting, abide the traffic laws and signs. We saw two law enforcement officers writing tickets to those who chose to drive above the posted speed limit. It is a park, not a highway. LOL read more

We came down to this area for a few days and decided to check out the caverns. It was a cold rainy day when we arrived. Here's how it went: The Good: - the whole park is quiet, clean, and natural which I really like - there was a small shop to get tickets for the tour. It had some nice as well as some things for trail hiking you may have forgotten - you start your tour in the main building which has some displays for education about caves and wildlife you might find there. There are even some things kids can touch since you are not supposed to touch anything in the actual cave. - short hike to the cave itself. The walk back from the cave is either short or long, your choice depending on how much meandering you feel like doing - cave itself is down some steps - cave has maintained paths and is well lit for you to see everything - THIS CAVE IS LIVING, meaning the formations are still active. Please do not touch anything. - lots of water in the cave with some pools adding some very nice variety to the rock formations - tour guide was knowledgeable and taught a lot about the cave and the history - even in the late winter, the plant life outside the cave was beautiful and well worth the longer walk on the way back - other trails in the park were fun to explore. my kids really enjoyed the tunnel cave, the trailhead of which is on the other side of the main parking lot - also went hiking on a loop trail near the campground; great hike with fun nature and views of the river; also has a blue hole you could swim in if the weather is warm. WATCH OUT: if it has rained a lot recently, the loop trail gets very flooded. We were hiking during the rain and just accepted the fact that we would be wading in the water on the trail. The Not So Good: - this is not an accessible cave. sorry - the tour guides move at different paces. Ours was taking her time which I really enjoyed since I wanted to see everything, but there was one coming up behind us (even though they started about 15 min after us), so we had to speed up and it cut down how much I could just look around and enjoy - although we came on a slow day, if the parking lot were full the cave would feel very small with all the people on one tour Bottom Line: If you are in the area, this place is worth the time to visit. If it is a hot day, you will appreciate the cool interior of the cave. But whatever day you visit, it is a beautiful, if small, cave, and the hikes around the area are tranquil. read more

Florida Caverns State Park has been on my list for quite some time, finally I made it a reality. The park entry fee is $4 for a single occupant or five dollars for 2-8 in a car. I purchased my cavern tour ticket online in advance for $10.75. Not all tours are posted online, you can purchase a ticket at the gift shop, but tours could sell out. I arrived early, so after checking in at the gift shop, I was able to visit the museum and complete 2 of the short hikes prior to my tour. I enjoyed both the Beech Magnolia, .38 miles and the Bluff Trail, .74 miles. Both trails were cleared nicely but the terrain was rocky with some incline. Our tour guide was Fidel who was knowledgeable and very passionate about the caverns. We learned about the cave's history and the geological formations. Fidel threw in some fun facts like visual displays of some of the formations, for example, the wedding chapel, and the Thanksgiving dinner. He pointed out a bat. The tour lasted approximately one hour, there were 20 people in our tour. There were a few times where we had to bend over to pass-through areas that were about 4 feet high. I did not find the tour strenuous. I highly recommend a visit to the Florida Caverns State Park and the cavern tour read more

See all

Our tour guide had a great sense of humor but was knowledgeable and forewarned all of us to be cautious while viewing all this local beauty.

We love the FL State Parks and this was one of our favorites. The RV campground has full hook-ups, so it is super easy when packing up and leaving; no stopping at the dump station, just drive on out. The sites are nice and clean. Plenty of trails for hiking. Lots of birds singing, and at dusk, you can watch the bats leaving the bat house (near the bath house) looking to eat the mosquitoes in the area. The mosquitoes were not bad, but the gnats were terrible. The guided tour of the cavern was fantastic. If you stay at the campground, it is worth the extra money to take a tour of the cavern. Ann was our guide and she did a fantastic job! It was a nice, relaxing few days. read more

My home state is pretty cool. Been to the caverns a few times, and definitely a unique experience. Learn something new each time I've visited. Highly suggest a visit to the caverns if you're in, passing through, or near that area. Make a reservation and bring cash to tip your tour guide. Kid and family friendly. read more

See all

Took the in-laws to go to the caverns for the first time. We had an amazing tour guide, Rafael. Definitely recommend him for the tour. He also speaks Spanish which he offered to translate the tour in Spanish to my in-laws. We had a good chill time. Kids enjoyed it. read more

Florida Caverns State Park - Beautiful experience to do for sure. - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

Definitely an experience... my family really liked it however I was not a fan (apparently I don't like small spaces) I think it was $15 a person and like $4 to park. They have a pond you can "swim in" but you cannot see the bottom and it was very dirty looking. We arrived at 10 and had to wait until 1:45, so be prepared to wait. I highly recommend waiting until fall and not going on a miserably hot day. The caves were pretty and had some cool features like fog inside... but be ready to squeeze through small spaces, walk up and down, and bend over a lot!! The tour was a little over 30 minutes and you do have a tour guide. The inside of the cave was probably like 64 degrees but it was super squished in there because they take like 20-30 people on the tour. read more

Before you make the trek, understand that tours are limited and sold in order. There is no booking ahead. You show up, you buy the next tour (or don't) and you wait. I arrived at 8:45 and my tour was not until 10:30. That's how it works. My lovely tour guide was a local high school student. She's clearly quite practiced at the tour and was able to answer just about every question asked my me or the 9 other people in the group. The caves are fascinating and just a little bit frightening if you're claustrophobic. It is not for the mobility challenged, unfortunately, There are a number of steps, some with handrails and some without. There are some low passages where you will need to walk with your head down. And there are some bats who really don't care for humans so you'll be ignored. The caves are AMAZING. Simply stunning formations in brilliant colors and shapes. I've never seen anything like it. Wonderful and well worth the wait. Masks are required but understand that social distancing is difficult to enforce in these cramped quarters. So if that's a thing for you, enjoy the above ground park and the museum and the gift shop. [Round number review 14700 overall, round number 200 of 2021, number 1261 in Florida.] read more

See all

This was an amazing experience. This was the first time I've ever visited a cave. The tour lasted about an hour, and the guide was very educated. Great gift shop. Plenty of parking. read more

I got the opportunity to check out this place right before Christmas. Pandemic protocols are in place which means tours limit the number of guests to ten per tour. Arriving at the park entrance, there's an entrance fee that varies with the number of occupants in your vehicle. Alone, my fee was just $4. There's a picnic area and some walking trails in the park. The caverns area is about a mile from the entrance and there's plenty of parking available. When I went (mid-week), tours were once per hour if I recall correctly...each starting on the top of the hour. I just missed the last one so I had about 45 minutes to kill. The workers in the gift shop (where you sign up for the tour) suggested a short walk to kill some time and also their little museum. In the museum, there's a film about the caverns that you can watch in lieu of doing the tour. Now the tour is an additional fee per person. For a single adult, my fee was $10 plus tax ($10.75 total). Your guide starts the tour outside with some local information. You then do a short walk to the cavern entrance. You go down several steps. You'll make several stops during your tour and your guide will provide you with all sorts of information about the caverns. Now the path inside does get narrow at points and you need to be able to duck down to get under low points. I believe the lowest ledge was 3' 11". You're not allowed to touch...except for a select stalagmite. You're welcome to take pictures. I've been in several caverns with Carlsbad Caverns being the largest I've been into. This cavern is now the smallest I've been in. That doesn't mean it isn't spectacular in it own right. The biggest difference, in this cavern...you are really close to the walls and ceiling...but remember, "Please Don't Touch"...yeah, that's how close you are. This cavern is also quite alive...so you'll probably get hit by dripping water several times. I didn't look at my watch, but I think the tour was somewhere between 60-90 minutes. Although I didn't ask specifically, I suspect the cavern itself is unable to become ADA compliant without severely destroying the cavern beauty. Again, you can watch a video tour film in the museum. The gift shop and museum appear to be ADA compliant...but the grade to the gift shop is a bit lengthy from the parking lot. This was a good place to kill some time. Being winter, a lot of trees were bare. I'd imagine things are quite different other times of the year. If you're in the area and have a couple hours, this place is worth the stop. read more

See all

Perfect place to spend a day or a weekend! After doing both, I'm ready to award Florida Caverns State Park the coveted 5-star review. Everyone we've encountered on both visits have been super friendly and accommodating. The campgrounds are clean, with plenty of space between sites to not feel cramped. Modern bathhouses with laundry facilities. The camp hosts will deliver firewood to your sites. There's even a spot to hang your hammock. Many state parks offer camping. What sets this one apart of course are the caves, which is the top reason to visit. Admittedly, I'm not a cave expert, but these are fascinating, colorful and cool... on a hot summer afternoon. The tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging. He did an awesome job with the kids and adults on the tour, which lasted about an hour. Great visitors center and gift shop, as well. If camping, caves, visitors center and gift shop aren't reason enough to visit, the Blue Hole swimming area is an added bonus. Clear, cool spring water with a swim dock, surrounded by a grassy park area with plenty of covered picnic tables to escape the sun. read more

See all

Sadly, this was probably the worst cave tour we have been on. Don't get me wrong, they had some cool formations. The group was too large and with a group of 25 people it gets too loud. What really made this tour the worst ever was the tour guide, there was no history given, and no discussion of how the formations are created. The tour guide would point out a formation and say that one looks like Donald duck, and that one looks like a wedding cake, and so forth. It was pretty disappointing overall. I do like that you can make reservations in advance online, but probably won't be visiting here again. read more

Florida Caverns State Park - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

Took the cave tour and it was just awesome!!! Our tour guide Walker was absolutely fabulous!! Highly recommend asking for him!!!

Neat park, super friendly staff. The tours begin at 9AM and are led by a park ranger. They take about an hour and are fun for kids of all ages. You don't need to bring a flashlight and I'd recommend shorts and a t-shirt. Although it is 68 degrees inside the tunnel, it's still 100% humidity down there. Props to the Civilian Conservation Corps (1930s) for digging this place out using matches and pick axes to make this available for us today. read more

Amazing time!! Park guide had great knowledge of the cavern. There are a few different options and routes you can pick from. Great gifts shop and food truck on site. We will be back read more

Florida Caverns State Park - CCC worker - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

Do not make a long trip out here without a reservation. Wasted 8hours and a whole day because at 12 they were already all sold out for the day after calling first thing and being told we would more than likely be able to get a tour. read more

There is an entrance fee (into the park) of $5.00 per vehicle. Once you get into the park the they also charge you for $10.00 (each adult) for the cave tour. It was a great experience! Shoutout to our tour guide Brett! read more

See all

Absolutely more than just rocks! Our group of four thoroughly enjoyed the cavern tour led by the entertaining guide, Juan. His humor, puns, and singing added a delightful twist to the experience. The tour explored fascinating "rooms" within the caverns, but do be prepared for some squatting and low-hanging "ceilings." Dress comfortably in breathable clothing as it can get warm and humid. We highly recommend this tour for visitors in the area! read more

See all

Fantastic tour! Our guide Steel was so knowledgeable and truly immersed us in the history of the Caverns. 100000/10, would come back in a heartbeat! read more

Cool caves! Fun half day excursion. Caves are narrow and short in some places but these didn't last long. Doing the guided tour was worth it. read more

Florida Caverns State Park - Cave formations - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

I'm slightly biased when it comes to Florida State Parks. I really enjoyed Florida Caverns. I got there early on a Saturday morning, arriving a the park at 8:15 am, i paid at the main gate, then waited in line at the gift shop for it to open at 8:45. There is where I was able to purchase a ticket for the cavern tour for around $10. I was able to get on the 2nd tour at 9:15 am. The tour was boy 45-60 minutes-ish. Our tour guide gave a great tour explaining some of the history and features of each "room"in the cave. Different lighting in each room enhanced the effects of the different elements inside. Stalagmites, stalactites, and bats were all interesting features. A few things to considering. Even though the temperature is 65 degrees the humidity was high, so I was not cold at all. I'm a tall guy and there are a few areas I had to squeeze through. Also were comfortable shoes, there are some shallow puddles and various surfaces to walk around. It is a very unique part of Florida. read more

See all

Moderate to strenuous walk with tight spaces and low ceiling. The tour was one hour and around a one mile long.

Nice tour, about an hour maybe a little less as we had a small group. It says it is moderate to severe exercise and there are a few steep areas and stairs; overall the pace is slow enough to not make this strenuous. Definitely a smaller cave and could feel a tad claustrophobic and you will see bats. read more

See all

AP was our guide and was super knowledgeable and funny. Loved the time here with my wife and my in laws.

Great cave tour,trails, picnic, camping. A must visit while in the Panhandle of Florida.

The park opens at 8am and closes at 5pm. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The cave tour starts at 9 am and start every again 30 minutes. There's also a museum upstairs. Rules for the cave are to not touch anything, no back packs or large bags. Be cautious that the hike is 3/4th of a mile and has some really low ceilings. After the tour (approximately 30 min), don't forget to check out the museum upstairs above the gift store. Our tour guide was Wade. Very informative and very nice, if you have any questions, he'd be welcome to answer and assist you. If not, he'll find someone else that will help you. In fact, the entire staff is welcoming! read more

See all

The cave tour was great! It said it was 65 degrees in cave but it was warmer. There are some slick areas, stairs, and most on an incline. There are some low areas you have to bend over to walk through. That being said we really enjoyed the tour guide Honey Bee. She was informative and entertaining at the same time. The cave itself is very beautiful. read more

See all

Nice outing. The park is well kept. The store has neat items. The museum is worth the tour

My favorite pics that I took on my weekend trip to Marianna to tour the Florida State Caverns!!! It kept reminding me of the Avatar movie!! These pictures are not edited in any way so you can enjoy the natural beauty. The FIRST pic is a picture of the cavern's "heart" ... This was also around the time when we were warned that "the ceiling was very low" and to "watch our step and watch our heads"... I looked up to make sure of where I was going... only to get two eyefuls of the person's buttcheeks ahead of me as they were bending over... and who apparently forgot their underoos and/or a belt at home!! Still had a great visit despite being nearly blinded by the light of the full moon... Highly recommend bringing water (this kind of humidity and lack of air movement can make you feel hot even when it's cold near the middle to end of the tour), bring a camera, comfortable shoes (that can handle slippery and/wet terrain), something other than a backpack (they'll make you wear it in front), if you're claustrophobic - bring whatever you need to be "ok" in an enclosed place for a long time... and last, but certainly not LEAST: your underoos and belts PLEASE, for the love of GOD!!! #floridacaverns #caverns #florida #flstateparks #fullmoon #plumberscrack #850strong #floridastrong read more

See all