Gov. Josh Shapiro on Sunday announced the official designation of Laurel Caverns State Park in Fayette County, about 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, making it the Commonwealth's 125th state park — and its first ever underground one.
Many Pennsylvania residents may not realize they live above a surprisingly rich cave country. Southwestern and central Pennsylvania are abundant with limestone-heavy geology, producing dozens of cave systems created over millions of years of acidic groundwater slowly dissolving the rock. Laurel Caverns showcases that hidden landscape. It's become a sprawling underground network that has drawn curious visitors since the 1960s.
The 435-acre park stretches around the largest and deepest limestone cave in Pennsylvania. It features four miles of passages that descend as far as 476 feet below the surface. The park officially opens to the public on Earth Day, April 22.
During his visit to announce the designation, Shapiro said the bipartisan action was a priority for him as his administration continues efforts to bolster the state's outdoor recreation industry.
" [Outdoor rec is] an incredibly important part of our economy in Pennsylvania, generating $20.4 billion for our state economy," Shapiro remarked from inside the caverns. "And there's about 177,000 of our fellow Pennsylvanians who work in outdoor recreation."
Shapiro said efforts have led to $3.5 billion in increased in revenue and 12,000 additional jobs in the sector. He also stressed the mental and physical health benefits the state's outdoor spaces offer to residents and visitors.
" It just naturally helps people heal and brings a calmness," he said, adding that "it's also important in these times of great division to find opportunities to come together and not pay so much attention to who you voted for, but instead pay attention to the terrain you get to walk together."
The caverns were privately operated for more than six decades after former owner David Cale's family opened them to the public in 1964. Together, he and his wife Lillian created the Laurel Caverns Conservancy in 1986 to manage the site's operations. The family recently donated the property to the Commonwealth outright, making the state park designation possible.
Fayette County Commissioner Vince Vicites called it "a major win for Fayette County," pointing to the park's existing draw of roughly 50,000 visitors a year and anticipating that number will climb with the state designation.
Shapiro said parks like Laurel Caverns give families "a place to make memories, and all of us a chance to get away, take a breath, and just enjoy nature."
Admission to the park grounds will be free, consistent with Pennsylvania's state park system, though cave tour fees will stay in place through the 2026 season.
Upgrades to parking, accessibility, and the visitor center are being planned as the transition moves forward.
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