Indiana Caverns Cave Tours in Corydon, Indiana
Indiana Caverns in Corydon, Indiana is a part of the Binkley Cave System, the longest cave system in Indiana–and the 11th longest in the United States.This is one amazing Harrison County attraction. It’s got everything: history, great formations and waterfalls (including a four story waterfall!), one of the largest collections of Ice Age bones in North America, and even a boat ride!
Indiana Caverns in Corydon, Indiana
But up until recently, public tours of the system were impossible. Only just discovered in 2010, and at 38 miles long, all previous entrances were located on private property, until February 11th, 2012, when a connection between Blowing Hole and Binkley Caves was discovered. Finally, a public entrance into the amazing (and largely unexplored cave system) could become a reality!
I’m definitely thrilled about that! Caves absolutely amaze me. I love walking around and thinking about the incredible age of them, hearing about the (often surprising) way the Indiana caves are found, and learning about the fossils that were entombed inside.
They worked very hard creating just a fabulous building to house a spacious gift shop, an outdoor gem mining experience for kids, and excellent informational areas. With tours just beginning June of last year (2013), it’s certainly a newer Indiana town destination–and one that we were very happy to check out!
Binkley Cave Attraction in Corydon, Indiana
Indiana Caverns Paleo Dig in Corydon, Indiana
As I stated above, it’s a 38 mile cave system but don’t worry–tours here don’t cover 38 miles! You’ll get in about an hour and twenty minutes of walking and riding. Yes, I said riding! What makes this Indiana attraction unique is the addition of a 25 minute long boat ride!Rimstone dams and the possibility of seeing blind cave crayfish and a few other small critters keep little ones extra entertained while slowly put-putting along in a boat over the underground river.
But what I thought was really something was that fact that there is so much that they don’t know about this cave! It’s not a done deal, all shined up, polished, and ready for tours. No, there are still secrets hidden here.
They don’t know all the passageways yet, they don’t know if there are other undiscovered entrances, and they are still unearthing fossils! As you explore Indiana Caverns, you will find that there are pockets here and there where folks are digging up remains.
Indiana Caverns Cave Tours in Corydon, Indiana
They update the large map in the lobby when they have discovered new branches to the cave, and tack on its total known length. In a time when it sometimes feels like there’s nothing left to discover, it’s really neat to see that kind of work in progress!For those in good shape and aged ten and up, there’s even a Paleo dig! Grab your boats and get that helmet on–the Udig Paleo Dig is eight hours of working with the fossil excavation team unearthing bones, skulls, and other fossils. Is that awesome or what?
At Indiana Caverns, we joined a small group for a look inside the cave. Heading through the door and down the spiral stairs, things quickly go from ho-hum to fantastic! It felt wonderful to escape the heat. Indiana Caverns in Corydon is a cool 54* all year round. We knew to make sure we had jackets and sneakers on. The people, the stories, the knowledge–every part of our Indiana Caverns tour was phenomenal. Our tour guide was just the best!
Go There
Indiana Caverns Gem Mine in Corydon, Indiana
After an hour and twenty minutes of not touching anything, our boys were thrilled that they could pan for gems at Indiana Cavern’s outdoor gem mining attraction. If you’ve been looking for somewhere to gem mine in Southern Indiana, theirs is really cute and big! The boys loved that sort of hands-on opportunity before they had to get back in the car and sit still yet again. I was glad for the little break, too.This is just a terrific family destination! I can’t recommend Indiana Caverns in Corydon, Indiana enough! A year round attraction, it’s a great place to stop any time of year! Follow along in their caving adventures by visiting the Exploration Blog, Facebook Page, or website (link below). Stay tuned for a video in the weeks to come!
Special thanks to Indiana Caverns and Harrison County for hosting our Indiana Caverns tour. Opinions remain mine and mine alone.
Small Towns: Destinations, not Drive-Thrus! I’m Jessica Nunemaker and THIS is little Indiana!
Find pictures in Indiana on my Flickr photostream or on the new little Indiana Tumblr blog.
Just don’t forget to tell ‘em that little Indiana sent you!
Indiana Caverns
1267 Green Acres Dr SW
Corydon, Indiana 47112
812.734.1200
Don’t miss a moment. Subscribe to little Indiana and receive instant updates to stay on top of everything “little.”
little Indiana: Where to Stay, Play, and Eat in Small Towns in Indiana. Discovering Indiana’s best small towns! Now get little Indiana on your Kindle.
Targeted. Relevant. Affordable! little Indiana advertising.
