Florida Caverns State Park
http://www.floridastateparks.org/flo...ns/default.cfm
3345 Caverns Rd, Marianna, FL 32446
(850) 482-9598
Florida Caverns State Park is located three miles north of Marianna, off of U.S. 90 on State Road 166.
From Tallahassee, take I-10 west to exit 142, turn right on Highway 71 and travel north to Highway 90. Turn left. Follow the brown park signs.
From Pensacola: Take I-10 east to exit 136, turn left on Highway 276, travel north to Highway 90. Turn right. Follow the brown park signs.
Florida Caverns State Park has ten distinct natural communities: upland glade, upland hardwood forest, upland mixed forest, floodplain forest, floodplain swamp, alluvial stream, spring run stream, aquatic cave, and terrestrial cave. Some
of these communities are greatly influenced by their elevation above the Chipola River. The floodplain forest is characterized by bald cypress, tupelo, swamp chestnut oak, lizard’s tail and spider lilies. Just above the floodplain is one of the best examples of an upland hardwood forest in the state. Visitors can walk among huge spruce pine, white ash, Florida elm, southern magnolia, American beech, black walnut and needle palms.
The park’s caves have a long and interesting geologic history starting approximately 38 million years ago. Sea levels were much higher then today. The southeastern coastal plain of the United States was submerged. Shells, coral and sediments gradually accumulated on the sea floor. As sea levels fell, these materials hardened into limestone. Over the last million years, acidic groundwater dissolved crevices just below the surface creating cave passages large enough to walk through. Dazzling stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone and other fragile cave-drip formations were created over tens of thousands of years by a similar dissolving process by naturally acidic rainwater. The park’s bluffs, caves and springs are called karst terrain. Blind cave crayfish, cave salamanders, and three species of cave roosting bats are found here.
The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year. Cave tours are not available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Volunteers and staff maintain the trails and invite you to ride horses, bicycle, and walk while enjoying the real Florida. Canoe rentals are available every day. There are a number of picnic areas throughout the park. This 1,319-acre park has 35 campsites with electric and water hookups available for RV and tent camping. Three sites are RV/trailer only and three sites are tent-only. There are stables for visitors who bring their horses by three of the RV/tent sites. Overnight campers who plan to arrive after sunset will need to call the park at
(850) 482-1228 for instructions.
Here is a link to a YouTube video, to show you some of the things you might see;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBDB-Nm384s
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