Nature’s Artistry: Pennsylvania’s Crystal Cave

Perfect weather in Poconos. Trip extended by another day. More time to explore gorgeous Pennsylvania.

Checked in for the night after a wonderful day of zip-lining in the valley. The following day, we had to pick one of the two places to visit – Dingmans Falls or the Crystal Cave. Was a tough one, but we decided to see the caves.

However, before going in, we all had a few questions to ask. And the guide was more than happy to answer. He began, “The temperature inside the cave stays under 60F, its always cooler than outdoors in summers and warmer in winters”. That was good to know ahead of time.

“And I will be putting off all the lights inside the cave for just a few minutes during the 45 minute tour, to help you understand the way people experienced it 100 years ago”. Wow, that was concerning.

And then came up the issue of bats, but the guide assured us, “though bats are there, I have never seen them come out in many years”. I guess that was enough for the day.

The moment we stepped in, the sudden change in climate was pretty obvious and it was a little surprising as well. In addition to that, with the massive boulders poking out and dark eerie corners, it felt like treading into the unknown and strange – very different from anything we had ever experienced.

The tour guide explained the various rock formations found in the caves with examples present there. The dripping water created – stalactites which hang from the ceiling, stalagmites sprout out from the rocks, flowstone sheets and different kinds of drip-stones. These could be easily compared to any beautiful artwork and in this case it was created by nature itself.

One of the formation was shaped like an ice-cream cone, one resembled an eagle or even an angel, one of those appeared similar to a statue of a woman holding a vessel, some were shiny crystals stuck to the stones and some were just indescribable. It was all so captivating.

We went all the way to the end of the cave walking though narrow walkways created on fallen rocks. And not to forget, we did experience the cave in pitch darkness when the lights were put off for two minutes in between. Can’t imagine how people must be venturing inside the cave without lights, when their candles went off or melted.

Crystal cave is definitely one of the best things we have ever seen. And is aptly described in the brochure as – ‘a splendid museum of nature’.

Stepping out of the cave was shocking again as the temperature suddenly changed. Surely, we had an amazing time, something to remember forever.

Copyright © Vasudha Aggarwal & travel-defined.com, 2014 -15. All rights reserved.

Info:

Crystal Cave is located at – 963 Crystal Cave Rd, Kutztown, PA, United States. It is open from March 1st to November 30th every year. And the hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with extended summer hours) – as per the website. It is about 75 miles from Philadelphia and makes for a great day trip.