The caverns are really spectacular! This was a family day trip that we took, and the kids really enjoyed it. Beyond just the caverns, there are a lot of hiking trails that lead to other places you can explore within the park. One of the trails took us through a cave that you can actually walk through that was really cool. The tour itself runs about every half hour, and it is fantastic for kids. There are points where they will turn off all the lights, just in case you have little ones. Portions of the tour can be kind of claustrophobic and cramped in certain spaces, but that shouldn't deter you. Worth the money, and worth the visit! read more

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We stopped in on our drive back from Panama City and it did not disappoint! We hiked a bit, swam, and took the cavern tour. The cavern tour was pretty awesome. It was beautiful inside and a good break from the summer heat. Our 5 year old loved it! It is a great value for the money and our tour guide was wonderful. It can sell out so, the earlier you get there the better. We went on a Thursday and got there at 11:45, the first available tour was 1:30. While we waited We had a picnic and swam in the Blue Hole. The area is beautiful. The water is ice cold, also great for the summer heat. Overall, beautiful state park with some interesting features. Makes for a great stop to break up a drive. read more

Florida Caverns State Park - The Christmas Tree room - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

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Ok this is really tough...if I could just review the park and the area itself I would give it a 5+ star rating. However, we visited the park with our RV and stayed at the campground. The sights are very spacious and shaded and private however they are also 100% dirt. We get a lot of rain in Florida and that mixed with the dirt and the amount of shade in the campground meant for a weekend of flooding and lots of mud! It made it quite miserable and dirty, even packing up was difficult as everything was quite muddy. Site #16 is the only gravel site, if I could I would choose that, I wish they would improve every site to that standard. Most of our group said they would never return due to the dirt and mud. The area is beautiful with lots of springs and rivers and trails to explore! Hopefully they can do a little improving of the campsites soon! read more

This was a really neat experience and worth the short drive from Tallahassee. It was only the second time touring a cave with the first being thirty years ago. Be sure to visit the museum above the gift shop for a great place to cool off. The tour was 45 minutes and we visited several rooms. I was expecting the walking areas to be tighter spaces than they actually were. The Bluff trail was really cool as there is a cave that you can actually walk all the way through. Overall, it was a nice family activity for a few hours. read more

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I drove four hours to get here and I Hate Driving! But I have been curious about this place for a whole year and it was will worth the visit! Very cold outside but the cave was... Warm? So dress in layers. Very natural cave and I say that because I have been to a cave before and the last one had more of a tourist feel compared to this. This cave a bit more awesome and creepy at some points which made a great experience. The last cave I went to had a snack bar at the bottom. This case is natural, better experience, and I plan to come back... Once I feel like driving again. :). Wonderful. read more

Florida Caverns State Park - My son and i inside the Florida cavern - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

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Well worth the drive up to North Florida! This park is beautiful and I especially enjoyed the cavern tour. What a cool part of our Florida history. As the other reviews have stated get here EARLY, or risk not being able to get in at all. Also, the tour guide cautioned folks numerous times to watch their heads while walking through the cave. I cant stress this enough as one of the guys in the line ahead of us smashed his head right into a stalactite. Talk about painful! It knocked him clear to the ground - so if you are bringing kids (and even for the "big" kids), just keep that in mind. I was hoping to see a bat (I'd probably be singing a different tune if I actually saw one), but I did get to see a cute little salamander! So why not check it out, learn a little history and support our local parks? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I sure was! read more

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When you turn to your friends and say, "Hey man, wanna visit those caves in Florida?" they'll 100% think you've gone nuts. But there really are caverns in Florida! Still, you may be crazy. Crazy or not, this cavern experience is a great visit. As a South Floridian, the novelty of going underground without being underwater in my odd state is a real treat. The caverns are a fascinating history lesson, nature experience and beautiful sight. We went for the first tour on a Sunday, and I'd suggest the earlier tours! There were fewer than 10 people in our tour group, and our cavern guide (spelunking specialist?) was incredibly fun and informative. This tour is an easy walk, and it's seriously a great time for adults and kids. Pro tip: for the love of all that is holy, bring 80 gallons of bug spray. The caverns don't have bugs, but the paths to and from the caverns are mosquito heaven. Also, try not to think about scary movies such as The Descent while you're in the caverns. Unless of course you enjoy being totally creeped out. read more

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If you're on i-10 and thinking about taking a break from driving this is a pretty sweet spot to stop by and check out the cave! read more

Florida Caverns State Park - If you're driving on I-10 it's truly worth stopping by for a break and see the cave! - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

Florida Caverns was an awesome place to explore on our day off. Our tour guide Amarie was the picture of southern charm and quirk, with funny anecdotes and fun facts for days. The caves are so unexpected in a town as small as Marianna, but definitely worth the drive from Tallahassee. We enjoyed the cool temperature of the subterranean cave, which was such a relief from the persistent Florida sun. You'll be amazed by all of the rock formations that have formed over thousands and thousands of years. read more

Florida Caverns State Park - In the cave! - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

The park grounds are very well kept. It's a pretty park. However, the ladies room looks like it hasn't had a good cleaning. Toilets were dirty, had not been scrubbed and paper all over the floor. The cave tour was great. read more

Great stop with a family friendly tour of caverns that ends on a trail. You have to hike thru hilly swamp lands back to the parking lot. They have picnic tables available. This was a great little stop to explore with two young boys on a long road trip. Be sure to bring plenty of bug spray! read more

The park staff are super nice! We stopped at the entrance to check in and get directions to our campsite, and perhaps the nicest person ever gave us directions, a map, and a pamphlet for the park. The campsite was nice, you aren't allowed to collect firewood, but you can buy a bundle from the campsite managers for $5 (cash or check only). The bathrooms were nice, a little crowded at night around shower time, but it's no problem when you just need to use the restroom. The only problem was that the bathrooms ran out of toilet paper in the night. The tour of the cave was short (about 45 minutes max) but informative! I've been caving before, and this was on a less intense scale but still very cool with lots of formations to see. There is no point in the tour where you have to crawl or squeeze into any places, so it's great for nearly all people. My only problem was that the tour guide sounded as though she had given the tour about a thousand times before and was very monotonous and rushed through the information she was going through. I would barely catch some of the things she said. She did say a lot of informative facts though, so what you did catch was very interesting. As well, I heard the other tour guide ahead of us talking and she sounded very engaging herself, so it's probably just this one tour guide. I would recommend bringing your own headlamp or flashlight. The cave is lit, but very dimly so, so if you want to get a good look at the seashell fossils in the walls or the soda straw formations and sparkly calcite, I would definitely bring a personal light source. All in all a very fun experience at the park! read more

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

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Dawson did a great job as our cave guide. He was fun and informative. Stalagmites and stalagtites oh my! It was a lot of fun and I would highly recommend visiting the cave. The tour was about 45 minutes. I don't recommend this for real young children. The two on our tour left early. I was impressed with the formations in this cave. I am also grateful for the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and their contribution to our National Parks, etc. During the depression, you didn't get a hand out. The men went to work for $1 a day. They were given a place to live and food to eat. They sent most of their money home. Helping themselves and their families! read more

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Second time visiting the caverns. Had Katherine as a tour guide. She was very informative and did an amazing job taking us through the cave. Unbelievable sight. read more

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We will be back! This was an un planned stop to tour the caverns. It was a great tour and our guide was great and very knowledgeable!

Really enjoyed the caves, our guide was Kat, she did a good job. Campground was spacious, firepit should be closer to back of site, clothes line could be placed on side. Full hook but dump station too easy to use for 3 night stay. Would recommend to others and would return. Paddling and canoes available for rent. No cave tours on Tuesday or Wednesdays. Call before making your trip if these are important. Nice swimming hole in season. read more

A waste of time as CANNOT see the caverns unless you pay for the tour. We paid the entrance fee and only had 45 minutes to spend there. We were told the cavern doors are locked and will be opened for the next tour starting almost 40 minutes from that time. Wow! They could easily have employee at both entrances and let people in upon arrival but no. Poorly operated park. read more

What a great place for a day trip from Tallahassee! The Florida Caverns State Park offers everything you'd expect like a campground, playground, and nature trails, as well as a small museum and tours of the caverns. The guide was especially knowledgeable in the history and excavation of the caverns by the corp during the Great Depression. The caverns themselves were absolutely breathtaking, although a little cramped at times for a tall guy like me. Yet, it is the wait time here and "quality" of the average tourist which soured the experience a bit. Expect to wait at least a few hours for your tour, as they fill up fast, so go enjoy one of the many trails close by. Also, the parents in the tour group seemed to think that, because there was a guide, the policing of their own children was no longer their concern. In a delicate and confined environment like the cavern system, screaming and running children do not benefit the experience of the tour or the caves, as they touched everything around them, against the clearly stated rules. read more

I had waited over a year to visit this park due to Hurricane Michael tearing up this area last year. A lot of their trees are down and you can still see damage in the area and they are rebuilding and renovating the park areas. The history here is so amazing and I didn't realize until the tour. Bring your own flashlight if you can! They do have them here, but I just liked mine a bit better to see into dark corners! Everyone we spoke to was nice. Our tour guide was an older gentleman who was really nice and knew the history well. He answered all of our random questions and pointed out bats along the way! I would definitely come visit. It's only about an hour from Tallahassee so I good little weekend trip. Remember that they are on Central time though so you can leave Tallahassee at 8 then get there at 8. I recommend this Park and I can't wait until it fully reopens. The gift shop and little museum are also really cool. We spent a lot of time in there and relaxed for a bit in the rocking chairs right outside! read more

Really great. Codi was our tour guide and she made it very fun and was super informative. I would definitely recommend this place for anyone passing by the area, the caverns are amazing. Being 6' tall made it kind of hard at some parts but trust me it's really worth it! read more

Florida Caverns State Park - One of the cavern rooms. Cool stalactites - Parks Near Me - Marianna, Florida

Wonderful day walking through nature. Easy hiking trails and the tour guide was very informative. Great for the family! read more

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

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GO!!!! $5 per car load to get in park. THEN, $8 per person for cave tour. $5 for kids cave tour (I think). A friend of mine said the cave was going to be small. So we told our "10 year old" travel companion that it was only going to be like sampling of a cave. But we actually found it to be quite big. They take you to about 6 rooms via passage ways and the guides have a lot of information to share. Schedule your time for: 45 minutes for cave tour 45 minutes for trail hike 30 minutes for FREE museum. and more time to drive around the remainder of the huge park. Handicapped info: The information center, store, museum is a hike on an incline. Someone with a walker may have a difficult time. GO!!!! read more

What a great experience! My biggest issue was our tour guide had a slight speech impediment and at times she was very difficult to understand. Sweet and intelligent but difficult to hear. The caverns way cool bring your own kick butt flashlight. read more

I'm sure than many people are not aware that real caves, replete with stalagmites and stalactites, exist in Florida - but here's the proof. Of course, it's debatable if this is truly even the Florida I know anymore, being so close to the Alabama state line. I think they call this area the "FLALAGA" (Florida/Alabama/Georgia) and/or the "Wiregrass." But I digress. Access to the caves isn't what I would call cheap - you pay a fee to get in to the park itself, then you pay an additional fee for the cavern tour. Yes, you must opt for the guided tour if you wish to see the caves. And you should see the caves - the cave system is actually more extensive than expected, it's not just a quick in-and-out. Formations, pools, larger rooms, tight spaces...this is the real deal. The claustrophobic need not apply. Another cool aspect of the caves (pun intended) is that the temperature down there remains in the 60s year-round - so taking the tour is also a good way to beat the summer heat. Beyond the caves, one could easily spend an entire day here. There are hiking trails near some smaller caves, and these are a worthwhile walk. I didn't notice any skeeters, but the horse-flies were really bad on this humid day in June...do not stop to take pictures or smell flowers - I think the only reason why they weren't able to bite us was that we kept moving at a decent clip. Trust me, when these things are buzzing all around you, you end up walking pretty fast, especially if you know how painful their bites can be. Canoeing on the Chipola River is also an option - between that, hiking and the caves, if you have the energy, this park can be the setting for a great day out in nature. read more

I was unaware that the RV park was located in a swamp, infested with mosquitos in April. Thank goodness for my electric fly swatter. We had unfortunate weather and the cavern tours weren't open for tours for two days. Needless to say we were very uncomfortable. The day we were leaving was the day the tours started. We went early to get tickets but the last two were sold right in front of us. We were told the limit of tourists were 25. That was absolutely maximum, like a law. We had to wait for the next tour, another hour or so. After waiting we were in a group of 33 or 34 including a large bunch of loud children. So much for the limits. We were not pleased being treated like that. read more

This state park is really accessible and only 15 minutes off of I-10. It;s a great place to stretch your legs and see coll stuff. For $8 you can take a guided tour of the cave and enjoy some pretty nice rock formations - stalactites and stalagmites, draperies and pools and lots of glittery calcite. After the tour, there's a nice trail that takes to back to the parking lot. The trails meanders over 30 foot high bluffs and this time of year the woods were filled with white lillies. read more

Love this place ! Defiantly do cave tour . the tour guide are pretty funny. If you planning on going to cave tour, should wear real shoe instead of flip flops. The tour is only $5 a person. Takes about an hour. Would love to go back and hike. Gorgeous trees and flowers. read more

What a great experience! Stopped by on my road trip to explore the Civil Rights history in Montgomery and Selma, Alabama. Thought this would be a good start off on my trip from Fort Lauderdale. I got to the park and past the first couple I saw how it was. They said, without missing a beat, "great!" I strolled up to the visitor center and bought my tickets for the next tour which was happening in about 15 minutes. Lucky me. I quickly strolled around the museum upstairs, and the call was up for my tour. I headed down, met with our guide Jeffrey, and entered the beautiful caverns that I never even knew existed. The amazing colors and structures underground or beautiful. The caverns aren't as big as some of the ones I've seen up north, but they are amazing nonetheless. This was a perfect stop off, & a wonderful experience. Definitely swing through here if you're up this way. What a hidden gem! read more

One of my favorite Florida State Parks! The Marianna Caverns offer a unique opportunity for the public to visit a limestone cavern system in the Florida Panhandle. This state park is only a short detour off of US 231 and Interstate 10, and it is well worth the drive, particularly if you've never played the role of an amateur "spelunker" before. Park officials offer guided tours of the caverns each day at several set times throughout the day. I believe this is the only way to gain access to the caverns, but it is an informative and entertaining tour that is relatively affordable and absolutely good family fun. The area surrounding the caverns and the accompanying gift shop (of course) offers some fun hiking trails designed for the novice hiker, but do be aware that this area is very buggy during the summertime. Bring some bug spray! read more

What a wonderful day spent at the caverns. Our tour guide( Cave girl ) was Katherine, vast knowledge of the park and the caverns. If possible try and wait for her tour time. I assure you you'll really enjoy it. Takes questions every stop, if you're last then you'll be the caboose and when you meet up with the group just holler out choo choo , so she'll know everyone is there. We'll be going back soon with so much to see and explore in the park. Remember Katherine as you're cave girl. read more

This unique feature of the normally flat Florida is a great day trip or quick stop for those traveling along I-10 or in the North Florida region. We chose to visit while traveling south from Alabama. After checking the website for information, we decided to try to be there in the morning to ensure we would get a space in one of the tours (website said they fill quickly). Even though we arrived at 11:15am, next available tour wasn't until 12:45pm. We went into town (about 5-10 minute drive to closest restaurants), had lunch, then came back in time to walk around a few minutes before the tour started. Only 25 people to a tour so plan accordingly. Couple of tips: It's Florida and you will be in the woods; wear bug spray. In the summer (in FL that will be from April through October) it is very hot and steamy; bring water and wear sunscreen. The cave temperature in the summer is a very comfortable 68 degrees, but you aren't allowed to bring in large bags or any food/drinks; leave all your crap in your car. Parking is limited so again, earlier is probably better. For $5 we got into the park and it was $6 a person for the tour. Not too expensive for an entertaining and informative hour or so activity. The reason for 4 stars: this park needs a small restaurant or at the very least sell pre-made sandwiches, etc. in the gift store. We would have eaten right there and not gone into town if food were available at the park. Other small complaint, museum above gift store was stifling hot during our visit in July. We signed the guest book and left as it was far too uncomfortable crammed with other visitors in that heat to look at the exhibits. read more

Our guide was knowledgeable and a little nervous. Perhaps she had only started the job. Beautiful, small cavern. The different jars of honey combinations in the gift shop are delicious but a little expensive. Nice people, friendly place and CLEAN restrooms! read more

Our visit to Florida Caverns was a fluke as we were taking a shortcut to Destin Florida and saw a sign for the turnoff. we have been cavers for decades and decided to visit. we arrived for the last tour of the day and were assigned a guide Joanie, who also goes by Honeybee. she was very enthusiastic and did a great job on conservation, safety, geology and entertainment; especially with the children. the cave was interesting and nicely decorated. we had a very enjoyable time! read more

A Florida must see! My husband and I were fortunate to have our own guide that day . Her nickname is HoneyBee and she was delightful, engaging, extremely knowledgeable and so personable. It was a wonderful surprise to see how big the cave was and all the beautiful rock formations inside. Will definitely go again. read more

Went there today to check it out! James was our tour guide of the cave and he was a hoot!! So much fun! Highly recommend! read more

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

First off it's super cheap and way worth the price you pay which is 5 dollars a car and 8 dollars a person for the cavern tour. Kevin Pankau our tour guide was probably the best tour guide I've ever had in anything I've done. He was funny, kind, and very informative and could answer all questions that were asked. If you ever do the caves I highly request him.. Enjoy your time as much as we did!!! read more

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This is a great state park area. The caverns are beautiful and the area has a lot to do. I do recommend that someone clean the park area more often, as there was trash blowing around the ground. I like the outdoors and the trails. I wouldn't recommend it for very small children, but for adults it is a great place to visit. read more

Fun and interesting to learn about how caves are made and the fossils were fascinating a totally unique experience and a great place to bring ppl new to the area read more

We absolutely loved our tour at Florida Caverns State Park. Our tour guide was Honeybell and she was so engaging. My boys (ages 9 and 13) loved it. We were lucky to be on a pretty small tour group. Only 8 people total. Tons of cool things to see. This would be a great place to visit if you are homeschooling as well. I would recommend to anyone to visit this attraction. Our oldest son told us when it was over that Honeybell kept his attention for the whole tour. read more

Go here! We went here to go camping, unwind, relax. Unfortunately, I got sick and couldn't even get to the caves. Even so, this was a really great park. There are tons of trails, a river runs through for fishing, they allow horses (umm..if anyone happens to be travelling with horse?). So many camping areas are overcrowded and close to roads/town - the sites we stayed in were set way back. Since I ruined the trip we have to go back to actually see the caves and I would like to spend more time enjoying the rest of the park maybe when the heat index isn't 125. I'll let ya know how that goes... read more