If you are visiting Hershey, Pennsylvania, you will want to make the ten minute drive to check out the historic and beautiful Indian Echo Caverns. This unique and interesting area is definitely worth the visit, and the tour is about 45 minutes in length. This is a wonderful day trip stop for the whole family, and they even have an adorable petting zoo! As a side note, dogs are allowed on the tours, but they must be held the whole time, and not on a leash for safety reasons.

The address for this location is 368 Middletown Rd, Hummelstown, PA 17036. There is free parking for this attraction, which makes it easier to travel to as well. If you are going from Philadelphia, you can expect a just a little more then a two hour drive.

You will want to pre-book your tour ahead of time on their website (linked at the bottom of this post.) They take small groups in at a time, and this is for safety reasons, and it also gives each group a little more space to explore. When you are on the tour, it is crucial that you stay with your guide the whole time.

Several weeks ago, one of my best friends and I were talking, and we had realized that we had not visited with each other in quite some time. After some reflection on where we should meet, she came up with a really great idea for a day trip to the Indian Echo Caverns. I was immediately hooked, and it sounded like a great adventure!

When we arrived and started to walk around a bit, we were immediately intrigued by the adorable petting zoo. There were very friendly goats, alpacas, and even a turkey! They had very sociable personalities, and were super excited to greet us, which was very cute.

If you have a family, they also had a playground, and a neat “Gem Mill Junction” where you can pan for unique objects, such as calcite, agate, and even amethyst. I also thought that their butterfly garden so nice with flowers for them to meander about in.

At the start of the tour, our guide gathered our group together, and reviewed various safety precautions that you will want to take as you enter the cave. As a side note, the cave is located a little bit lower then the general area, and you will have to step down several staircases to get to this region.

As you enter the limestone cave, you will notice that it gets a little colder, about 52 degrees (11 Celsius.) For this reason, I would recommend bringing a light jacket or sweater with you for your explorations. Also, I did wear sturdy shoes that day just to keep a firm grip on the ground. As we walked throughout the cave, I did not find it too arduous, but it is good to have these items on hand, especially in colder temperatures. I actually really enjoyed the climate there, and found it refreshing, but not too chilly.

If you look back at the history of the caverns, initially, they were used by Native Americans, and the first recorded tribe was the Susquehannocks. It was probably used for storage and living quarters away from the harsh Pennsylvania winters. It also had a locational advantage, due to the fact that it is right off of the Swatara Creek, which you can see right by the entrance of the cave.

As we went into the cave, I really liked how they had the various formations within it lit up nicely, so you are able to view all of the unique details. Each tunnel that we went through seemed to have different natural features, and was really impressive. One of the prettiest spots that I found very captivating was the Crystal Lake.

If you are looking for an adventurous day trip that the whole family can enjoy, you will want to check out the Indian Echo Caverns. There really is so much to do there in addition to exploring the beautiful cave itself. Let me know in the comments if you have visited it before, and what you thought of it. I hope that you are having a wonderful day, and remember to click the like and subscribe button!

YouTube-

For a walking tour of the Indian Echo Caverns, make sure that you check out my YouTube Channel. (Also, make sure that you subscribe to it for more travel videos and adventures!)

If you are interested in learning more of the early history of Pennsylvania, one of the most detailed books that I have read so far is Pennsylvania: A History Of The Commonwealth. It takes you back to the colonial times of the Keystone State, and delves right into the cultural and societal impact that this state has had on the United States. It is a great read, and I highly recommend it.

For more information regarding this book, just click on the Amazon affiliate link below!

https://amzn.to/47uqIYv

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