Indian Echo Caverns
Have you ever heard of the “Pennsylvania Hermit?” I hadn’t either until visiting the cave system tucked away in Hummelstown. Though the hermit’s story has a sad start, I can’t say that living in a beautiful, glistening, climate-controlled underground wonderland seems like such a bad idea. With holidays coming up, we all may be looking for somewhere to hide, but maybe seek a place with comfier furnishings.
Explore, Play
A geological wonder, Indian Echo Caverns are cut from limestone estimated to be 440 million years old. The tours combine education and storytelling in a reasonable timeframe for all ages, just 45 minutes. To access the cavern, you must descend 71 stairs and be prepared to ascend them on the way back. Heads up—accessibility is lacking at the facility, so keep that in mind when planning a trip. Indian Echo Caverns offers video recordings of the cave tour upon request.
If you’d rather not hang out a mile below ground, there’s a slew of fun and free family activities topside. Entering the grounds gives off autumn wonderland vibes with a winding driveway lined by a corridor of massive trees. What caught my 7-year-old’s eye is the playground that was swarming with children on a crisp Saturday afternoon. There’s a giant upcycled metal spider with a body made from a propane tank and eight angled legs for climbing. Ask your kid(s) what type of metal objects you have at home that could be turned into animals. We brainstormed the possibility of a heron with clothes hangers for wings and a patio table turtle.
The Indian Echo Caverns park has swings of various lengths to accommodate different ages and heights. There’s also a rock-climbing wall and some open space to play tag amongst the trees. Right next to the playground is a covered picnic area that is available for reservation. During our trip, a family hosted a birthday party and even had Jojo’s Pizza delivered. If you don’t know, Jojo’s is a Hummelstown staple, with their shop located right on the square.
Once you’re done with the playground, check out the free petting zoo. The grounds are home to pet-able llamas and goats, with a vending machine where you can pay 50 cents to feed them. There is also a peacock, an albino peacock and chickens, but they are behind a fence.
Going Batty
While at Indian Echo Caverns, take time to learn about the resurgence of the Northeastern Little Brown Bat. Nationwide, bat colonies were nearly eradicated by white nose syndrome, a bacteria that spread quickly and was deadly to the flying mammals. Bats are critical to our ecosystems for many reasons, but my favorite is that they can eat thousands of mosquitos per night.
You can help bats by building roosting boxes and hanging them on trees or in woods near your home. The National Wildlife Federation has a wonderful tutorial page on their website. You can also choose to use a kit or create a batty masterpiece yourself. A typical bat house is 24 inches tall by 16 inches wide. You’ll need a hammer and nails, so check out the Habitat for Humanity Restore on Paxton Street for affordable building supplies. The Restore accepts volunteers as young as 16, providing a hands-on way for older kids to gain skills and make an impact.
Once your bat house is complete, decorate it with paint to welcome the bats home. Hang your bat house away from nighttime lights, at least 10 feet above the ground, in a location that faces either east or south. Bats love to fly near forests and water, so if you install your bat house near either of these things, you may find your flying, furry friends more quickly.
Around Town
Post-tour and after the afternoon excitement, we were ready for lunch. Rubber Soul Brewing is only a half mile from the cave grounds, and I personally love anywhere that serves both adult beverages and has a kid’s menu. They also have a splendid outdoor seating area that offers much needed Vitamin D after being underground.
On a beautiful fall day, a visit to Hummelstown may be just the thing your family needs. In addition to everything covered here, they have a fantastic public library, an epic toy store and tons of parks, like the Herbert A Schaffner Park located just across the street from Rubber Soul Brewing.
This month is one of gratitude and gifts can come in all shapes and sizes, like sitting in sunlight after darkness, finding small ways to help our fragile ecosystems, or having a bustling community to call home. May you and your family have full hands and hearts.
To learn more about Indian Echo Caverns, visit www.indianechocaverns.com.
To explore the National Wildlife Federation’s bat house tutorial, visit www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Plant-Native/Habitat-Essentials/Build-a-Bat-House.
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