Lost River Caverns - Hellertown, PA - Cave Entrances (Natural) on Waymarking.com

In Hellertown, just east of the center of town, is Lost River Caverns.

To get to the caverns, from I-78, take the exit for PA Route 412, then take Route 412 south into Hellertown. Take a left onto Penn Street, which will merge onto Durham Street. Follow Durham street for no more than a mile to the parking lot on the right.

The entrance is through a building. The inside is hard to describe. The top part is a lobby and where someone is stationed who can answer your questions and direct you to where the tour starts. On the walls are various displays of things that include rocks, armory, and models. You also can see down to the gift shop area. Of particular note is the a display where dinosaurs and pirates can be seen...but I digress.

The entrance is through a door, then, through an opening from the lobby, is a tunnel to the cave, proper.

There are several rooms in this cavern. Each room has its own characteristics. There is a room that once was modified a little to be a dance room then wedding chapel. There is a room that has a standing lake, and another that has a slow moving stream. Features include stalagmites, stalactites, stacilites, and flowstones. The tour is guided and lasts about 45 minutes. Some modifications were made, mostly to the floor and some openings to make it easier for tours to go through. However, the vast majority of the cavern is totally natural.

There are no animals including bats in this cave, though they have a notification in the gift shop about the white nose syndrome and a can to make donations toward helping these bats.

Address:
Lost River Caverns
726 Durham Street
Hellertown, PA 18055

Hours
Summer: 9am - 6pm
Winter: 9am - 5pm
Closed some holidays (see web site for specific dates and times).

The cavern was found in 1883 when quarry workers blasted in the area and made an opening. The cavern was explored in 1886. In 1930, the cavern was purchased by the Gilman family, who still own it today. The cavern was a trolley stop, long ago, where dances were held because of the cool temperatures within the cavern. Other ceremonies including weddings have been held there. Today, such events no longer take place.

Part of the tour is by water. There is a stream that flows through a portion of this cavern. They have tried to find out about the waterway, including using dies and ping pong balls to determine where the water surfaces and merges with a larger waterway. Unfortunately, they have not been successful. Thus, the Lost River is still...lost.

Type of Land: Private Land Managed By: Gilman Family Contact Info: 610-838-8767 Website: [Web Link] Type of Cave: Other Contains Stalactites: yes Contains Stalagmites: yes Contains Bats: no Price of Admission: 12.00 (listed in local currency)

Visit Instructions:
Please include a digital photograph of the cave which documents your visit and any information that may be helpful for future visitors.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   03/15/2007 r.e.s.t.seekers visited it