Cave River Valley is an amazing hidden valley with a micro climate that fosters a rich growth of ferns and mosses. Back in the late 60s and early 70s, we explored several of the caves in depth. We would camp in the valley after a long drive across the state from Terre Haute, IN, our home base. I recall very wet and muddy adventures. There were long gravel crawls with icy water over the small of our backs, water backing up when our bodies blocked some of the tighter stream passages. Some of the trips brought us close to hypothermic conditions, but we persisted. I would rate the valley as a truly magical place on the surface. I recall a time we arrived at the valley only to find water geysering out of the cave entrances. We did not go caving in the valley on that day. I believe we retreated back west and did Sullivan's Cave or Donahue's Cave near Bedford. Those were favorites of ours and good fallbacks in line with our path of travel. Access to all these caves was wide open back then. I believe there was a small concession for campers in the Valley at that time. There was also a methane seep in the campground that kept a small "perpetual" blue flame in a lantern burning, 24/7. This was a little disconcerting, as we all used acetylene lanterns at the time and had to consider the possibility of methane gas gathering in some of the caves. We were ethical cavers and bagged out all our lamp waste on our adventures. I still prefer the soft warm diffuse light of acetylene lamps to the harsh, blinding glare of the LED lamps, but convenience and the efficient compactness of LEDs dictate their use. We never benefited from that back in the day, having to carry water and carbide for our lamps, as well as water for drinking. South central Indiana is a beautiful place with many surprises and good memories.
Wonderful memories! I’d heard about CRV from my cousin, whom explored it with his stepson, before anything was gated. They just slept in the car and made two days of it. For sure, it’s a wonderfully beautiful place, topside, with untold adventures below. I’d never heard of the lit methane.
Thanks to you, my son and I went here today and were able to climb up the rocks far enough to be at eye level with the falls (bottom of the cave). The grassy area was a lot more overgrown than it was when you were there. That climb back up the hill was a tough one. It felt so good to sit down in the air conditioned car again.
So glad to hear that you, and your son, had a good time. And, made it back alive! I try to always give fair warning on these adventures. 🙂 It is definitely warming up and getting tougher!
Back in my youth (1970-ish), this was a privately owned park, and you could drive down that very steep slope into the park. It was beautiful & lots of fun, but had sort of a "travel at your own risk" feel to it. I dont know for sure, but i heard thatblater in then70s or maybe early 80s, it was the home turf of a biker gang. Glad its being developed to some degree. And yes, Endless Cave is really cool. My ex & his friends were spelunkers.
I was just there the other day, I didn’t know there were more caves there! Saw someone say there are 20+ Any idea where they might be along the trail? I’ve been trying to find and explore wild dry caves around southern Indiana but I’m having a hard time finding large ones. Any recommendations? I live in Clark county and having an experienced nature enthusiast such as you to learn from is such a blessing. If you have tips on where to find good wild caves to explore It’d be greatly appreciated. Other than that, keep up the hard work Roger! You’ve inspired me greatly ❤️
Best bet is to join a grotto. Not only do they know where all the caves are, they also have detailed maps of the caves themselves! They will go well beyond just River Cave and Endless Cave. Endless Cave is gated and you can only get in by signing up for a tour at Spring Mill State Park. Some of the grottos actually take raft rides through River Cave. But there are many other caves in CRV, and an experienced grotto group can cut out the guesswork of where.
Years ago, in the early 1970's my parents took me here as a young child to catch captive rainbow trout out of a concrete pool fed by the river. The owners charged a fee for trout you took home. One person caught a large trout (I believe it was four pounds?) from the river itself during one of our visits there! Wonder if any of these trout have established in the river? Later on, in my teenage years, a group of amateur spelunking friends and I explored both River and Endless cave. Those were wonderful times....Cave River Valley was, and thankfully, still is, a truly amazing and enchanting place! Hope to make it back there one day. I loved this video you created, thank you so much for sharing it! It brought back many forgotten memories of my past.
Great memories! What I gathered from people is that after it ceased to be a tourist attraction, it fell into significant disrepair. It became a place for people to hang out and drink, and there was litter everywhere. After Spring Mill took over, a large effort was made to clean things up. Up until a few years ago, anyone could go caving, but someone ruined that and a large locked gate was put in front of Endless. However, Spring Mill offers tours to Endless. All I know is that it’s a beautiful place and somewhat of a hike back up! I try to mention any hazards or steep hills, as I have a lot of fellow travelers with limitations.
@@AdventureswithRoger I would like to take my kids there this summer. At 58 years old, I should start walking NOW to get prepared for that hill. I think I will pack a folding seat for the trip.
@@meandthemrs7403 If you pace yourself, you can do it. Of course, you’ll have to keep telling the kids, “hey, stop, pacing myself here.” 🙂 I was out of shape when I did it, and it winded me.
Cave river is wildly beautiful! You ain't kidding about it being slick and dangerous. My wife and I took our three dogs (one was blind) and had an unforgettable adventure.
It’s over a mile long and super quiet with the electric boat motor. I like when they shut off the motor and just glide: it’s probably the closest thing to one of those salt water sensory deprivation units! 😀 Lights on the bottom of the boat show blind, white crayfish that live their entire lives in the cave. And that’s only what they do for the tour, there’s much more on their wild cave tours. This guy here is big shouldered and not a very good caver when it comes to pinch passages.
Went there a couple of weeks ago for the first time when visiting family in the area. Took some great pics of the cave opening and stream. We drove around the area afterward and did not realize how beautiful Washington County was. I call Southern Indiana a hidden jewel and no one seems know about it. Its the Ozarks without the tourists.
My folks used to take us to Southern Indiana on the weekends and I loved it! So when I got a chance to move down here, I took it! I’ve been documenting the history and folklore for 5 years, still have much more to share.
@@AdventureswithRoger I am glad to see you giving Southern Indiana the attention. I grew up in the Floyds Knobs area and moved North to go to college. I was teased about being from the south and that only hillbillies come from there. I told them it was beautiful and they really need to get out of the cornfields. I live in Georgia now so now a Yankee here. LOL. Where did you grow up? Enjoy the videos and some I have never heard of.
I would like to go hang at the river. I'm staying out of the caves because I travel alone. I have been down to the bottom of the deepest privately own cave in Negril, Jamaica. We had gas torches..
My favorite hike in southern Indiana is Hemlock Cliffs. It’s an isolated canyon with waterfalls, rock shelters, caves, huge rock formations. The entire loop is under a mile and a half, but you could spend hours there, soaking it all in.
@@AdventureswithRoger 🥹 Oh Thank you!!! Really, thank you. I am on a journey of healing. So, all the isolated places I can find is helpful. Bless you! Im writing this down now!😊🙏
@@KOOLBadger Yellow Birch Ravine has a rare natural arch, and isn’t far from Hemlock Cliffs. You can do both in a day. I was on a journey of healing several years ago. Going back to some of these places is still soul-cleansing! I did a summer long tour, broken-up over many weekends, hugging the river from Lawrenceburg to Mount Vernon, Indiana. Small towns that haven’t changed much, and some places: isolation and places to meditate on what matters. The ending at the Mount Vernon Dam, watching the sunset, was perfect. 🙂
@@AdventureswithRoger writing all this down.. I am from Chicago and had done much traveling, but never in Indiana. I had no idea how beautiful this state is! So, I am following all your advice. Your journeys are Wonderful. Have you healed from them? I pray?
Not surprisingly, there are 20-25 caves (of various size of course) in this small area. Back before Spring Mill owned the park, you could visit any cave you wanted to. On top of the ridge , after the road forks, there was a small primitive campsite. Very peaceful place with a lot of history.
Way-back-when, my cousin camped there with his stepson, and they loved it! Did a lot of caves, they weren’t gated or restricted in any way. He talked it up so much that I had to check it out. While now not as wild and free, the plus side is the area has been cleaned-up, from decades of partying and dumping. After a good rain, the cascades are among the most beautiful in the state.
I’ve had several people tell me about how nice it was, back in the day, and how families enjoyed it. A fellow UA-camr posted a video of he, his wife and two kids hiking down to the caves and I thought it was great!
I cannot believe that is place has been forgotten to this level. It is strange to see old remnants of a better time for a park. Is this atleast located in the State Forest?
Not in the state forest, but now managed by Spring Mill State Park. They cleaned it up from the utter ruins and garbage, and now provide tours during the year. They gated Endless Cave to prevent irresponsible caving and protect the significant bat population that lives there.
I just walked right down to River Cave, no issues. They still close the gate by the road at night, so if you park down by the second gate, where the hill goes down, you’ll be stuck by evening. I parked at the outer gate, about 5pm, gate was already closed. I only saw a few people on the way down, I ended up being the last visitor of the day. Nobody patrols the area and tells you to leave. Endless Cave is barred, I haven’t heard if the others were or not. The smaller caves aren’t as easy to find, for the casual visitor. What many people have told me is that Spring Mill did a decent cleanup of trash, and demolished dangerous old structures that were dens for copperheads. I only saw a few signs of previous visitors, a scrap of cardboard or such.
Many wild caves are. But show caves are totally different. Marengo Cave down here is absolutely beautiful, lighted by hundreds of permanent lights, and is wide open like you’re walking through an air conditioned mall. At Christmas they setup chairs and have musical groups perform on a stage.
My cousin and his stepson parked at the gate and slept in the car there. No designated camping area, but there’s room next to the stream. Someone does lock the gate, so if you’re parked within it, you’re there until at least the next day!
Another wonderful part of Indiana. Thank you!
Cave River Valley is an amazing hidden valley with a micro climate that fosters a rich growth of ferns and mosses. Back in the late 60s and early 70s, we explored several of the caves in depth. We would camp in the valley after a long drive across the state from Terre Haute, IN, our home base. I recall very wet and muddy adventures. There were long gravel crawls with icy water over the small of our backs, water backing up when our bodies blocked some of the tighter stream passages. Some of the trips brought us close to hypothermic conditions, but we persisted. I would rate the valley as a truly magical place on the surface.
I recall a time we arrived at the valley only to find water geysering out of the cave entrances. We did not go caving in the valley on that day. I believe we retreated back west and did Sullivan's Cave or Donahue's Cave near Bedford. Those were favorites of ours and good fallbacks in line with our path of travel. Access to all these caves was wide open back then. I believe there was a small concession for campers in the Valley at that time. There was also a methane seep in the campground that kept a small "perpetual" blue flame in a lantern burning, 24/7. This was a little disconcerting, as we all used acetylene lanterns at the time and had to consider the possibility of methane gas gathering in some of the caves. We were ethical cavers and bagged out all our lamp waste on our adventures. I still prefer the soft warm diffuse light of acetylene lamps to the harsh, blinding glare of the LED lamps, but convenience and the efficient compactness of LEDs dictate their use. We never benefited from that back in the day, having to carry water and carbide for our lamps, as well as water for drinking.
South central Indiana is a beautiful place with many surprises and good memories.
Wonderful memories! I’d heard about CRV from my cousin, whom explored it with his stepson, before anything was gated. They just slept in the car and made two days of it. For sure, it’s a wonderfully beautiful place, topside, with untold adventures below. I’d never heard of the lit methane.
Thanks to you, my son and I went here today and were able to climb up the rocks far enough to be at eye level with the falls (bottom of the cave). The grassy area was a lot more overgrown than it was when you were there. That climb back up the hill was a tough one. It felt so good to sit down in the air conditioned car again.
So glad to hear that you, and your son, had a good time. And, made it back alive! I try to always give fair warning on these adventures. 🙂 It is definitely warming up and getting tougher!
Back in my youth (1970-ish), this was a privately owned park, and you could drive down that very steep slope into the park. It was beautiful & lots of fun, but had sort of a "travel at your own risk" feel to it.
I dont know for sure, but i heard thatblater in then70s or maybe early 80s, it was the home turf of a biker gang. Glad its being developed to some degree. And yes, Endless Cave is really cool. My ex & his friends were spelunkers.
My cousin explored the area before they gated Endless Cave. The wonderful stories he brought back, encouraged me to go!
Ty interesting 👍👴🏆🏆🙏🙏
I was just there the other day, I didn’t know there were more caves there! Saw someone say there are 20+ Any idea where they might be along the trail? I’ve been trying to find and explore wild dry caves around southern Indiana but I’m having a hard time finding large ones. Any recommendations? I live in Clark county and having an experienced nature enthusiast such as you to learn from is such a blessing. If you have tips on where to find good wild caves to explore It’d be greatly appreciated. Other than that, keep up the hard work Roger! You’ve inspired me greatly ❤️
Best bet is to join a grotto. Not only do they know where all the caves are, they also have detailed maps of the caves themselves! They will go well beyond just River Cave and Endless Cave. Endless Cave is gated and you can only get in by signing up for a tour at Spring Mill State Park. Some of the grottos actually take raft rides through River Cave. But there are many other caves in CRV, and an experienced grotto group can cut out the guesswork of where.
@@AdventureswithRoger Awesome thank you!
Years ago, in the early 1970's my parents took me here as a young child to catch captive rainbow trout out of a concrete pool fed by the river. The owners charged a fee for trout you took home. One person caught a large trout (I believe it was four pounds?) from the river itself during one of our visits there! Wonder if any of these trout have established in the river?
Later on, in my teenage years, a group of amateur spelunking friends and I explored both River and Endless cave. Those were wonderful times....Cave River Valley was, and thankfully, still is, a truly amazing and enchanting place! Hope to make it back there one day. I loved this video you created, thank you so much for sharing it! It brought back many forgotten memories of my past.
Great memories! What I gathered from people is that after it ceased to be a tourist attraction, it fell into significant disrepair. It became a place for people to hang out and drink, and there was litter everywhere. After Spring Mill took over, a large effort was made to clean things up. Up until a few years ago, anyone could go caving, but someone ruined that and a large locked gate was put in front of Endless. However, Spring Mill offers tours to Endless.
All I know is that it’s a beautiful place and somewhat of a hike back up! I try to mention any hazards or steep hills, as I have a lot of fellow travelers with limitations.
@@AdventureswithRoger I would like to take my kids there this summer. At 58 years old, I should start walking NOW to get prepared for that hill. I think I will pack a folding seat for the trip.
@@meandthemrs7403 If you pace yourself, you can do it. Of course, you’ll have to keep telling the kids, “hey, stop, pacing myself here.” 🙂 I was out of shape when I did it, and it winded me.
@@AdventureswithRoger They enjoy calling their dad "old". It will make it more fun for them.
Someday, it will come back to them! 😀
Cave river is wildly beautiful! You ain't kidding about it being slick and dangerous. My wife and I took our three dogs (one was blind) and had an unforgettable adventure.
Hidden Eden! One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever filmed. 🙂
Just found your channel and am enjoying it very much. If ya ever get up north you should check out Bonneville mill County park just east of Bristol.
I am hoping to make more excursions north in 2023.
Thanks for the tour👍 It looks like a fun place to visit 😁
It’s beautiful, and not very far from Spring Mill (many caves) or Blue Spring Caverns: the longest underground boat ride in America!
Adventures with Roger you got me with longest underground boat ride. I have to check that out.
It’s over a mile long and super quiet with the electric boat motor. I like when they shut off the motor and just glide: it’s probably the closest thing to one of those salt water sensory deprivation units! 😀 Lights on the bottom of the boat show blind, white crayfish that live their entire lives in the cave.
And that’s only what they do for the tour, there’s much more on their wild cave tours. This guy here is big shouldered and not a very good caver when it comes to pinch passages.
Went there a couple of weeks ago for the first time when visiting family in the area. Took some great pics of the cave opening and stream. We drove around the area afterward and did not realize how beautiful Washington County was. I call Southern Indiana a hidden jewel and no one seems know about it. Its the Ozarks without the tourists.
My folks used to take us to Southern Indiana on the weekends and I loved it! So when I got a chance to move down here, I took it! I’ve been documenting the history and folklore for 5 years, still have much more to share.
@@AdventureswithRoger I am glad to see you giving Southern Indiana the attention. I grew up in the Floyds Knobs area and moved North to go to college. I was teased about being from the south and that only hillbillies come from there. I told them it was beautiful and they really need to get out of the cornfields. I live in Georgia now so now a Yankee here. LOL. Where did you grow up? Enjoy the videos and some I have never heard of.
I grew up just south of Indianapolis. Flat ground and not much to explore! Now, any day of the week, I’m minutes away from the places I love!
I love the waterfall stream. Wish i could live by one. Waterfalls and rocks are 2 of my favorite things. Thanks. Great video
I would like to go hang at the river. I'm staying out of the caves because I travel alone. I have been down to the bottom of the deepest privately own cave in Negril, Jamaica. We had gas torches..
My favorite hike in southern Indiana is Hemlock Cliffs. It’s an isolated canyon with waterfalls, rock shelters, caves, huge rock formations. The entire loop is under a mile and a half, but you could spend hours there, soaking it all in.
@@AdventureswithRoger 🥹 Oh Thank you!!! Really, thank you. I am on a journey of healing. So, all the isolated places I can find is helpful. Bless you! Im writing this down now!😊🙏
@@KOOLBadger Yellow Birch Ravine has a rare natural arch, and isn’t far from Hemlock Cliffs. You can do both in a day.
I was on a journey of healing several years ago. Going back to some of these places is still soul-cleansing! I did a summer long tour, broken-up over many weekends, hugging the river from Lawrenceburg to Mount Vernon, Indiana. Small towns that haven’t changed much, and some places: isolation and places to meditate on what matters. The ending at the Mount Vernon Dam, watching the sunset, was perfect. 🙂
@@AdventureswithRoger writing all this down.. I am from Chicago and had done much traveling, but never in Indiana. I had no idea how beautiful this state is! So, I am following all your advice. Your journeys are Wonderful. Have you healed from them? I pray?
@@AdventureswithRoger umm, What river please? 😂🤣😊😊😊😊
❤
sasquatch chronicles episode 174 someone speaks of camping here and having a encounter with maybe a bigfoot.
Not surprisingly, there are 20-25 caves (of various size of course) in this small area. Back before Spring Mill owned the park, you could visit any cave you wanted to. On top of the ridge , after the road forks, there was a small primitive campsite. Very peaceful place with a lot of history.
Way-back-when, my cousin camped there with his stepson, and they loved it! Did a lot of caves, they weren’t gated or restricted in any way. He talked it up so much that I had to check it out.
While now not as wild and free, the plus side is the area has been cleaned-up, from decades of partying and dumping. After a good rain, the cascades are among the most beautiful in the state.
My parents worked and lived there for several years in the 70’s
I’ve had several people tell me about how nice it was, back in the day, and how families enjoyed it. A fellow UA-camr posted a video of he, his wife and two kids hiking down to the caves and I thought it was great!
I cannot believe that is place has been forgotten to this level. It is strange to see old remnants of a better time for a park. Is this atleast located in the State Forest?
Not in the state forest, but now managed by Spring Mill State Park. They cleaned it up from the utter ruins and garbage, and now provide tours during the year. They gated Endless Cave to prevent irresponsible caving and protect the significant bat population that lives there.
Thank you interesting video. One should use good insect repellent there!
VERY marshy around the creek that frequently overflows. I went early in the season, before bugs! 🙂
I guess the hike is not an option for me. However, maybe I can take my daughter and wife there so they can get some video and pictures.
It’s definitely got an incline on the way back up. I try to mention the difficulty of these places, so people can choose to go or not.
This was a wonderful place before the Park service took it over. Is there reasonable access to the common man again yet?
I just walked right down to River Cave, no issues. They still close the gate by the road at night, so if you park down by the second gate, where the hill goes down, you’ll be stuck by evening. I parked at the outer gate, about 5pm, gate was already closed. I only saw a few people on the way down, I ended up being the last visitor of the day. Nobody patrols the area and tells you to leave.
Endless Cave is barred, I haven’t heard if the others were or not. The smaller caves aren’t as easy to find, for the casual visitor. What many people have told me is that Spring Mill did a decent cleanup of trash, and demolished dangerous old structures that were dens for copperheads. I only saw a few signs of previous visitors, a scrap of cardboard or such.
Inside of caves is.....creepy. 😖😖😖🙄
Many wild caves are. But show caves are totally different. Marengo Cave down here is absolutely beautiful, lighted by hundreds of permanent lights, and is wide open like you’re walking through an air conditioned mall. At Christmas they setup chairs and have musical groups perform on a stage.
Can you camp here?
My cousin and his stepson parked at the gate and slept in the car there. No designated camping area, but there’s room next to the stream. Someone does lock the gate, so if you’re parked within it, you’re there until at least the next day!
@@AdventureswithRoger Thank you!