Uncover the Mysterious Underground World Hiding in a Wisconsin County Park

Whole other worlds are hiding beneath the surface that most people never get to experience. Doing a little bit of cave diving is one of my favorite kinds of natural exploration. Something about the stillness, the cool air, and the feeling of being below ground all give me a sense of calmness. Of course, it’d be another thing to do the kind of cave diving that involves crawling through impossibly small passageways; that’s not what I’m looking for. The kind of spelunking I’m talking about is discovering huge, underground chambers that, when you walk into them, it’s like entering some entirely different world. If that’s the kind of adventure you’re looking for, then I’ve got the destination for you.

The Historic Cherney Maribel Cave County Park is located in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. It’s a large park, encompassing 75 acres of land, which is filled with above-ground hiking trails and plenty of picnic areas for a nice Sunday afternoon. This is all fine and dandy, and would all make a very nice trip on its own, but that’s not the reason that we’re here. We are here for the caves, and this park does not disappoint. The park boasts 11 caves, only some of which are accessible, though all can be browsed, and among them is the Maribel New Hope Cave, the largest discovered cave in the county.

First, a bit of history: The caves were discovered in 1892, which led to the land being sold to a Mr. Charles Steinbrecher, who saw it as a perfect tourist opportunity. He constructed a hotel on the land and advertised the caves as a must-stop. The hotel was also a very popular health resort, with its own spring water bottling company. Over the years, the hotel fell into disrepair and has since become a shell of its former glory, though still an impressive historic artifact. Its ruins can be seen, although the site lies on private property.

Back to the caves. They were formed primarily by glacial activity. Over the years, the glaciers in the area wore down the land surface, exposing the earth below. Unlike other parts of Wisconsin, the area of Manitowoc County is rich in exposed rock formations and rock layers, making it perfect for cave formations.

As I mentioned earlier, the largest cave is the Maribel New Hope Cave, which features a wide array of stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, and cave bacon —a humorous term for flowstone, or calcite deposits formed through the flow of water rather than slow dripping. This particular cave is open every third Sunday of the month for guided tours.

The Cherney Maribel Caves County Park is an awesome destination, offering numerous caves to explore. It’s a huge park, and while 11 caverns have been discovered so far, it’s believed that many, many more lie waiting to be found. Who knows, maybe you could find the one.

If you plan to do any hiking, download the AllTrails app on your phone so that you can have easy access to maps, trail information, as well as curated lists on the best hikes in your area.

Feeling inspired? Try planning your own trip using Only In Your State’s itinerary planner.