Dames Caves
Withlacoochee State Park
Citrus County and Hernando County, Florida
http://www.floridastateparks.org/
The Florida State Park system has many jewels and
Withlacoochee is one of the hidden gems. The park has the longest paved trail
with over 46 miles of biking and hiking capability. There are also two looped
riding trails for single day and a two-day horse rides.
My purpose in going was to visit the caves.
A bit of caution to begin with – these trails are
marked but go off in several directions. The actual caves are holes in the
ground so use caution especially if you are traveling with rambunctious youngsters.
There isn’t a specific map with cave names and I don’t know if each cave has a
name but you’ll see others out and about and they can point you in the right
direction if you aren’t sure where to go.
Parking is along the highway just past the Oak Grove
sign on Citrus Way – we came in from the south, so the spot was on the right
side of the road. You’ll see the concrete posts and a car or two at the side of
the road.
The trails are sanded and clear from debris. Wear comfy
shoes and, I’d recommend jeans or sweats, since once you get to the cave(s) you’ll
be crawling, kneeling and bracing using your knees in certain spots.
Peace Cave – I have no idea if this is the official name
of the cave, but outside the cave a tree is marked (spray-painted) with a peace
symbol. The cave is near the base of the tree. The entrance is a step down,
boulders making it easy to get to the floor of the cave. The ceiling is very
low after that and I bumped my head first thing. The cave then opens up and there
are several off shooting tunnels. I went to the cave with several young children
(ages three to ten) and they all easily scrambled through the tunnels,
reporting back what they found. Each of the kids had their own light. I’d
recommend a headlamp type as opposed to flashlights since they will need their
hands for crawling and climbing. This cave seemed airless and felt hot to me.
Dames (Vandal) Cave – Again I don’t know if this is the
official name. This cave is a further down the trail and is blocked off by
cabling. You’ll see the graffiti once you are inside this cave. It appears that
part of the roof collapsed in this cave as there is a very large opening down
into the cave. It’s a great place for pictures, from top down or bottom up. The
entrance into the cave is to the right and is slanted. There is a huge tree
with extensive roots as part of the entrance - again, easy to get in and out
of. There are a couple of small side caves. The kids would fit. I didn’t try to
get through them.
We visited a third one near Vandal Cave. The entrance
is small and you will need to go in feet first. The kids needed no
encouragement to go in. We adults stared at each other for a minute trying to
decide if we could get out once we got in. I stayed outside and helped a bit as
the crew exited.
These are some of the names of other
caves in the area, which I have yet to experience and I’m not sure of the exact
locations.
- Girl Scout Cave
- Blowing Hole
- Dog Drop Pit
- Jeep Cave
- Falling Rock
- Mosquito
Four (4) Jots for this fun day of hiking and caving. We
are planning a return trip to visit the remaining caves.
In summary, these caves are for exploring, not for
viewing stalagmites and waterfalls. I wouldn't call them beautiful caves but it
was fun especially for the kids. I’m going back as there are more hiking trails
and caves I want to explore. DO NOT GO into a cave alone or without advising
someone where you are going. These caves are known to have water in some of the
lower outlets, so don’t go unprepared.
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