Holy cow! We had no idea what we were getting into-or what we’d have to crawl ourselves out of! Traveling up for a short stay and a Meatloaf concert, we were looking to do a little exploring and find something fun to do in the Lake Region of New Hampshire. Rummaging through all the tour guides and vacation pamphlets, we stumbled upon Polar Caves Park just off Route 25 in Rumney, New Hampshire. We grabbed a couple bananas and some bottled water and headed out.
Let me just say that this is a great place to take the kids and I was wishing I had mine with me. Complete with petting zoo, an old-fashioned sugar house tour, various nature and history trails, and beautiful mountain vistas, Polar Caves Park is definitely a family adventure event! And, of course, the highlight of the park is the extraordinary glacial caves.
A little history lesson: About 50,000 years ago, a continental glacier blanketed the mountains and valleys of New Hampshire as it moved southward through the state. As these sheets of ice began to thaw, blocks of granite cracked, loosened, and fell to the base of Hawks Cliff, forming multiple glacial caves in between. Such caves would be occupied by the Asquamchemauke Indians and then later rediscovered by a group on teenage boys in 1922. Since then, boardwalks and ladders were constructed and put in place so that visitors would be able to tour these amazing grounds.
As you meander through the maze of caves, the drop in temperature becomes quickly noticable. In fact, the average temperature in the caves is only 55 degrees-both welcoming and refreshing on the hot and humid New England summer day that it was upon our visit here.
With heavy tote in hand, flimsy sandals, and a guide map that remained, crinkled, and unread in my hand throughout the entire journey, we followed the navigation signs and made our way through each and every cave along the way, unaware of all the caution notes and warnings. The Guide’s Platform…the Lemon Squeeze…87 steps…we did it all ! Our legs were like jelly as we made our way back to the car…finally able to justify that double dip ice cream cone we’d been salivating about all day!
Polar Caves Park is a definite must see if you are in the area. Entrance to the park is fairly inexpensive, considering what you get in return. The tour is self guided and (if you read the map) you can pick and choose what caves to enter or avoid, customizing it to the needs of small children or the less fit.
For more information you can visit The Polar Caves website at http://www.polarcaves.com/
Written By : Jessica Layne
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