Field Notes Ohio

Ohio's parks, forests and wildlife areas with camping, the ancient mounds beside them, and the Buckeye Trail that links them. Stories, trails, wildlife, and where to eat and fuel up nearby. Book campsites on ReserveOhio.
Try:
The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop around Ohio, with all 26 sections.
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Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
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Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
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Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
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Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
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Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
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Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
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Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
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Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia27 places277 places77 places73 places35 places519 places1913 places1319 places1916 places168 places810 places1010 places109 places98 places820 places204 places43 places3Barkcamp State Park4 places47 places77 places76 places69 places917 places173 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places2Forked Run State Park3 places32 places26 places610 places103 places32 places2

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117 parks in 7 regions

Seneca Caverns

Bellevue · Seneca County
Show cavern (limestone)

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.
Content last reviewed
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
Official page
Location confidence
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Approximate location, use the address
Seasonal access
See the season above; last tour departs an hour before closing. Open rain or shine.
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
Tickets or admission info

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

A guided tour down natural stone steps through a crack in the earth to an underground river 110 feet below the surface.

Type
A limestone show cavern, kept close to its natural state
Tour style
Guided, one hour, on natural stone steps and pathways
Depth
The lowest level is 110 feet below the surface, at Ole Mist'ry River, a stream that is part of the region's groundwater system; the water level changes with the season
Temperature
54°F all year; a light jacket is suggested
Season
May: weekends. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day: daily. September through the second weekend of October: weekends. Closed November through April
Steps and access
Considerable walking and numerous steps; moderately strenuous. Not wheelchair accessible. Strollers and back carriers are not permitted
Conditions
Trails are sloping and moist, and visitors may get dripped on; comfortable shoes with good traction are best. Electrically lit; video is not permitted
Landmark
An Ohio Registered Natural Landmark

The story

Two boys, Peter Rutan and Henry Komer of Flat Rock, discovered the cave in June 1872 while hunting rabbits with their dog. The dog chased a rabbit into a brush pile and vanished, and when the boys dug around it they found a natural sinkhole. They fell through into the first level of the cave, found their dog and climbed out. The cave became known as Good's Cave, for Emmanuel Good, whose farm it was on.

In 1929 the lawyer Don Bell moved to Bellevue and, with a lifelong interest in caves, explored it with Good. In 1931 he found passageways and rooms nobody had known about, which led to the underground river, and after two and a half years of improvements Seneca Caverns opened to the public on May 14, 1933. It has been run by the Bell family ever since and is described as preserved close to its natural state, with an Ohio Natural Landmark designation.

The map pin is approximate; use the address for directions.

Stay on the marked trails and official tours. Caves are fragile and can be dangerous, and entering any cave or crevice that is closed, unmarked or not open to the public is unsafe and unauthorized.

Visiting

Status
Open seasonally
Season and hours
See the season above; last tour departs an hour before closing. Open rain or shine.
Cost
See the official site.
Phone
419-483-6711
Please note
Groups can reserve May through mid-October; call for details.
Address
15248 E Township Road 178, Bellevue, OH 44811
More information →DirectionsShow on the map

The pin on the map is approximate; use the address or the operator's directions.

Seasons, tours and access can change. Confirm with the operator or park before a long drive; where a closure alert applies, check current conditions.

Parks nearby

East Harbor State Park
About 35 miles · A big camping park on Lake Erie.
Open
Findley State Park
About 45 miles · A camping park on the Buckeye Trail.
Open

Buckeye Trail

Norwalk Section
Near the Buckeye Trail
Open

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.