In our well-mapped out world, with GPS and satellite imagery, finding something that's never been seen before is rare.
At one county park in Manitowoc County, new experiences are being unearthed all the time as people are going deep into the heart of nature.
There's something about a cave that brings out the explorer in all of us.
"It's one of the last unknowns," says the park's head volunteer Mike Sobush, quoting Wisconsin Speleological Society's Chairman Kasey Fiske. "You're working in there, and all of a sudden you have a slump-down, and you can see 40 ft. Ahead. Nobody else has ever seen this."
At Cherney Maribel Caves County Park, 30 minutes outside of Green Bay, caves are what it's all about.
"There's a little crawl-thru passage, and you crawl in there, and you go down," says Sobush, also a member of WSS, standing in front of an impressive 30-ft. bluff, riddled with cave-like openings, "and you come out of the bluff over there."
It's a place where the area's geological history is etched in stone.
"The whole West Twin River Basin was created as the glaciers receded," says Sobush. "This is all part of the Niagara escarpment. We have 30+ ft. bluffs here."
Sobush's love for the park is visible, starting with the volunteer-coordinated efforts to construct the park's many trails and walkways.
"Those trails have been built by us," says Sobush, proudly, "all sediment is out of New Hope Cave."
It's a love affair that Sobush says started years ago, with the first pile of cave-excavated dirt he helped haul.
"They got a pile of dirt, and nobody to haul the dirt away," laughs Sobush. "Well, here I am, 12 years later."
Some caves are open year round.
"Coopers Cave and Pancake Cave," lists Sobush, "they are open all the time during park hours."
Others are relatively new to human eyes.
"Up on the backside up here is the Cave of Treasures we've just discovered," says Sobush, standing in front of the park's "crown jewel" cave named Tartarus.
And caves aren't the only thing putting this park on the map.
In the early 1900's, an entire hotel near the park thrived on the mineral water that still springs up from the ground today.
"And they would ship it in glass returnable bottles around the country," says Sobush, "way before it was fashionable to have bottled water."
Whether it's fascination, simple curiosity, or just facing your fears, park leaders say more and more people are discovering the cave system.
And they're expecting their biggest summer yet.
"May is pretty well booked," laughs Sobush. "I have 312 3rd and 4th graders coming for 7 days of tours."
Cherney Maribel Caves County Park itself is officially open April 1st through October 31st.
But the trails, and certain caves, are accessible all year.
