Exploring the underground at Mines and Meadows
There are plenty of old mines around Ohio and Pennsylvania, but only one you can hop on a four-wheeler and drive into. It is a unique concept tucked away in Wampum, Pennsylvania called Mines and Meadows.

WAMPUM, Pa. - There are plenty of old mines around Ohio and Pennsylvania, but only one you can hop on a four-wheeler and drive into. It is a unique concept tucked away in Wampum, Pennsylvania called Mines and Meadows.
The facility includes 73 miles of ATV trails and a trip underground, all because of a crazy idea Jarett Svihra's dad came up with 10 years ago.
"He was always an outside the box thinker, which was good because we've been entrepreneurs our entire life. So it was neat to be raised around that environment, learn off of that," said Svihra. "I'm just trying to expand off of what he got started here."
It is a process that never really ends. Trails are always evolving and expanding and they basically created the mold, so it's taken a long time just to get to this point.
"It took about a year of preparation just to get everything going and a trail badging system that works. There really wasn't many facilities beside Hatfield McCoy down in West Virginia to really model anything after," said Svihra.
But the big draw is the mine.
"It's a unique feeling to go zero-to-250 feet underground in about six seconds," said Svihra.
It is the only place east of the Mississippi to do it. It's always 55 degrees inside, whether you go in January or July, and it's pitch black. The only lights come from the ATV.
"It's a little bit of an eerie feeling too," said Svihra. "Those that are claustrophobic, you might get a little weirded out, but the guide when you get in there, the gentleman tells the history of the facility, why it was there - and he does it all in the dark."
Inside you can see the history of Wampum. The walls, chiseled long ago, splashing through areas where hundreds once worked. One of the biggest reasons you need a guide in there is to avoid driving straight into the four acre underground lake.
"We get people from all over the country. They'll come down from Maine, they come from the Midwest. Literally they come here from all over the place to get a chance to ride an ATV underground," said Svihra.
Jarett's dad passed away a couple years ago, but his vision lives on. An old limestone mine that once meant so much to the area has a new purpose - if you're feeling adventurous.