Going Underground: Skyline Caverns, VA

There’s something so enticing about going under the surface of the earth, especially on a steaming hot day in the South. Skyline Caverns was the perfect stop on my way up to Harper’s Ferry last month, since it features an average temperature of 58F below ground. Sign me up!

This area of Virginia has several cavern sites, most notably Luray Caverns, which I visited back in 2017 (and you can read that post here: Luray Caverns). Each one tries to set itself apart in some way. For Skyline, it’s all about the lighting. The view below was my favorite, mostly because it looked like a miniature set of a bad sci-fi movie on a weird planet. What is it really? A bunch of small stalactites coming down from the top and reflected in the water. Between the reflection and the lighting, it definitely is one cool spot to stop on this tour.

Being in a cavern is just plain amazing. This was just one of the rooms, full of spaces wherever you looked. From topside, all you see is a parking lot and a small building with the ticket sales and a store. You’d never guess this was right below your feet as you got out of your car!

The photo below is what they have named the Eagle formation, because it does kind of look like a big set of eagle wings. It’s way up over your head, and definitely way bigger than a real eagle. Pretty cool, though, especially when you think how long it took for the little drips of water to make all those stalactites.

Here’s another view looking ahead on the tour. I’m trying to give you a sense of scale here by including a railing. Look near the bottom middle of the photo, and you should see it. Then move your eyes up to the top of the image, slowly. The caverns are really big!

This is one of the few caves in the world that has anthodite formations. That’s them in the photo below, the white spiky things. They defy gravity, spreading in all directions. They are delicate, so no touching (you might spot the netting in the photo, which was put up because some people insisted on touching or throwing stuff up there to try and break them. This is why we can’t have really nice photos, people…)

If You Go…

Skyline Caverns, Front Royal, VA. They have a picnic area, a train, and a maze, so plenty to keep the kidlets busy while you chill out and enjoy the breeze. Tours run every hour, and have been limited in size due to COVID-19 so call ahead for latest updates on that situation.

Stuff your eyes with wonder, he said, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. 

Ray Bradbury