A tour of the caverns was part of the package we got from the Natural Bridge Hotel, so Dave and I drove the short distance from the hotel to see them. While sculpting the Natural Bridge 3 million years ago, nature also worked on the Natural Bridge Caverns, and is still at it in the East coast’s deepest “live” caverns.
Open seasonally March through November, visitors enjoy the Natural Bridge Caverns tour. Guests descend more than 34 stories deep within the Earth to get to the magnificent natural display. The caverns highlights are the Colossal Dome Room, Mirror Lake, Wishing Well Room and the Canyon Room.
The Caverns are open form 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so Dave and I rushed to get there before closing.
The Natural Bridge Caverns were discovered just before the turn of the 20th century and opened to the public in 1977. The Cavern building was built in 1980 and houses the gift shop and entrance to the Caverns. Upon arrival we had to register for the next available tour at the desk in the gift shop. We had about 20 minutes to spare before the next tour, so we had some time to explore the gift shop.
The tour started with a long and dark man made entrance to the caverns. Our guide pointed out some bats on the ceiling.
Then, we took long and slippery steps down. Thankfully, we could hang onto the handrail while descending. Natural Bridge Caverns, like most, are formed by the dissolution of rocks such as limestone in waters moving underground. In ancient times, water-filled cavities slowly drained and narrow passages and water-sculpted rooms opened up, forming the caverns.
The first stop on the way down was the Colossal Dome Room. This room is an enormous dome shaped natural feature that was created over thousands of years. Visitors have the unusual experience of seeing formations still growing, including the largest independent dripstone stalagmite on the East Coast.
So how exactly did these Virginia Caverns form? The Caverns in Virginia formed and continue to form today through a slow, arduous natural process. Cracks and cavities in the mountain were carved into great large passages via slow moving water over time, and natural deposits from minerals in the earth created the cavern structures that the Natural Bridge Caverns are famous for today, according to the official web site: naturalbridgeva.com. We are in the Colossal Dome Room in the picture below.
Because the Caverns in VA are located beneath the Earth’s surface, the temperature remains a cool 54 degrees constantly. A sweater or lightweight jacket might be handy.
Walking from the Dome Room, visitors can also see other places while on the 45 minute tour of the Natural Bridge Caverns. Here is Mirror Lake with serene still clear water.
The green is from moss growing…
More various crevices in the Canyon Room.
Seems like a rock is coming out of the Canyon…
This canyon was formed by an earthquake a long time ago.
There is a fallen rock, a large boulder wedged between the two walls of the split. We had to walk under this boulder, but there is nothing to worry about, it’s stuck. 🙂
Too many spots on the camera lens.
Another walkway inside the caverns. They are not as impressive as the Luray Caverns, but it was a fun trip deep underground. Our tour guide turned off all the lights at the very bottom of the cave, which was a unique and interesting experience.
Climbing back up is not the same as climbing down, but we managed it. 🙂
And of course, we ended up back in the Gift Shop. I couldn’t resist and bought a cute stuffed bat as a souvenir. Besides, the bat will be a nice addition to the upcoming Halloween.
