Skyline Caverns facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skyline Caverns |
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| Type | Natural area |
| Created | 1977 |
Skyline Caverns is a cool place to visit in Warren County, Virginia. It's a group of natural caves, about one mile south of Front Royal. A retired scientist named Walter S. Amos found these caves on December 17, 1937. He was a geologist, someone who studies rocks and the Earth, and a mineralogist, who studies minerals. Skyline Caverns is open all year. You can take a guided tour to explore inside the caves.
Discovering Skyline Caverns
Walter S. Amos was hired to find caves that could be opened to the public. He was looking for places near Skyline Drive. During his search, he found a sinkhole. A sinkhole is a dip in the ground, often formed when a cave roof collapses.
This sinkhole was located where the parking lot is today. Walter noticed there was no water in the sinkhole. This meant water had to be draining somewhere nearby. He thought this was a sign that a cave system might be underneath.
Walter began looking around the edges of the sinkhole for an opening. He found one by spotting a small group of camel crickets. These crickets naturally live in dark, damp places. They were hiding under a small ledge, which gave him a clue.
After digging out the first "room" of the caverns, he found a huge system of connected rooms. Most of these rooms were easy to move through. About 90 percent of the caverns were already open and clear. Only 10 percent needed to be dug out, mostly near the entrance.
However, the cave floor was covered with about 14 inches of mud and clay. This mud had to be removed before the caverns could open. Skyline Caverns first opened to visitors on April 13, 1939. Finding these caverns using scientific clues like this was very unusual. Scientists believe the caverns are about 50 to 60 million years old.
Amazing Anthodite Crystals
While clearing the mud, Walter Amos and his team found another part of the caverns. This area had been blocked by a lot of mud for many years. When they cleared it, the geologist discovered something special: anthodites.
Anthodites are very rare and unusual crystals. They are perfect six-sided shapes made of pure calcite. These unique crystals are protected by Virginia State Law. They are kept behind special doors that a tour guide must open for visitors to see them.
Visiting Skyline Caverns
Today, you can take a guided tour of Skyline Caverns any day of the year, even on Christmas. Tours start every 15 to 20 minutes. Each tour lasts about one hour. You will walk about 1.125 miles and go about 260 feet underground.
The tours show about 20 percent of the caverns. The other 80 percent is not open to tourists. On the tour, you will see many cool cave formations. These include stalactites, stalagmites, columns, "flow-stone," anthodites, and aragonites. Skyline Caverns also has five flowing streams inside. Three of these streams can be seen during the tour.
Besides the cave tour, there are other fun things to do. You can enjoy a miniature train ride. There is also a mirror maze to explore.
