They're millions of years old, hundreds of feet below the ground and dripping with calcium carbonate formations. And many of them are just a day trip away from Baltimore.
Caverns are natural wonders carved out by underground rivers millions of years ago. Water that has seeped into the limestone caves creates formations that crystallize. The crystals come in many shapes and sizes: columns, ribbons, stalactites (hanging crystals) and stalagmites (crystals that grow up from the ground).
Below is a list of caverns found in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. For some cool relief (they all stay about 55 degrees year-round) from a hot August day, spend some time in a local cave and see what's going on down under (ground, that is).
Maryland
Crystal Grottoes Caverns, Boonsboro
Located about 75 miles outside of Baltimore in Washington County, Crystal Grottoes Caverns is the only "show cave" open for tours in the state. "Grotto" refers to a series of interconnecting underground pathways.
Surrounded by cornfields, trees and a quiet creek is an old stone building that houses the entrance. Old is a relative word - while the caverns have been forming for the past 250 million years, they were discovered on Sept. 18, 1920, when the State Roads Commission was quarrying for limestone to build up state Route 34. The landowners decided to commercialize the cave and opened it to the public in April 1922.
Since 1966, it's been owned by the family of Jerry Downs, who has been running the caverns for the past 17 years. It's a small, no-frills operation that aims to show off the natural wonders of the caverns and not much else.
Highlights of the tour include unique formations that resemble chandeliers, bacon, an Egyptian mummy, the U.S. Capitol building and a reflecting pool.
There are 26 stairs that take visitors 86 feet underground; a ramp back up leads to the building. Inside the caverns, the walkways are similar to sidewalks and make for an easy jaunt through the 1/7 of a mile tour.
Above ground, visitors can purchase rocks, gems and minerals that were excavated out of the caves and then lunch at the picnic tables by the creek. There's not much else to see in the immediate area, although the Antietam Battlefield is six miles away from Crystal Grottoes Caverns.
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily April 1-Oct. 31; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends November-March; 30-minute tours run every 15 minutes.
Admission: $8.50; $4.50 children under 12. Group tours at
reduced rates available; call for a reservation.
Call: 301-432-6336
Virginia
Luray Caverns, Luray
A Disneyland of the caving world, Luray Caverns is an organized, well-run site that draws about 500,000 visitors annually. Walking 70 stairs down, visitors enter into a 54-degree underworld that was discovered in August 1878 by Andrew Campbell and Benton Stebbins after they felt a cool draft of air coming from a sinkhole. Little did they know they were stumbling upon what was to become the fourth-largest cave in the United States and the biggest on the East Coast.
The tour, which takes place 164 feet beneath the Earth's surface, leads guests a mile and a quarter along a brick pathway equipped with handrails. Highlights include Dream Lake, a wide pool that reflects thousands of stalactites hanging from above; Fried Eggs, a formation resembling two eggs sunny-side up that was created from the bases of two stalagmites accidentally broken by workmen; and the Great Stalacpipe Organ, the world's largest natural musical instrument, which taps out notes on stone formations. The organ is located in the caverns' Cathedral, which has been host to more than 300 weddings.
Today through Sunday, Luray will celebrate its 120-year "Inchiversary" - since its formations grow at a rate of one cubic inch every 120 years. Events will include a Grand Illumination of the caverns by candlelight, music, fireworks and a photographic tour of the caverns.
The guide (and the accompanying guide-in-training) were knowledgeable and eager to answer even the most obscure questions about Luray. They let stragglers take their time and didn't hurry anyone through the tour. A chair lift up and down the stairs makes the tour accessible to those with wheelchairs and strollers.
The grounds of Luray Caverns are well-developed and include two motels, a gas station and food service. And like any true paid attraction, the cavern tour dumps guests out into the gift shop, where the likes of bumper stickers, postcards and shot glasses abound.
Where: Luray in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, about 130 miles from Baltimore
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., June 15-Labor Day; 9 a.m.-6 p.m., day after Labor Day-Oct. 31; 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Nov. 1-March 14 (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays); 9 a.m.-6 p.m., March 15-June 14. Hourlong tours run every 10 to 20 minutes.
Admission: $13; $6 ages 7-13; free for children under 7 with an adult; $11 seniors 62 and older. Includes visit to Historic Car and Carriage Museum.
Call: 540-743-6551
Other Virginia caverns
Endless Caverns, New Market; 540-896-2283
Skyline Caverns, Front Royal; 800-296-4545
Shenandoah Caverns, between New Market and Mount Jackson;
Pennsylvania
Laurel Caverns, Farmington
When the brochure for Laurel Caverns warns visitors never to wear high heels to a cave, it's not kidding. Unlike Crystal Grottoes Caverns and Luray Caverns with their sidewalk-style walkways, Laurel Caverns is covered in clay-like sand, which may make it difficult for some to navigate. Be prepared to walk up steep hills, duck to avoid low ceilings and turn sideways to fit through narrow passageways.
The privately owned cavern is the state's largest mapped cave and its deepest, taking tours 170 feet below ground. It has been explored since the late 1700s and opened to the public in July 1964.
There are few calcium formations in the cavern, since the limestone is about 70 percent sand and 30 percent calcium. Thus, formations are small and often don't stick. Many were broken off by early explorers.
But there is plenty else to see during the 1/2-mile tour. The 2.8 miles of passages make the cave the 16th longest in the United States. In the Hall of the Mountain Kings, the cavern's largest and longest passageway, there are inscriptions from 1891 carved in the wall. Other cavern sections are called the Pillar of Hercules, the Grand Canyon, the Devil's Staircase (a 40-foot drop for rappelling) and formation landmarks called "the bird" and "the sea turtle."
Highlights of the tour include an optical illusion, in which a golf ball appears to defy gravity by rolling what seems to be uphill; a reflecting pool; and a sound and light show played to "Hallelujah."
The tour guide, who stopped often to answer questions, said volunteers meet at Laurel Caverns once a week to dig for new passageways after hours.
The visitors' center and cave entrance atop Chestnut Ridge offer visitors a breathtaking view of seven counties and three states (Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia) from an altitude of 2,500 feet. The surroundings are idyllic, with rustling trees and nature everywhere (well, excluding the gift shop, snack bar and picnic pavilion).
Where: Farmington, about 250 miles from Baltimore in western Pennsylvania (south of Pittsburgh). Staff-directed caving adventures in the undeveloped portions of the cave and rappelling are also offered.
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, May-October; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends, March, April and November. Closed December, January and February. Hourlong tours run every 20 minutes.
Admission: $9; $7 ages 12-17; $6 ages 6-11; free for ages 5 and under. Group rates available; call for reservations.
Call: 724-438-3003
Other Pennsylvania caves:
Lost River Caverns, Hellertown; 610-838-8767
Crystal Cave, Kutztown; 610-683-6765
Indian Caverns, Spruce Creek; 814-632-7578
Indian Echo Caverns, Hershey; 717-566-8131
Penn's Cave, Centre Hall; 814-364-1664
Lincoln Caverns, Huntingdon; 814-643-0268
West Virginia
Lost World Caverns, Lewisburg; 304-645-6677
Seneca Caverns, Riverton; 304-567-2691
Smoke Hole Caverns, Seneca Rocks; 800-828-8478
Organ Cave, Ronceverte; 304-645-7600
Safety First
Safety precautions and proper equipment are essential for any wild-caving adventure. Check out these tips before you head out and under.
Safety (tips from Carol Tiderman, editor of Baltimore Grotto News):
* Never cave alone.Always wear a hard hat.
* Have three sources of light with you at all times.
* Carry plenty of fluids and snack foods to fuel your body.
Equipment :(tips from Mike Wirt of Hudson Trail Outfitters, Towson, avid caver and member of National Speleological Society):
* Helmets: "Many people use a $5 construction helmet, just a little simple shell. It's not designed to absorb impact like a climbing helmet." Climbing helmets, which are sturdier and designed especially for caving, cost between $60 and $75.
* Head lamps: "In a cave, a flashlight ties up one of your hands. It's easy to drop and break." Head lamps can be mounted in helmets with bungi cord. They range from $22 to $60.
* Boots: "Any boots you wear are going to get ruined quickly," he said. Wirt's pick: work boots from Sears that cost about $30.
* Socks: To keep your feet cozy and dry, invest in a couple of pairs of wool or synthetic socks.
* Clothing: "Ideally, you want a pair of synthetic coveralls, made out of cordura, a heavy woven nylon," he said. But for novices who don't want to buy expensive coveralls, Wirt recommends wearing sweat pants, old jeans and sweat shirts for caving. "It's cool, so dress warm," he warned.
Help with getting started
If commercial cavern tours have you yearning for more serious tTC exploration, you may want to try your boots on the path of a wild cave. The Baltimore Grotto, an affiliate of the National Speleological Society, is just the organization to get you climbing.
"We are always welcoming new people," said Carol Tiderman, editor of the Baltimore Grotto News, a monthly newsletter filled with overviews of caving trips, maps and coming events. "While caving is a dangerous sport and should be done at your own risk, we will help you develop safe caving techniques."
The club, which has more than 100 members, meets at 8 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month at the social sciences building at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus in Catonsville. Membership is $2 a year; a newsletter subscription is $7.
Tiderman, who has been caving since 1966, said trips are organized by the club at least two weekends out of every month. But Tiderman emphasized the difference between commercial caving and wild caving.
"We are climbing over rocks and in small spaces," she said. "We get dirty. It's a much more rugged environment."
Inquiries about the Baltimore Grotto should be sent to Tiderman at 7600 Pindell School Road, Fulton, Md. 20759. The National Speleological Society, based in Huntsville, Ala., can be reached at 256-852-1300.
Pub Date: 8/13/98