A major heat wave hit the East Coast, prompting us to seek activities to escape the heat instead of sitting around the campsite.
We decided to take a tour of the Grand Caverns in Grottoes, Virginia. It was weird driving up to the location. Most caverns are well outside of any city, but this one seemed to be right smack dab in the middle of the town.
They offer several tours, and we decided on the walking tour, as we had no interest in doing one of the three spelunking tours they offer. Have you ever seen the documentary on the Nutty Putty Cave? No, thank you! LOL.
History of Grand Caverns
Grand Caverns is the oldest continuously running show cave in the United States and a National Natural Landmark. The cave maintains an annual temperature of 56°F to 58°F.
Bernard Weyer found the caverns in 1804 while attempting to recover one of his hunting traps. In 1806, Weyer’s Cave became open for visits. Before being renamed to Grand Caverns in 1926, the caves were also known as the Grottoes of the Shenandoah. In 1973, Grand Caverns was designated as a National Natural Landmark. Gladys Kellow, the property’s previous owner, donated the caverns and adjacent land to the Upper Valley Regional Park Authority in 1974, transforming it into Grand Caverns Regional Park.
The namesake caverns were turned over to the Town of Grottoes on October 1, 2009.
Video Tour
For those of you who can’t make it out to the tour in person, I took some video for you of the most intriguing parts…COMING SOON!
More Information
HOURS
April 1 – October 31
Daily: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Open: Easter, Memorial Day, June 19 Juneteenth, July 4 Independence Day, Labor Day, and Indigenous People’s Day
COST
$17 – $120 per person, depending on the tour & age. Ages 0-2 are not permitted.
Disclaimer: These articles are here to serve others as a guide on their own outdoor & travel adventures. You use any advice given on this site at your own risk. Exploring & Hiking Hiking can be risky activities; fatalities and injuries do occur. You assume responsibility when you decide to visit or hike in a particular location. Not all trails, attractions, and travels are safe for everyone. What works for me, may not work for you. Do your own research on gear and destinations before proceeding. Information is accurate at the time of posting and is subject to change at any time.
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