Kim adores a good cave, commercialized ones included. There's something about living in the mid-Atlantic and seeing all these fascinating underground spaces. In the Lewisburg, WV, area, there are around 2,500 known caves--what awe that thought can inspire! E has been to several caverns, as historic readers of this blog know, but he recently reported he had no memory of those visits. G, well, she hadn't been to any. So, really, we all know what happened next.
Enter Lost World Caverns, a family-owned tourism treasure just over the state line from Alleghany County, VA, on I-64. To arrive, you turn off the paved road (almost always a good sign). Their self-guided cave tour is a perfect adventure for a "first cave" and young visitors to the cavern scene. The pace was perfect because we could control it, allowing Kim to explain to G that caves were a magical world, not a scary one, and allowing E to shine a flashlight they provided into many interesting crevices. The visitor paths are winding and full of stairs, also adding to the kid-interest factor. We particularly enjoyed the Smurf Village formations (yes, they look like Smurf houses) and Goliath, a massive column like the name suggests. (E wanted to name a nearby smaller formation David.) We spent a little over an hour in the cave and about thirty minutes in the spacious gift shop. And the gift shop? There were several reasonably-priced items, including Kim's favorite souvenir Christmas ornaments, as well as a small fossil exhibit with items loaned from the Smithsonian. The science of this cave is truly in progress, and a prehistoric bear skeleton, significant in dating the location of various animals in the area, was found just a few years ago. It's also a place of popular culture legend for those interested -- the home of Bat Boy, which you can buy in plush form in the gift shop.
If you go, know that this cave is beautiful with lighting that adds to the splendor (similar to Lost Sea Adventure). You will descend to (and leave from) the cave via a long, steep tunnel with stairs, and the visitor pathways are a bit narrow, uneven, and often feature stairs. In short, while there are no steep drop offs or similar heights, this is a cave for the surefooted. We took a stroller into Shenandoah Caverns--you wouldn't do that here. Really, though, this is all part of the charm and engagement, especially for young kids. Kim has been caving in wild caves twice, and the overall effect of Lost World Caverns is that it closer to a cave adventure feel than most commercialized caves can accomplish. Visitors with kids a bit older than us can enjoy wild cave tours; same-age visitors will probably be equally fascinated with the flashlight they loan you for touring. On the day of our visit, there were people rappelling into the cave from the natural entrance--very nifty. We've not seen a lot of ads for this attraction, but their digital brochure is helpful in planning. Also, check Groupon for discount entry--and also consider adding the frequent Groupon coupon codes on local activities for a steeper discount. Remember jackets as needed for comfort--the cave is about 50 degrees F. For your interest, here's another family's take on the cave. Nearby Lewisburg, WV, is an interesting town on its own and has been proclaimed one of the nation's best small towns--just get away from WalMart and to the small town part. Visitors are also in reach of Alleghany County, of which there is a LOT on this blog, but one of our favorites for kids there is the C & O Railway Heritage Center.
And E? Well, he remembered visiting caverns once he arrived in this one.
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