Lost World Caverns

Last updated
Lost World Caverns
LostWorldFormations.jpg
Stalagmite and stalactite formations.
USA West Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Lost World Caverns
Location in West Virginia
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Lost World Caverns
Location in United States
Location Lewisburg, West Virginia
Coordinates 37°49′57″N80°26′49″W / 37.8326°N 80.4469°W / 37.8326; -80.4469 Coordinates: 37°49′57″N80°26′49″W / 37.8326°N 80.4469°W / 37.8326; -80.4469
Designated1973
Website Official website
The "War Club" stalagmite formation at Lost World Caverns near Lewisburg, West Virginia WarClub.jpg
The "War Club" stalagmite formation at Lost World Caverns near Lewisburg, West Virginia

Lost World Caverns, located just outside Lewisburg, West Virginia, is an underground natural series of caverns. In November 1973, the caverns were registered as a National Natural Landmark [1] [2] as they "feature terraced pedestal-like stalagmites, flowstone, curtains, rimstone, domepits, and waterfalls." [3]

Contents

History

Originally named "Grapevine Cave", [2] the only entrance was a long vertical drop into which farmers used to dump dead livestock and other trash. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University "discovered" the cave in 1942. It was surveyed in the 1960s and found to contain over a mile of interconnected passages that reach a depth of 245 feet below the surface. [2] In 1967, the remains of a prehistoric cave bear ( Arctodus pristinus ) were unearthed in the cave. [2]

In the early 1970s, a walking entrance was dug out, the trash was removed, walkways were installed and the cave was opened for tourism. In 1981, the gift shop and walking entrance were renovated. Since then subsequent owners have done extensive work on the lighting (making sure it does not allow the out-of-control growth of algae that old incandescent lamps cause) and many other cleaning and conservation projects as well as adding a dinosaur museum section to the gift shop.

In September 1971, Bob Addis set the unofficial World Record for "Stalagmite Sitting", staying atop the "Warclub" formation for 15 days, 23 hours, and 34 minutes with assistance from his "bucket man" Bob Leibman. The Greenbrier East Band provided in-cave fanfare for Addis's descent and shaky return to solid land from the top of the formation. [4]

In 1992, the Weekly World News reported that Lost World Caverns was the home of "Bat Boy", [5] and claimed that he was captured by the FBI in the caverns, where he reportedly survived by eating his weight in live insects every day. [6]

In November 2021, musical group Sloppy Jane, released their album Madison , which was entirely recorded within the cavern. [7]

Description

The "walking" tour section of the cave consists of a large chamber (1000 feet long, 300 feet wide, and 120 feet high [2] ) with many formations like the Bridal Veil, Goliath, Snowy Chandelier, Ice Cream Wall, Castle and, perhaps the most storied, the War Club, where Bob Addis made it into the Guinness Book of World Records by sitting atop the 28-foot formation for nearly 16 days. [8] In addition to the "walking" tour, one can opt for a rougher guided "wild" tour through the remote sections of the cave, visiting sights like the Angel's Roost, Birth Canal, Keyhole, Glitter Pits, the Hall of the Mountain King and other passages and formations.

Lost World Caverns is a publicly accessible cave for those who want to experience and understand the karst topography within the Greenbrier River watershed. Environmental interests such as local schools and the Greenbrier River Watershed Association encourage the public to take educational tours in order to understand the unique relationship between surface water and groundwater. Surrounded by farmland on all sides, the cave interacts with a constant influx of air, water, clastic and other additives and pollutants. The cave system is part of Greenbrier County's karst plateau or "Great Savannah" where the average number of sinkholes are 18 per square kilometer. [9]

There are wooden walkways and the option of wild caving in the deeper "wild" portions of the system. The cave drains into the Greenbrier River at Fort Spring through the Davis Spring, and there is much to be discovered about the underlying aquifers and science behind this drainage. The public tour section contains a stratum of hex (six-sided) stones. Cavers on the Wild Tour are asked to respect the encroaching threat of white nose syndrome in the Appalachian bat population, and perform sterilization protocols with their gear and clothing before they come in.

The site is open daily, except for holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. [10] As of December 2021, the standard self-guided tour rates are as follows: adults: $12, children 6–12: $6, under 6 free. [10] If planning to visit, one should wear shoes with sufficient tread and dress for a temperature of 52 degrees F. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

Lewisburg, West Virginia City in West Virginia, United States

Lewisburg is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,830 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Greenbrier County.

Natural Bridge Caverns United States historic place

The Natural Bridge Caverns are the largest known commercial caverns in the U.S. state of Texas. The name is derived from the 60 ft natural limestone slab bridge that spans the amphitheater setting of the cavern's entrance. The span was left suspended when a sinkhole collapsed below it.

Speleothem Structure formed in a cave by the deposition of minerals from water

A speleothem is a geological formation by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves. Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. They can take a variety of forms, depending on their depositional history and environment. Their chemical composition, gradual growth, and preservation in caves make them useful paleoclimatic proxies.

Kartchner Caverns State Park State park in Arizona, United States

Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with 2.4 miles (3.9 km) of passages. The park is located 9 miles (14 km) south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the caverns were discovered in 1974 by local cavers, assisted by state biologist Erick Campbell who helped in its preservation.

Luray Caverns Cave in Virginia, United States

Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a cave just west of Luray, Virginia, United States, which has drawn many visitors since its discovery in 1878. The cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems such as columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and mirrored pools. The caverns are perhaps best known for the Great Stalacpipe Organ, a lithophone made from solenoid-fired strikers that tap stalactites of various sizes to produce tones similar to those of xylophones, tuning forks, or bells.

Cathedral Caverns State Park State park in Alabama, United States

Cathedral Caverns State Park is a publicly owned recreation area and natural history preserve located in Kennamer Cove, Alabama, approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Grant and 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Woodville in Marshall County. The park's main feature, first known as Bats Cave, was developed as a tourist attraction in the 1950s. Cathedral Caverns was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1972 and opened as a state park in 2000.

Greenbrier River

The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, 162 miles (261 km) long, in southeastern West Virginia, in the United States. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 1,656 square miles (4,290 km2). It is one of the longest rivers in West Virginia.

Craighead Caverns

Craighead Caverns is an extensive cave system located in between Sweetwater and Madisonville, Tennessee. It is best known for containing the United States' largest and the world's second largest non-subglacial underground lake, The Lost Sea. In addition to the lake, the caverns contain an abundance of crystal clusters called anthodites, stalactites, stalagmites, and a waterfall.

Marengo Cave

Marengo Cave is a privately owned cave located in Marengo, Indiana. One of only four show caves in Indiana, public tours of the cave have been given since 1883. Tours commenced just days after the cave's discovery by two school children. The cave was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1984.

Illinois Caverns State Natural Area

Illinois Caverns is a state natural area in the New Design Precinct of Monroe County, Illinois. It features Illinois Caverns which is alternatively known as Mammoth Cave of Illinois. Illinois Caverns is the second-largest cave in Illinois and has more than 9.6 km of passages. The cave has a constant temperature of 58 °F (14 °C), and portions flood during wet weather. Passages can be 20 feet (6.1 m) high and just as wide. It is located off Illinois Route 3, south of Waterloo, near the unincorporated community of Burksville.

Cumberland Caverns Cave in United States

Cumberland Caverns is a national natural landmark and show cave located in McMinnville, Tennessee. It is the second longest cave in Tennessee and makes the list of longest caves in the United States and in the world.

Black Chasm Cave

Black Chasm Cavern is a cave in the hamlet of Volcano in Amador County, California.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park National Park in New Mexico, United States

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is an American national park in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park is the show cave, Carlsbad Cavern. Visitors to the cave can hike in on their own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center.

Germany Valley

Germany Valley is a scenic upland valley high in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia originally settled by German farmers in the mid-18th century. It is today a part of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest, although much ownership of the Valley remains in private hands.

Grand Caverns

Grand Caverns, formerly known as Weyer's Cave, is located in the central Shenandoah Valley in the town of Grottoes, Virginia, United States. A limestone cavern, it claims the distinction of being America's oldest show cave, in operation since 1806.

Organ Cave Historic cave

Organ Cave is a large and historic cave in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA. The surrounding community takes its name from the cave.

Greenbrier River Watershed Association Nonprofit organization in West Virginia, U.S.

The Greenbrier River Watershed Association (GRWA) is one of the oldest watershed associations in the state of West Virginia, founded in 1990. It has supported the creation of other watershed associations throughout the state and maintains a policy of "upstream courtesy" and "downstream courtesy" with its neighbors.

Metro Cave / Te Ananui Cave

The Metro / Te Ananui Caves are a maze of limestone caves formed by the underground capture of Ananui Creek, a tributary of the Waitakere or Nile River. The caves are located in the Paparoa National Park in New Zealand, managed by the Department of Conservation. Parts of the cave system are accessible by cave tours and rafting, operated by a commercial tour operator out of Charleston.

References

  1. "National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2019-04-13. Year designated: 1973
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lost World Caverns brochure Archived 2008-05-15 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Pathways to the Future: The West Virginia Statewide Trail Plan 2002-2010, Prepared by the West Virginia Trail Plan Committee, July 2002
  4. Steelhammer, Rick. "Champion stalagmite sitter recalls historic publicity stunt".
  5. "Lost World Caverns - Home of Bat Boy, Lewisburg, West Virginia". RoadsideAmerica.com.
  6. wonderfulwv.com Archived 2008-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Danielle, Dowling (November 2, 2021). "To Go Big, Sloppy Jane Went Underground". The New York Times. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  8. The tour pamphlet says the following about the "War Club" stalagmite: "This stalagmite is approximately 500,000 years old and stands 28 feet tall with a base diameter of 2.5 feet and a top diameter of 4 feet. In 1971, Bob Addis, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, secured a platform with ropes to the top of the War Club and began a 15-day-23-hour-and-22-minute stay on top, setting a Guinness World Record for 'Stalagmite Sitting'!"
  9. "Stormwater Weekly - Forester Network". Forester Network.
  10. 1 2 "Directions/Contact Us". www.lostworldcaverns.com.