Skyline Cavern

Useful Information

Location:	10344 Stonewall Jackson Hwy., Front Royal, VA 22630. Warren County. From Washington I 66 West exit 13, Hwy 55 west 8 km, Hwy 340 south 2 km. From north and south I 81 exit 300, I 66 East to exit 6, Hwy 340 South 10 km. (38.8995223, -78.2162507)
Open:	All year daily 9-16. [2024]
Fee:	Adults USD 28, Children (6-12) USD 14, Children (0-5) free. Groups (20+): Adults USD 22, Children (6-12) USD 11. [2024]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System Coloured Light
Dimension:	L=1,687 m, D=27 m, T=12°.
Guided tours:	D=1 h, St=73.
Photography:
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Skyline Cavern, P.O. Box 193, Skyline Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630, Tel: +1-703-635-4545, Toll free 1-800-296-4545.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1937	discovered by Walter S. Amos through a scientific analysis of the surface topography of the area.

Description

Skyline Caverns are home to the rare and beautiful anthodites. These minerals are also called flowers-crystals or orchids of the mineral kingdom at the cave. They look like delicate white spikes that spread in all directions from a spot on the cave ceiling. They have a much lower growth rate than other speleothems, only 3 mm in 100 years. Common speleothems grow 20 mm in 100 years in ths cave. The anthodites are protected by state law and wire fencing.

The cave has three underground streams, one of which plunges 11 meters to create Rainbow Falls. One cave river is stocked with trout as an experiment in adaptation. This did not really work, as the trout have a lack of vitamin D, and they need a weekly dose of pork to compensate this a bit. The scientific value of this experiment is rather low, it is more or less a sort of additional highlight for the cave visitors.

The cave is home to an endemic troglobitic bug, called Pseudanophthalmus petrunkevitchi Valentine. Seven dead specimens were found in the cave, which are now at the Smithsonian.