After visiting the Green Valley Book Fair, the next stop on our road trip was a visit to Grand Caverns. Prior to our trip, we had never heard of this show cave. We’ve been to Luray Caverns, but are so glad we found this cave!
Grand Caverns is located in Grottoes just a quick twenty minute drive south of the Green Valley Book Fair. In addition to the caverns, the property offers a playground, seasonal swimming pool, and miniature golf course. The outdoors here are just as pretty as underground.
Grand Caverns does require a reservation for the tour completed through their website. We were able to snag a time the same day as our travels, but they do have busy days so it’s always best to plan ahead. After a hike up a steep, but paved hill, you enter the caverns accompanied with a tour guide. A show cave since 1806, Grand Caverns is the longest operating cave in the United States.
The tour lasted just over an hour long and we walked approximately a mile through the different rooms. Our amazing tour guide pointed out all the unique features in each room and explained the history of the cave. We got to experience what it felt like when people used candles to explore the cave and even spent a few moments in the dark. Unlike a few other caverns we’ve explored, the rooms in this cave were wide and tall, there were some steps, but truthfully the walk up the steep hill was the toughest part! This was one of our favorite experiences on the road trip!
After leaving Grand Caverns, we headed towards our rental. One the way, we stopped at Falling Spring -a 80 foot waterfall in the Alleghany Highlands. Found on Route 220, there is a small parking lot just off the highway that leads to a sidewalk to the viewing area. Even the occasional sounds of the cars on the highway didn’t deter our appreciation for the beautiful waterfall. While I got the impression that visitors used to be able to get an up close look at the waterfall, the black fencing surrounding the property along with no trespassing signs clearly let us know that we would have to enjoy it from afar. Since it is just a quick stop on the road without any hiking involved, we wouldn’t go out of our way to see it again, but if you are ever in the area it is worth a view.
