Descriptions of Virginia Caves
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COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES DESCRIPTIONS OF VIRGINIA CAVES JOHN R. HOLSINGER BULLETIN 85 VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES James L. Calver Commissioner of Mineral Resources and State Geologist CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA 1975 COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGIN IA DEPARTMENT OF P URCHASES AND SUPPLY RICHMOND 1975 Portions of this publication may be quoted if credit is given to the Virginia Division of Mineral Resources. It is recommended that reference to t his report be made in the following form: Holsinger, J. R., 1975, Descriptions of Virginia Caves: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Bulletin 85, 450 p. DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Richmond, Virginia MARVIN M. SUTHERLAND, Di" ector JERALD F. MOORE, Deputy Di"ecto,' A. S: RACHAL, JR., Executive Assistant BOARD WILLIAM H. STAN HAGEN, Alexandria, Chairman FRED W. WALKER, Ashland, Vice Chairman D. HENRY ALMOND, Richmond MAJOR T. BENTON, Suffolk A. R. DUNNING, Millwood ARTHUR P. FLIPPO, Doswell ADOLPH U. HONKALA, Richmond J. H. JOHNSON, West Point FREDERIC S. REED, Manakin-Sabot COLLINS SNYDER, Accomac SHERMAN WALLACE, Cleveland E. FLOYD YATES, SR., Powhatan CONTENTS PAGE Abstract _______________ ___________ ____ ________________ __ _____ _________ ___________________ _____ 1 Introduction ___ ____________ ____ __ _________ ____________________________________ ___ ____________ __ ________ 2 Previous investigations _______________ _____________________ ________________ ____________ 3 Present investigations _____ _______ ________________________ __ __________ ___ _______________ 4 Acknowledgments ____ ____ ________ _______ ____ ______________________ ____________ ______ ______ 5 Geology ____ ________ ________ ________ ______ _____ ____ __ ________ __ ____________________________________ ________ 7 Stratigraphy _______ __ ____ ____ __ ___ __________________________________ _____ ____ __ ____ 7 Origin of caves ____ _____ __ ____ ______ ______________________________________ ____ ____ ___ __ ___ 11 Cave patterns ________ ___ ____ ____________________________________________________________ ____ 14 Cave fills and secondary mineral deposits _______________ _____________ 16 Karst topography ____ ___ ______________________________________ __ __ _________ 17 Karst hydrology ____ ____ ____ ____ _________________________________ ___ __________ ___ 22 Biology _________________ __________________ ___ ________ _________________ __ ____________________ _____ ___ ____ ____ 25 Archeology and paleontology _____________________ _________________ ______________________ 26 Saltpetre history ___ _________ ____ ___ ______ __ ____ __________________________________ ________ _________ 27 Long caves ____________ ___ _____________ ___ _____ _____________________________________ ____ ___ _ 28 Caves east of the Blue Ridge 28 Conservation and safety __ __ ___ _______ ________ _______________________ _______________ ________ 30 Cave Descriptions ___ __________ ___ ___ ________________________________ _______ __________ ________ ____ 32 Alleghany County __________ _____ ____ __ _________________________ ___________ _______ ____ __ ____ 37 Augusta County _____________ _______ _______ ____ __ ________________________________ __ __ _______ _ 47 Bath County ____ ___ _______ ________ ___________________________ _____________________ ______ ____ ____ 56 Bland County __ __ ___ _____ ___ ____ _____ _____________________ ___________ _________ _________ ___ _____ 73 Botetourt County __ ___ ___ ______ ________ ____ ____ ____________________ ____ ________ _______ ______ 80 Clarke County ___ ____ ___ __ __ __ ____ ____ ___ ___ _____________________________________________ ___ ___ 83 Craig County __ __ ___ _________ _____ ______ _____ _______________________________ __________ __ ___ _ 84 Frederick County ___ ____ ___ ___________ __ __ ___ _________________________ ____ __ ____________ _ 85 Giles County ________ ____ _____ _______ _____ ___ __ _____ _ ___________________ _________ _____________ 86 Highland County ____ ___ ____ ___ __ __ ______ ________________________________ ________ ____ _______ _ 104 Lee County __________ ______ ___ ____ ___________________________________ _____ ____________________ ___ 112 Montgomery County ___ ___ ____ ___________ ___ _________________________ __ ____________ 177 Page County ______ __________ __ ____ ___ __ _____ ______ ______________________________ ________________ 179 Pulaski County ____ ___ ____ ____ ___ ___ _____ __ _______________ ___ _____________________ _________ ___ 184 PAGE Roanoke County _______ ____________ __________ _______________________________________________ 196 R_ockbridge County ______ _________ _________________________________ _____ ________ ___________ 204 Rockingham County ____ _________ _________________________ ______ ___ ____ __________________ 215 Russell County __________ __ ___________________________ ___________ __ ______ ________ ______________ 227 Scott County _______________________ _______ __________________ _____________ ____________ ___________ 261 Shenandoah County ____ ___ __ ___ ____ _______ __________ ____ _________ ___ _____________ ________ 323 Smyth County ____ __________ _________ ______________________ _____ _____ __ ________________________ 330 Tazewell County ____________ _________ ___ __ _______________________ ___ _________________________ 344 Warren County _______ _____ __ ___ _______ ____ ____________________________ _____ ____________ 366 Washington County _______ __________________ ____ _______________ ___ __________ _____________ 369 Wise County ____________ ______ _______________ ___________________ __________________________ ______ 393 Wythe County ___ ______ _________ _______________________ ___________ _________________ ___________ _ 415 References __ ______________ ___________ ________ ___________ ________ __ ____ ________ _ 422 Appendix: List of all known caves in Virginia_ 426 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE PAGE 1. Gilley Cave, Lee County, Virginia . .......................... In pocket 2. Surgener-Gallohan cave system, Lee County, Virginia ........................ ..... ................ ................................. In pocket 3. Unthanks Cave, Lee County, Virginia ......... ... ..........In pocket 4. Millers Cove Cave, Roanoke County, Virginia ............ ............................... __ ...... __ ....... ................ In pocket 5. Endless Caverns, Rockingham County, Virginia .............. ......................................... .......... ..... In pocket 6. Shenandoah Caverns, Shenandoah County, Virginia ........... .... ................ .............. .. ... ... ................ .In pocket 7. Fallen Rock cave system, Tazewell County, Virginia ............. ............... ............................... ............... In pocket FIGURE 1. Index map showing the 26 counties in the Valley and Ridge and Appalachian Plateaus provinces having solution caves in carbonate rocks .. ...... 2 2. Density and distribution of 512 caves in Lee, Scott, and Wise counties ............... .. ...... ... ........... 5 3. Rye Cove Limestone ..... ............. ................ ..... .. ........ 19 4. Subterranean drainage in the Rye Cove karst area ............................ ........ ............................. 24 5. M egalonyx jeffersoni ......... __ ......... ........... 26 6. Index map to the 7.5-minute-series topographic maps of quadrangles in Virginia .... .. ............. ............. 35 7. Explanation of symbols used on cave maps .. ............ .. .. .. 36 8. Carters Cave, Alleghany County .... .... .................. 39 9. Island Ford Cave, Alleghany County. 41 10. Lowmoor Cave, Alleghany County 42 11. Sinks of Potts Creek Cave, Alleghany County ............ 44 12. Wares Cave; Alleghany County ........... 45 13. Cochrans Cave No. 2, Augusta County ...... ............ 49 14. Fountain Cave, Augusta County . 50 15. Blowing Cave, Bath County ......... 60 16. Boundless Cave, Bath County ....... 61 FIGURE PAGE 17. Burns Chestnut Ridge Cave, Bath County 63 18. Carpenters Cave, Bath County . 64 19. Jackson Cave, Bath County. 68 20. Roy Lyle Cave, Bath County . 71 21. Buddy Penleys Cave, Bland County . 71) 22. Coon Cave, Bland County ... ....... .......... 76 23. Hanshews Stream Cave, Bland County . 78 24. Ballards Cave, Giles County ...... ............. 88 25. Canoe Cave, Giles County 89 26. Clover Hollow Cave, Giles County . 90 27. Curve Saltpetre Cave, Giles County ...................... 91 28. Harris Cave, Giles County .... 93 29. Hoot Owl Cave, Giles County ....... 94 30. Klotz Quarry Cave, Giles County . 96 31. Parsells Cave, Giles County ................... ......... ................ 98 32. Pig Hole, Giles County ... .................................. 100 33. Raspberry Hollow Cave, Giles County ............ 101 34. Arbegast Saltpetre Cave, Highland County 106 35. Hiner Cave, Highland County................ ............... .. 109 36. Van Devanter Cave, Highland County ..... 111 37. Baileys Cave, Lee County .. ............. 116 38. Bowling Cave, Lee County . ................... ............. 119 39. Carter Cave, Lee County..................................... 120 40. Cattle Cave, Lee County ................................ .... 122 41. Cope Cave, Lee County 126 42. Cudjos Cavern, Lee County, showing plan of entire cave and plan of the Soldiers Cave section ... 128 43. Cudjos Cavern, Lee County, showing vertical profile of upper and lower levels of commercial section . .... ...................... ... ... ........... 129 44. Garretts