A Trip to Luray Caverns

Luray Caverns is one of the several sets of caverns in the Shenandoah Valley region. The Luray Caverns are inside the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia. It is very beautiful and a must-see for anyone who is going to Virginia. My family and I decided to visit the Luray Caverns on our way to Pennsylvania.

It was a five hour drive to Luray Caverns from our home. As I got out of the nice air conditioned car, I felt my arms burning. It felt like it was 106 degrees! I looked at the time, it was 9:53am. My Mom, Dad and I rushed up the entrance stairs. Once we got the tickets, we were given an audio set. I walked down some stairs and we reached the caverns.

All I could say was WOW! Everything looked big and majestic! The cave formations were in every shape and size. As I walked in, I felt like Harry Potter discovering the Chamber of Secrets. I was told that The Luray Caverns were discovered by two school boys. No picture could capture all of its beauty!

As I was taking it all in, the tour guide told everyone how to use the devices that we were given in the lobby. The devices we were given tells us information about certain parts of the cavern. It told me about stalactites, stalagmites and columns.

Stalactites are formations that hang from the top of the caverns. Stalagmites, on the other hand, are on the ground and rise up. Stalactites and stalagmites are drip stone formations. Columns are formations that touch the top and the bottom of the caverns. The coloration of the formations are dependent on the minerals that make them up.

The whole tour was about a mile long. I walked very slowly and admired each angle of the formations. One of the most spectacular sights I saw was the Dream Lake. When I looked up, I saw some regular formations similar to those in the whole cavern. But when I looked down, I saw the identical formation pointing upwards. I was thinking to myself, “How is this possible? ”
Turns out, there is a very still lake in the surface! I was looking at the reflection of the top. It was just an optical illusion, a majestic one. The lake was very serene and motionless. I am still wowed by it even today.

Next, there was a place called “Pluto’s Chasm”. I learned that it is 500 feet long and 70 to 90 feet in depth. It has a very haunting look and is very cool to see. Pluto is the Roman god of the underworld. You could also “feel” his ghost coming to haunt you! While on the tour, I saw two views of Pluto’s Chasm. I enjoyed this chamber a lot.

One of the most memorable spots in the caverns was a section where there were no lights. It was absolutely pitch dark and we had to hold onto a railing to go by. My heart was racing and I had the feeling we were in the wrong place. I felt like those two kids who discovered the caverns for the first time. I would have been so scared if I were the one discovering all this during a time before electric lighting.

Another place I liked was the Giants Hall that looks like a cathedral. It is the largest chamber in the Luray caverns. There are two very interesting things about this place. First, it is a very popular wedding site. Also there is an organ that uses the stalactites and stalagmites to make music. Isn’t that amazing? While we were there, we got to hear some music from the formations.

But one of my most favorite spots in Luray caverns is the Fried Eggs. Not fried eggs that you eat but there are formations that look like fried eggs! Isn’t that so cool? I actually wanted to pick it up and eat it. It looked so real. Just a little bit clearer. You have to see it to believe it!



Overall, I think the Luray Caverns are spectacular! There is so much to see. If you are going to Virginia, I suggest you going to Luray Caverns. I am sure you will love it as much as I did. If you want to know more about the Luray Caverns please click here: Lurray Caverns