Endless Caverns

Endless Caverns is a commercial show cave located three miles (4.8 km) south of New Market, Virginia, United States. The cavern is located in the pet-friendly, Endless Caverns Resort, featuring RV sites, vacation rental cottages and a number of amenities, including an outdoor pool, playground, hiking trails, catch-and-release fishing pond, mining sluice, and more.[1]

Endless Caverns
Rimstone at Endless Caverns
Endless Caverns is located in Shenandoah Valley
Endless Caverns
Endless Caverns
Endless Caverns is located in Virginia
Endless Caverns
Endless Caverns
Endless Caverns is located in the United States
Endless Caverns
Endless Caverns
TypeNatural Area
LocationNew Market, Virginia
Coordinates38.5949°N 78.6756°W / 38.5949; -78.6756
Created1977 (1977)

History

According to the tour operators, the cave was discovered by two boys in October 1879, while hunting rabbits on the property of Ruben Zirkle. The boys cornered a rabbit behind an outcropping of limestone rocks, and began moving some of the loose stones to flush the rabbit from his hiding place. After doing this they discovered a hole in the ground and ran back to the house to grab some ropes and candles. After going into the hole the boys found that there were many chambers and rooms. Not long after the discovery, the Zirkles began doing candle lit tours through the cave. In 1919, the cave was bought by Colonel Brown who had the cave fully electrified for the August 1920 grand opening with a lighting design by Phineas Stephens. In 1928 more electric work was done in collaboration with Samuel Hibben and W.A. Oglesby.[2]

Wildlife
Little brown bats at Endless Caverns

Endless is home to colonies of bats, primarily little brown bats, that are visible on the tour route.

Extent

The present mapped extent of Endless Caverns is 5.5 miles (8.9 km), making it the 20th longest cave in Virginia and the 176th longest in the United States. Its deepest measured point is 160 feet (49 m) below the surface.[3]

References
  1. "Endless Caverns | Family RV & Camp. Explore caverns in New Market, VA". Endless Caverns. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  2. Oglesby, W. A. Illumination of Endless Caverns. Illuminating Engineering Society Transactions, v. 23, 1928, p. 1231-1240.
  3. "NSS GEO2 COMMITTEE ON LONG AND DEEP CAVES".


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