I discovered this location when I was hiking in the Virginia
Mountain’s this summer. We really enjoyed the hike and consider
this a special place for all to enjoy. There is a small parking fee
to access the park and spring.
Cave Springs is located in the George Washington Forest. George
Washington and Jefferson forests stretch from one end of Virginia
to the other, as well as extending into West Virginia, along the
ruggedly beautiful Appalachians.
If you have a thing about the outdoors, you won’t be let down
when you come to see Cave Springs EarthCache. Outdoors people
generally like this section of Virginia. The high level of rainfall
makes Cave Springs a pretty wet site; the month of May is the
wettest with most of the rain while October is the month with the
least amount of precipitation.
The stone stairs will take you there.
Cave Springs provided cool water on a hot day for the Native
Americans many years ago. Now it’s a source of water for a crystal
clear pool of spring water for hikers and campers to enjoy.
Geology of Cave Springs
Springs may be formed in any sort of rock. Cave Springs is
formed in the Greenbrier Limestone formation. In Virginia, the
largest springs are formed in limestone and dolomite in the karst
topography of the region. Both dolomite and limestone fracture
relatively easily. When weak carbonic acid (formed by rainwater
percolating through organic matter in the soil) enters these
fractures it dissolves bedrock. When it reaches a horizontal crack
or a layer of non-dissolving rock such as sandstone or shale, it
begins to cut sideways, forming an underground stream. As the
process continues, the water hollows out more rock, eventually
admitting an airspace, at which point the spring stream can be
considered a cave. This process is supposed to take tens to
hundreds of thousands of years to complete.
Cave Springs in particular flows through the native limestone, a
sedimentary rock composed of calcium carbonate and is a rock of
marine origin derived from the lime mud and ooze that accumulated
on calm, shallow sea floors millions of years ago. The Cave Springs
Campground sits on a karst landscape. It’s characterized by the
presence of caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams, created
as groundwater dissolves soluble rock such as limestone or
dolomite. The evidence is all around you as you will notice. Below
Cave Springs surface are natural cavities filled with water. The
nearby tunnels and caves are formed when slightly acidic water
combines with limestone or dolomitic rock, and dissolves the rock,
creating a cavity.
Water flow from springs
Cave Springs can be classified by how much water is being
discharged. If a spring flows only after a hard rain is called an
ephemeral spring, but if it flows year-round it is classified as a
perennial spring. Cave Springs is a perennial spring.
The amount of water that flows from springs depends on many
factors, including the size of the caverns within the rocks, the
water pressure in the aquifer, the size of the spring basin, and
the amount of rainfall. Human activities also can influence the
volume of water that discharges from a spring, ground-water
withdrawals in an area may reduce the pressure in an aquifer,
causing water levels in the aquifer system to drop and ultimately
decreasing the flow from the spring.
The entrance to the Cave is protected by a heavy metal door. Do
not attempt to enter the cave during your visit.
Permission for this EarthCache is allowed by the George
Washington National Forest. Always ask for permission before
placing an EarthCache in the National Forest. To get credit for
this EC, post a photo of you or group in from of the Cave Entrance
(no photos of just a hand) and please answer the following
questions.
1. What is the estimated temperature of the water?
2. What is the height and width of the cave opening?
3. Name a few types of bats that call this cave home.
(There's a nearby information board with bat listings)
This is a National Park Service-approved EarthCache site. The
information here has been reviewed and approved by the George
Washington National Forest. Thanks to the staff for their
assistance.
| Cav Scout has earned GSA's highest
level |
 |
Do not log this
EC unless you have answered the questions and have a picture ready
to post! Logs with no photo of the actual cacher logging the find
or failure to answer questions or negative comments will result in
a log deletion without notice. Exceptions will be considered if you
contact me first (I realize sometimes we forget our cameras or the
batteries die). You must post a photo at the time of logging your
find. If your picture is not ready then wait until you have a
photo.
Sources of
information for the EarthCache quoted from the George Washington
National Forest website. I have used sources available to me by
using google search to get information for this earth cache. I am
by no means a geologist.. I use books, internet, and ask questions
about geology just like 99.9 percent of the geocachers who create
these great Earth Caches. I enjoy Earth Caches and want people to
get out and see what I see every time I go and explore this great
place we live in.