Two hundred thirty-five feet beneath the rolling Greenbrier County countryside, near the scenic town of Lewisburg, West Virginia, lies the underground treasure Lost World Caverns. This self-guided cave tour in West Virginia is an absolutely amazing exploration of the alien world beneath our feet. Dig out your spelunking gear and join us for a wild adventure.
Lost World Caverns offers visitors a number of unique attractions.
mlorahga / Tripadvisor
Foremost is the cave itself: this massive limestone cave features a soaring 120-foot high rock ceiling, 80-foot stalagmites, and many striking rock formations.
Lost World Caverns / Facebook
Among its magnificent flowstone structures are the Snowy Chandelier, the Bridal Veil, and the War Club stalagmite, which has the distinction of being the site of the world’s stalagmite sitting record (almost 16 days).
mlorahga / Tripadvisor After wet weather, a subterranean waterfall runs; you can also hear the sound of an underground stream that vanishes into the rock and later appears on the surface eight miles away to form West Virginia’s largest spring.
Next, Lost World Caverns gives you an opportunity to experience history both ancient and modern. On your tour, you pass below the cave’s original entrance, a vine-covered hole in a farmer’s pasture. Back in 1942, the cave’s first explorers rappelled 120 feet down this opening.
Olde_biL / Tripadvisor On the cavern floor beneath lies a pile of animal bones, rusted farm implements, and an old cable ladder - remnants from the days when the cave was a burial place for farm animals. The cable ladder was the original means of accessing the cave from the hole 120 feet above.
Beyond the recent past, Lost World Cave has harbored secrets of ancient history. In 1967, the remains of an extinct cave bear (Arctodus Pristinus) were discovered within the cave. Later, more prehistoric bear remains were found.
Becca / Tripadvisor In the gift shop, a small natural history museum features many of the bones discovered within the cave, as well as other fossils and gemstones.
But the final feature that sets Lost World Caverns apart is the freedom it offers to visitors. The cave tour is self-guided, offering you a unique opportunity to go at your own pace, enjoy each facet of the landscape, and retrace your steps around the 0.5-mile loop as many times as you wish.
Management / Tripadvisor Photography is also allowed, so be sure to capture the beautiful and fascinating sights.
Lost World Caverns is one of 2,500 caves known to exist in Greenbrier County, and underground passages continue to be newly discovered. Besides the self-guided tour, the caverns offer a taste of more extreme underground adventure with its six-hour Wild Cave Tour, which takes you deep into the cave for a test of your spelunking mettle.
Lisa S / Tripadvisor Management promises it will be a rewarding, muddy experience! A trained tour guide, a hot meal, and all the needed caving gear are provided.One additional benefit of Lost World Caverns: the temperature in the cave stays a constant 52 degrees year-round, making it a cool break from the oppressive summer heat above ground.
mlorahga / Tripadvisor
Lost World Caverns / Facebook
After wet weather, a subterranean waterfall runs; you can also hear the sound of an underground stream that vanishes into the rock and later appears on the surface eight miles away to form West Virginia’s largest spring.
Olde_biL / Tripadvisor
On the cavern floor beneath lies a pile of animal bones, rusted farm implements, and an old cable ladder - remnants from the days when the cave was a burial place for farm animals. The cable ladder was the original means of accessing the cave from the hole 120 feet above.
Becca / Tripadvisor
In the gift shop, a small natural history museum features many of the bones discovered within the cave, as well as other fossils and gemstones.
Management / Tripadvisor
Photography is also allowed, so be sure to capture the beautiful and fascinating sights.
Lisa S / Tripadvisor
Management promises it will be a rewarding, muddy experience! A trained tour guide, a hot meal, and all the needed caving gear are provided.One additional benefit of Lost World Caverns: the temperature in the cave stays a constant 52 degrees year-round, making it a cool break from the oppressive summer heat above ground.
As we finish up our self-guided cave tour in West Virginia, what did you think about this cool underground landscape? Are you going to add Lost World Caverns in West Virginia to your bucket list?
If you’re in the scenic Lewisburg/White Sulphur Springs area, don’t miss the unique adventure of Lost World Caverns! Learn more at the Lost World Caverns website. Have you been on any other cave tours in West Virginia? Be sure to tell us all about it with a comment.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Lost World Caverns, 907 Lost World Rd, Lewisburg, WV 24901, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
More caves to explore in West Virginia November 19, 2022 Chris Muras What is the biggest cave in West Virginia? The biggest cave in West Virginia is the Organ Cave System. This amazing network of seven caves named for its unique calcite drapery that resembles a pipe organ is located in Ronceverte, WV. While it used to be open for public exploration this historic cave system is now closed to the public. How many caves are in West Virginia? There are several thousand caves in West Virginia of various sizes due to the abundance of limestone in the area. Over 100 of these caves are longer and deeper than a mile, making for some excellent cave exploration tours and private spelunking expeditions. What caves can be toured in West Virginia? There are a few caves in West Virginia that are open to public tours. Here are some of the best caves in WV for you to explore: (Be sure to read the entire list of explorable caves in West Virginia)
- Lost World Caverns, Lewisburg, WV. This extensive labyrinth of limestone caves travels beneath the Greenbrier Valley. Go on a self-guided tour through the main part of the cavern, or book a private tour to explore the more primitive areas of the cave system.
- Organ Cave, Ronceverte, WV. Organ Cave is the second longest cave in the entire US. With an abundant supply of saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, this cave was mined during the American Civil War to make gunpowder. Today, you can explore this cave and learn about its unique history and geological formations.
- Seneca Caverns, Riverton, WV. This beautiful cave system was used as a place of refuge for the Seneca Indians in the early 1400s. It was a sacred place for special ceremonies, shelter, and storage for trading with other tribes near the Appalachian Mountains. The unique snow-white flowstone in this cave was formed when sheets of water deposited minerals over centuries.
- Smoke Hole Caverns, Cabins, WV. This amazing cave has the second highest ceiling of any cave in the US at 274 feet. It is also interesting to note that the vast pools of sediment-filled water are home to an abundant number of trout. You can find this cool cave at the Smoke Hole Resort in eastern West Virginia.
The OIYS Visitor Center
More caves to explore in West Virginia
November 19, 2022
Chris Muras
What is the biggest cave in West Virginia? The biggest cave in West Virginia is the Organ Cave System. This amazing network of seven caves named for its unique calcite drapery that resembles a pipe organ is located in Ronceverte, WV. While it used to be open for public exploration this historic cave system is now closed to the public. How many caves are in West Virginia? There are several thousand caves in West Virginia of various sizes due to the abundance of limestone in the area. Over 100 of these caves are longer and deeper than a mile, making for some excellent cave exploration tours and private spelunking expeditions. What caves can be toured in West Virginia? There are a few caves in West Virginia that are open to public tours. Here are some of the best caves in WV for you to explore: (Be sure to read the entire list of explorable caves in West Virginia)
- Lost World Caverns, Lewisburg, WV. This extensive labyrinth of limestone caves travels beneath the Greenbrier Valley. Go on a self-guided tour through the main part of the cavern, or book a private tour to explore the more primitive areas of the cave system.
- Organ Cave, Ronceverte, WV. Organ Cave is the second longest cave in the entire US. With an abundant supply of saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, this cave was mined during the American Civil War to make gunpowder. Today, you can explore this cave and learn about its unique history and geological formations.
- Seneca Caverns, Riverton, WV. This beautiful cave system was used as a place of refuge for the Seneca Indians in the early 1400s. It was a sacred place for special ceremonies, shelter, and storage for trading with other tribes near the Appalachian Mountains. The unique snow-white flowstone in this cave was formed when sheets of water deposited minerals over centuries.
- Smoke Hole Caverns, Cabins, WV. This amazing cave has the second highest ceiling of any cave in the US at 274 feet. It is also interesting to note that the vast pools of sediment-filled water are home to an abundant number of trout. You can find this cool cave at the Smoke Hole Resort in eastern West Virginia.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
The biggest cave in West Virginia is the Organ Cave System. This amazing network of seven caves named for its unique calcite drapery that resembles a pipe organ is located in Ronceverte, WV. While it used to be open for public exploration this historic cave system is now closed to the public.
How many caves are in West Virginia?
There are several thousand caves in West Virginia of various sizes due to the abundance of limestone in the area. Over 100 of these caves are longer and deeper than a mile, making for some excellent cave exploration tours and private spelunking expeditions.
What caves can be toured in West Virginia?
There are a few caves in West Virginia that are open to public tours. Here are some of the best caves in WV for you to explore: (Be sure to read the entire list of explorable caves in West Virginia)
Lost World Caverns, Lewisburg, WV. This extensive labyrinth of limestone caves travels beneath the Greenbrier Valley. Go on a self-guided tour through the main part of the cavern, or book a private tour to explore the more primitive areas of the cave system.
Organ Cave, Ronceverte, WV. Organ Cave is the second longest cave in the entire US. With an abundant supply of saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, this cave was mined during the American Civil War to make gunpowder. Today, you can explore this cave and learn about its unique history and geological formations.
Seneca Caverns, Riverton, WV. This beautiful cave system was used as a place of refuge for the Seneca Indians in the early 1400s. It was a sacred place for special ceremonies, shelter, and storage for trading with other tribes near the Appalachian Mountains. The unique snow-white flowstone in this cave was formed when sheets of water deposited minerals over centuries.
Smoke Hole Caverns, Cabins, WV. This amazing cave has the second highest ceiling of any cave in the US at 274 feet. It is also interesting to note that the vast pools of sediment-filled water are home to an abundant number of trout. You can find this cool cave at the Smoke Hole Resort in eastern West Virginia.
