Caves in Grottoes

Four caves near Grottoes.

Grand Caverns

This site doesn't duplicate Wikipedia, but supplements it with more detailed, local information. Grand Caverns on Wikipedia.

The cave was called Weyer's Cave after the person who found it, and the name stuck with locals. The landowner Matthias Amend attempted renaming after him but reverted to Weyer's Cave soon. It was also called Grottoes of the Shenandoah, hence the town of Grottoes. This name stopped being when Shenandoah Caverns opened for public tours in 1922. In 1926, Holly Stover bought the cave and renamed it Grand Caverns. See showcaves.com for more info (Archived link).

Coordinates: 38.260470,-78.835420

Grand Caverns was resurveyed in 2004, and new are was discovered. It ranks as the 266th longest cave in the US.

Cleaning Grand Caverns

Folklore says the town of Weyers Cave got it's name from the railroad station. It was the station people got off when traveling to see Weyer's Cave, and the name stuck for the town. Which is really strange, as the actual station name seems to have been Grottoes Station of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad.

Madison Cave

Discovered when?

Explored by 16 year old George Washington, who signed his name in the cave (would like picture). Thomas Jefferson mapped the cave in 1782 (Published 1787 in Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia). There is a signature of James Madison, who was the 3rd cousin of the president James Madison, and bishop in Protestant church (source | Archived source). There is a lake in the cave, who's level doesn't change with rain or drought.

The Madison Cave Isopod (Antrolana) was discovered and named after this cave, originally thought to be unique here, but later discovered in other caves of the Great Appalachian Valley. DCR Factsheet. Here is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery plan PDF for the at risk species. Threatened status page.

https://cavegators.com/past-projects/madison-saltpeter-cave/ Has picture of Washington's signature

Fountain Cave

Formerly Weasts Cave. Early accounts record pools 'fountains' just inside the entrance. Later exploration found these pools at the very back. Another cave, TI-59 cave, was apperantly the original entrance to what is now fountain cave. Voice connection between the two exists, but the entrance passage was “blasted shut”. PDF