Caverns at Natural Bridge
Caverns at Natural Bridge is an attraction in Virginia, at a modelled elevation of 380 m. Apple Orchard Mountain stands 1,287 m to the south-southeast, 8.3 miles off. The nearest named place is Buck Hill, a peak 0.3 miles away. Blue Ridge Parkway passes 7.0 miles off.
The story
The Caverns at Natural Bridge are a series of commercial show caves in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, close in proximity to both the Natural Bridge and Natural Bridge State Park. Discovered in the 1890s, it was opened to the public in 1977. The Caverns at Natural Bridge are the deepest commercial cavern on the east coast. The Caverns are home to two unique species — a beetle called the Natural Bridge Cave Beetle (Pseudanophthalmus pontis) and the Natural Bridge Isopod (Caecidotea bowmani).
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q96408520, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What to expect
- Access
- Customers only
- Fee
- Yes
- Step-free access
- No
How to reach it
- 7.0 mi off the Blue Ridge Parkway, National
- 13.6 mi off the Highlands Scenic Byway
Overlooks nearby
- Thunder Ridge Overlook · 7 mi
- Arnold Valley Overlook · 7 mi
- Terrapin Mountain Overlook · 8 mi
- Apple Orchard Mountain Overlook · 8 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Buck Hill: 0.3 mi
- Mill Mountain: 2.6 mi
- Furnace Mountain: 2.8 mi
- Sallings Mountain: 3.0 mi
- Skillern Mountain: 3.4 mi
- Jellystone Park Natural Bridge: 3.4 mi
- Centennial Park: 5.0 mi
- Knick Field: 5.1 mi
- Boxerwood Nature Center & Woodland Garden: 10.6 mi
- Lexington City Pool: 11.0 mi
- Glenwood Furnace: 3.4 mi
- Old Mine Entrance: 4.1 mi
- Indian and Settler Conflict: 5.6 mi
- Otto Cline Powell monument: 10.8 mi
- Washington And Lee University: 11.8 mi
- Sulphur Spring: 6.1 mi
- Hunting Spring: 6.7 mi
- Marble Spring: 7.2 mi
- Big Spring: 13.7 mi
- Cow Camp Spring: 19.6 mi
- Rockbridge Historical Society: 11.6 mi
- Stonewall Jackson House: 11.7 mi
- George C Marshall Research Foundation Library: 12.0 mi
- Virginia Military Institute Museum: 12.1 mi
- C&O Railway Heritage Center: 19.7 mi
- Monacan Indian Living History Exhibit: 0.5 mi
- Natural Bridge of Virginia: 0.6 mi
- Dinosaur Kingdom II: 0.8 mi
- Devils Marbleyard: 5.3 mi
- Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson: 11.3 mi
- Padgett Obelisk: 5.0 mi
- Francis Henney Smith: 12.0 mi
- The Cannonball: 12.1 mi
- George Washington: 12.1 mi
- George C. Marshall: 12.2 mi
- Lace Falls: 0.8 mi
- Apple Orchard Falls: 8.3 mi
- Falling Water Cascades: 11.2 mi
- Panther Falls: 14.6 mi
- Stony Run Falls: 23.5 mi
- Brushy Hills Preserve: 11.0 mi
- Lake Robertson: 12.3 mi
- Claytor Nature Center: 17.3 mi
- Mt. Pleasant Roadless Area: 20.7 mi
- Goshen-Little North Mountain Wildlife Management Area: 21.1 mi
- Research and Demonstration Garden: 16.9 mi
- Victory Garden: 21.0 mi
- HumanKind and Hill City Master Gardener Davis Instructional Garden: 23.0 mi
- Rain Garden: 23.2 mi
- Randolph College Organic Garden: 24.4 mi
- Virginia Rest Area Mile 158 South (I-81): 18.8 mi
- Troutville Safety Rest Area: 18.8 mi
- Fairfield Safety Rest Area: 20.8 mi
- Cascade Falls Picnic Area: 0.6 mi
- Lovers Leap: 14.9 mi
- Chris Lantos Waterfront: 23.0 mi
- Howrytown: 23.3 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 9.9 miles of Caverns at Natural Bridge. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Orchard Mountain | SSE 169° | 1,287 m | 8.3 mi |
| Thunder Hill | SSE 165° | 1,221 m | 7.6 mi |
| Onion Mountain | S 172° | 1,157 m | 9.7 mi |
| Sugarloaf Mountain | W 281° | 1,106 m | 8.6 mi |
| Floyd Mountain | S 185° | 1,088 m | 9.5 mi |
| Gully Mountain | W 277° | 1,064 m | 7.9 mi |
| Terrapin Mountain | SSE 151° | 1,062 m | 9.1 mi |
| Orebank Mountain | W 276° | 1,051 m | 7.6 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:23 | 18:56 | 19:30 |
| June solstice | 05:58 | 20:05 | 20:44 |
| September equinox | 07:07 | 18:42 | 19:17 |
| December solstice | 07:30 | 16:23 | 17:04 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 36 | 39 | 46 | 57 | 65 | 73 | 77 | 75 | 69 | 58 | 46 | 39 |
| Precip in | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Buchanan, 11 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element node/8493263562
Day trips start here
- Lynchburg · 27 mi
Take the scenic way to Caverns at Natural Bridge.
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