Luray Caverns, Luray VA

July 2024

Luray Caverns never cease to impress me.

There's something about both the vertical scale of the caverns and how many of them they are. The path just keeps going and going from one cave to the next, and I wondered if it was possible to get lost. The trail only goes on way, but after the twentieth turn into a whole new set of stalactites and stalagmites you start to wonder if you haven't taken a wrong turn and ended up in an abandoned tunnel.

That's impossible, of course; the caverns are incredibly well-lit, not just in terms of your ability to see and walk around, but also in how the lights are positioned to highlight the seemingly endless formations of stone, worn down over untold eons into beautiful swirls and shapes.

Luray’s popular enough you’ll rarely be far from other people during your tour, but it’s still spooky, another world almost literally. At one point, I was far enough away from other visitors I closed my eyes and for a full minute there was utter silence. No air conditioner noise, no murmurs, no passing cars, nothing. I felt oddly comforted, wrapped in a blanket of quiet.

And when you're done with the caverns, there's plenty to do above ground: several adjacent museums, a hedge maze, and a ropes course. There are even several historical buildings showcasing what life was like in rural Virginia in centuries past.

Well worth the trip.

Price: $34 for adults; $32 for seniors 62+; $17 for kids 6-12

Conditions: 88° F and sunny