Find your next adventure … underground!

Ever been on a cave crawl?

Southern West Virginia’s natural and man-made caverns make delightful trips for the whole family. Fast or slow, there’s a spelunking journey set at your kind of pace. Crawl through muddy crannies, bask in a halotherapy chamber, and more!

Lost World Caverns

Since 1942, this cave has entranced folks for generations with its odd formations and airy chambers.

Fact sheet in hand, you can explore by yourself and study these marvels. You’ll see curious sights like America’s largest compound stalactite and the glittery Bridal Veil, a stunning cascade of calcite.

It’s hard not to feel like Indiana Jones — particularly if you take the Wild Cave Tour. This 4-hour adventure takes you into remote regions that regular tourists never see. You’ll also get to wriggle through passageways. It’s a thrilling experience for kids and adults.

The Wild Cave Tour treats you to snacks, bottled water, and all the equipment you’ll need. Your guide will also take photos, which you can keep for free. Wear old clothes, though— you’ll get muddy. The tour finishes with warm showers and a hot picnic lunch.

Lost World Caverns also boasts a dinosaur museum and gift shop, complete with fossils, minerals, and polished stones.

Salt Cave and Spa

Rest your feet and mind at this man-made cavern in White Sulphur Springs.

The Salt Cave and Spa feels like a comforting hobbit hole. Glowing candles fill the curvaceous lobby, which mimics an underground burrow. From there, you’ll head to the therapeutic cavern: an intimate space where you can bury your feet in soft minerals, listen to soothing music, and breathe in dry air. So restorative is halotherapy that one 45-minute session is worth 3 days at the beach!

Relaxation doesn’t stop there, either. Melt your muscles with a Swedish massage at the spa, or sign up for facials, yoga, light therapy, reflexology and more.

Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine

You’ve read about mines — now explore the real thing!

With a veteran miner, you’ll board a cart and withdraw into a world of lit tunnels. As the cool air kisses your face, you’ll hear hair-raising stories and humorous anecdotes along the way. Vintage equipment demonstrations are a highlight, too. You’ll soon discover the limitations of temperamental lanterns and puny candles!

“Haunted Coal Mine” trips in October make things even more atmospheric. Eerie noises and bumps, accompanied with the damp tunnels, make Halloween a real trick — and treat.

Epic Escape Game: Mothman

Point Pleasant’s infamous monster has a nest in Fayetteville …

If you’ve never heard of Epic Escape Game: New River Gorge, the idea is simple: you have to solve clues in order to leave a “locked” room. Time is limited, though. The more folks play, the better your chances of a record finish!

Here’s where the cave comes into play: the “Mothman” story places you in an abandoned mine. While everything is fake, the thrills are very real. Can you discover a way out before the monster returns?

What’s your favorite underground adventure?