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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
The cave known as Seneca Caverns is located in Germany Valley off U.S. 33, three miles northeast of Riverton in Pendleton County, at an elevation of 2,200 feet. It was opened to the public in 1930 and is one of four commercial caves in West Virginia. The entrance to Seneca Caverns is in a shallow sink behind the gift shop.
Seneca Caverns is about 500 feet long, and the tour exits from a rear entrance almost due east from the start. It has calcite formations throughout the length of the tour including stalagmites, stalactites, cave coral, and flowstone mounds. Several of the formations are pure white in color. The cave is located in limestone of the Black River Group (Ordovician Age) along the crest of the Wills Mountain Anticline. Stratosphere Balloon Cave is also located on the Seneca Caverns property and was formerly open to the public. Stratosphere Balloon Cave was described by Bishop Francis Asbury in his journal for June 21, 1781, and is also known as Asbury Cave.
Written by William K. Jones