Linville Caverns are privately owned active limestone caverns located in northern

McDowell County, North Carolina McDowell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,578. Its county seat is Marion. McDowell County comprises the Marion, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also inclu ...

, just south of the village of Linville Falls, on U.S. Highway 221. The caverns are open to the public year-round for guided tours. Linville Caverns have been open for tours since the late 1930s and remain the only show caverns in North Carolina. The caverns were discovered in 1822, by local fishermen and since that time have been of interest to locals and travelers alike. Half hour guided tours escort visitors through the caverns with information about cavern history, resident creatures, and the formations viewed along the way. Formed in a deposit of Shady Dolomite at the base of Humpback Mountain, Linville Caverns offer an environment for the public to explore the subterranean world of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Visitors hear the lore surrounding the caverns, including the tale of the Civil War deserters who used the caverns as a hideout, as well as the geology of the stalactites,

stalagmites A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling") is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically co ...

, and other formations found on the tour route. In the fall and winter months, caverns visitors may be able to view the caverns' most popular residents, the

tricolored bat The tricolored bat (''Perimyotis subflavus'') is a species of microbat native to eastern North America. Formerly known as the eastern pipistrelle, based on the incorrect belief that it was closely related to European '' Pipistrellus'' species, t ...

s and

little brown bat The little brown bat or little brown myotis (''Myotis lucifugus'') is an endangered species of mouse-eared microbat found in North America. It has a small body size and glossy brown fur. It is similar in appearance to several other mouse-ea ...

s. These insect-eating creatures hibernate in the caverns from late fall until early spring. White-nose syndrome, a disease caused by the fungus ''

Pseudogymnoascus destructans ''Pseudogymnoascus destructans'' (formerly known as ''Geomyces destructans'') is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fatal disease that has devastated bat populations in parts of the United States and Ca ...

'', was discovered among the bats that roost in Linville Cavern during the winter months. While harmless to humans and domestic animals, the fungus is deadly to bats. The visitor center takes steps to mitigate the spread of the fungus by asking guests to step in a bleach solution that kills any fungus on the soles of their shoes.

External links

Linville Caverns
Caves of North Carolina Show caves in the United States Limestone caves Landforms of McDowell County, North Carolina Tourist attractions in McDowell County, North Carolina {{McDowellCountyNC-geo-stub