r/boone•
imogencrows

Cave Systems Nearby?

Hey y'all! I was wondering if anyone knows of any lesser-known cave systems nearby. I'm aware of all the tourist-y ones like the Linville Caverns and Worley Cave, but I was wondering if there's any smaller caves in the general area that less people go to.

I need to get film and pictures of a cave interior, and I'd prefer to do that without folks wandering in and out of frame. I also just really love caves, being alone, and being alone in caves. I would also prefer to not get trapped in a cave, for what that's worth, and I doubt I'd go far past the cave mouth, so I'm not looking for anything super massive, or even anything beyond "small" (unless you know about some hidden massive cave system that no one goes to, in which case getting trapped is simply a risk I am willing to take /s).

Thank y'all in advance!

Posted Oct 20, 2022, 5:09 PM UTC

119
very-edge-of-space•

There’s a few crevasses and boulder formations around that can look like “caves” for the sake a of a film. Most of them are on offshoots of the Daniel Boone fork loop, one even opens directly into the trail I have used to weather a hailstorm. They see medium foot traffic. Ravens rock has the stoner cave. There is supposedly a haunted cave up the trail behind Boone Methodist church where some civil war soldier bit the dust, but all I’ve ever found was an old wall and some rocks.

Worley’s really is the preem option though. Nothing comes close unless you wanna drive into Kentucky

10
imogencrowsOP•

Thank you so much! This is super helpful. I'll definitely check out the Daniel Boone loop and see if I can't poke around on the trail behind the church.

3
very-edge-of-space•

For sure! Take plenty of water and bring a few friends for safety. The trail at the church is public but only open in the day. I highly recommend the Boone fork loop over the church as the trail is beautiful and a solid 5 miles. Boone fork is also going to be safer as it is highly trafficked on pretty days.

2
danboone2•

Caves require Limestone/other carbonate rock to form, and there just isn’t any in the Boone area, therefore there are not true caves and the closest are in the Watauga Lake area. Any ‘Cave’ in the high county would be either a rock shelter, erosion, or a mine. If your interested in caving, I’d recomend joining a grotto through the NSS. The closest grottos would be Flittermouse in Asheville, and Tri-Trogs in the triangle. They do zoom meetings. We used to have a student grotto at App, but once we all graduated in 2020, it didn’t continue. I would highly advise against caving alone or trying to teach yourself. It’s an intrinsically dangerous environment and rescues are very difficult. However, with some experience, it’s an amazing activity. https://caves.org/find-a-grotto/

7
2012amica•

The historic cranberry iron mine is fenced off and doesn’t allow person entry but you can hike right up to it and get some gorgeous pictures of the cavern opening as well as the ore and processing ruins on the way.

2
pizark22•

Hampton Tennessee, about 30-45 minutes

2
ChemicalNo3291•

Leave it to a local to be able to tell you about the really good ones but I'm not going to post it right here on the main thread direct message me and I'll tell you some of the really unknown ones and they are spectacular

1
AloneAndSad83•

wow you sound like a friend i miss. her guy jon who is still with his kids mom taylor and still sleeping with her when he goes to waukomis contacted me in aug to brag how he banged her in the back seat of his car at work the day in aug that she said goodbye to me. her oldest kids dad kyle contacted me on fb sept 26. her supposed bf matthew the musician contacted me multiple times bragging about manipulating her as well as cheating on her with his wife and with kristi and with others, her creepy ex monty contacted me and i found out him and her creep neighbor have a camera in her house as well as that monty is video chat bffs with her babysitter celeste, and that he has informed delivery and gets scans of all her mail. I just wish i knew why she hates me so suddenly. I can even prove my ex wife was the abusive one. what do you think?

1
debtfreenurse•

I would go to Kentucky

1