Stunningly beautiful cavern formations leave visitors of Skyline Caverns in awe.

Winter is here, and that often means taking refuge from the cold weather by hanging out in the cafeteria or student lounges while trying to study. It’s too cold to hit the beach, but the weather changes too much to ice skate. Skiing is expensive, and the last thing you want to do is join a gaggle of tourists at some district museum you’ve probably already been to.

So what can you do when campus cabin fever hits? Go underground.

Less than two hours west of Washington, D.C., are several vast underground caverns that leave visitors in awe of their spectacular geological formations. The closest one is Skyline Caverns in Front Royal. The largest is Luray Caverns near Skyline Drive. And then there’s the newly-renovated resort at Endless Caverns off of Interstate 81 in New Market.

So, fuel up your car and bring your camera and a large memory card because you’re going to want to take a lot of pictures. Then head westbound on I-66 to Front Royal. Wear closed-toe shoes and pack a jacket as well because, no matter what the weather is like outside, the temperature in the caverns is a constant 54 degrees Fahrenheit.

Located near the entrance to Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Caverns is the only place in North America where one can find unique ceiling formations known as anthodites, which look like thorny crystals but are made of white limestone. Skyline Caverns also has three underground streams and a 37-foot waterfall known as Rainbow Waterfall, highlighted by colorful lights shining on and around it.

Outside the caves, visitors can get lost in the new dragon mirror maze while searching for a glowing dragon egg.

From there, driving south on Skyline Drive, then west on U.S. 211 will lead to a U.S. Natural Landmark with enormous columns of stalactites and stalagmites, drapes of flowstone and pools of water so clear they reflect the ceiling formations perfectly, making it look as if it were earth and not water.

Luray Caverns boasts cathedral-sized rooms with some ceilings as high as 10 stories. It also contains the world’s largest musical instrument, named the Great Stalacpipe Organ, which makes music from the surrounding stalactite formations.

Above the surface, there’s a garden maze where over 1,500 evergreen shrubs, eight feet tall and four feet wide each, create a half-mile twisting pathway of hedges enhanced with a misting fog that lead past fountains and into a cave.

To get to Endless Caverns from Luray, continue driving west on U.S. 211, then take I-81 south for a couple of miles.

Endless Caverns is another majestic set of caves located beneath the beautiful Shenandoah Mountains, which is itself a worthy day-trip destination. Endless Caverns has recently been reengineered into a campground resort with extras like a swimming pool that has water bubblers and a basketball net, a sandy volleyball court and a catch-and-release fishing pond.

Tours of the caverns can last from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on which one you visit. Tickets can cost $16 to $21 per adult. But for something out of the ordinary, it’s worth it. After all, what else are you going to do? Go antiquing? Maybe when you’re 50.

For more information, visit SkylineCaverns.com, LurayCaverns.com or EndlessCaverns.com.

By: KJ Mushung

Stay updated by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.