Luray Caverns is an fantastical subterranean landscape generously adorned with speleothems such as columns, flowstone, stalactites, stalagmites, and mirrored pools of water. Luray Caverns remains active, with new formations accumulating at the rate of one cubic inch every 120 years! Viewing the very large formations throughout the cave, it is easy to feel like you have stepped into a geological time machine. My favorite place for making images in the cavern is at Dream Lake. These mirror-like pools reflect the roof of the cavern, creating visual puzzles that challenge your senses.
Dream Lake is a spring of water that has an almost mirror-like appearance.
Stalactites are reflected in the water making them appear to be stalagmites.
The pools often look quite deep, as the stalactites are high above the water, but at their deepest points, the water is only around 20 inches deep.
This illusion is often so convincing that people are unable to see the real bottom.
The mind-bending space where stalactites meet stalagmites.
Formations at Luray Caverns are white in color if the calcium carbonate is in its pure form.
The cavern is yellow, brown or red because of water, chemicals and minerals that are present, having been absorbed from the soil or rock layers: Reds and yellows are from iron and iron-stained clays, while blues and greens from solutions of copper compounds.
Stalagmite columns.
Rock formations called Draperies
The Wishing Well is a green pond with coins three feet deep at the bottom.
