The Gap Cave in Cumberland Gap National Park
Location and Formation
The Gap Cave nestled within Cumberland Gap National Park (which extends across the Tri-County area in northeastern Tennessee, southeastern Kentucky, and southwestern Virginia) is a karst cave found in a 500-foot thick layer of limestone known as the Newman foundation, and is topped by the Pennington and Lee sandstone formations. Formally known as Cudjo's Cave, it is located just below the Pinnacle Overlook in Lee County, Virginia, which borders the tiny mountain town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. This cave system was formed as the result of chemical weathering, as rainwater carrying carbonic acid seeped into cracks in the limestone and dissolved the limestone, forming openings over time. Eventually, rivers and creeks were able to flow through these openings, creating physical weathering of the limestone. Today, the Gap Creek still flows through the lowest level of the cave.
This cave system was formed as the result of chemical weathering, as rainwater carrying carbonic acid seeped into cracks in the limestone and dissolved the limestone, forming openings over time.
Millions of Years Old- And Still Forming!
Gap Cave is estimated to be 3-5 million years old, and is still forming. About 18 miles of cavern has been explored so far. There are several layers in this cave, five of which have been explored, which are typical of karst caves and provide evidence of the various levels at which water used to flow through the cave as it was being formed. The highest level is the oldest, with the lowest being the youngest as water gradually carved downward. Breakdown rooms in the cave can be discerned by the presence of large angular rocks on the floor, unshaped by flowing water.
There are several layers in this cave, five of which have been explored, which are typical of karst caves and provide evidence of the various levels at which water used to flow through the cave as it was being formed.
Formations and Wildlife
Gap Cave is full of formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, pillars, columns, flowstones, cave ribbons, and soda straws. One of the most famous formations in the cave is the Pillar of Hercules, a 65 foot tall stalagmite! Most formations in the cave are either black or ivory white, indicating the presence of manganese and calcite during the formation process. The cave is also home to a diverse collection of creatures such as cave flies, cave crickets, cave salamanders, bats, crayfish, amphipods, and other invertebrate species.
Most formations in the cave are either black or ivory white, indicating the presence of manganese and calcite during the formation process.
Visitation
Guided tours of the Gap Cave are available. Guided by park rangers, the 2 hour tour leads you along the base of the mountain and into the cave to see features such as stalagmites and flowstone cascades. There is even the occasional glimpse of a bat. The moderately strenuous, 1.5 mile tour explores four levels of the cave and has 183 steps. The tour entails a 1 mile hike along the historic Wilderness Road. If you are ever in the Cumberland Gap area, call the park's visitor center and reserve a spot on a tour of this amazing treasure tucked away in the mountains!
- Notes from Geology course at Lincoln Memorial University.
- U.S. National Park Service https://www.nps.gov/cuga/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm
© 2018 Liz Hardin
