Smoke Hole Caverns

Tourist attraction · Grant County

Smoke Hole Caverns

Tourist attraction · Grant County

8290 N Fork Hwy, Cabins, WV 26855

Highlights

Laid-back resort with log cabins & riverside cottages, plus fishing & underground cavern tours. This rustic family-owned resort with log cabins and cottages is set in the Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, and is 9 miles from the Rohrbaugh Plains Trail. Accommodations range from log cabins with wood-burning stoves and whirlpool tubs to rustic riverside cottages with full kitchens. There's also a log cabin-like motel with basic rooms offering satellite TV and mountain views. Some have Wi-Fi access. Kids 12 and under stay free. The property includes a trout pond for fishing, a conference center, a gift shop and activities such as gemstone mining. There are also guided tours of underground caverns once used by Seneca Indians.

8290 N Fork Hwy, Cabins, WV 26855 Get directions

smokehole.com

@atlasobscura

"Over the course of millions of years, drops of water carved out the expanse of the Smoke Hole Caverns. And drop by drop, the stalactites and stalagmites that fill the caves were formed through the slow accumulation of minerals. Though West Virginia has more than 4,000 caves, Smoke Hole is one of the few commercial caves (that is, caves for visitors who don’t want to go full-on spelunking). The Smoke Hole Caverns first opened to the public in 1940, but stories about it— both historical and lore— date back to long before then. It is believed that the Seneca Native American people once used the cavern as a place to smoke meats. And rumor also has it that the cavern was the site for Prohibition-era moonshiners, who used the stream running through it as a source of water for the liquor, the smoke from their stills drifting from the cave’s opening. Another story— this one ascribed to the region, which is also called Smoke Hole— says the name comes from the rolling mists that cover the region’s canyons in the mornings. Time has a way of intertwining fact and fiction, but one thing is true: the cavern is the home of one of the world’s largest ribbon stalactites, a six-ton formation of curving, twisting stalactite formed by air currents and found in limestone caves. And that stream that moonshiners (may have) once found so appealing? It and the other pools of water dotting the cavern are now home to trout. The cavern is also home to the Room of a Million Stalactites, the main room of the cavern, which features a 274-foot ceiling, making it the second-highest ceiling of any cave on the east coast." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

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MsGrimstock

Google

We enjoyed our stay at the Log Motel. The rooms are exactly as they appear on the website. The grounds are very well maintained and attractive. What guests need to be aware of is that everything shuts down at 5 p.m. The gift shop, snack bar, golf, and caverns all close at 5. There are no microwaves in the rooms. If you want any hot food, you have to drive around 10 minutes into Petersburg, WV. If you prepare for this, you should enjoy your stay.

Linda M

Google

My husband and I stayed at one of the Sweetheart Cabins. The cabin was very well equipped and clean. The staff were friendly and helpful. The quality of the sheets and towels far exceeded any fancy upscale hotels we have stayed at in the past. I actually ordered the sheets as soon as I returned home. The Gift Shop was amazing. We took the tour of the caverns. Small but interesting. We had dinner twice at Cheetah B’s. Very good. We would definitely stay here again. Thank you!

Tammy Ross

Google

Stayed in Honey moon cabin 26. The cabin was spotless. King sized bed was very comfortable, nice quilt on the bed. Fantastic water pressure was a very nice surprise. Enjoyed our stay there. Peaceful environment. I would stay here again

Teresa Prescott

Google

My friends and I had to change our plans last minute and ended up at Smoke Hole Caverns. We were happy that they had a cabin available and they were polite and helpful in getting us a place to stay. Good things: -Clean cabin and grounds. -Has basic necessities; microwave, stove, coffee pot, plates/cups/silverware/cooking items full size fridge w/top freezer, TP, towels, wash cloths, soap for kitchen/bath and extra blankets. -Pool on site -2 doors into cabin -Nice creek behind cabin -Wood benches on front porch Things that weren't impressive: -We asked for extra towels bc we were staying 4 nights and they said they "don't do that." -Minimum stay of 2 nights. (Normal for the area from what I gather but worth mentioning.) -No pool towels provided. -Envelope and note requesting tips for the cleaning staff that won't enter while you are there or let you switch out towels for longer stays. -There were 3 beehives on our porch that we had to call twice to get someone to come and take care of. Note, they sent a nice young man who took care of them after the 2nd call. (We waited a few hours before calling a 2nd time but had a 5pm time clock so did not want to be forgotten.) However, maybe inspect the property between renters to prevent this in the future as ppl are allergic to bees. Worth mentioning: Over all, I would stay there again and had a pretty good experience. There is a window a/c located in the living room that is for the whole cabin and it did ok. I saw floor heaters for the winter in each room. It served what we needed and had plenty of beds with NO bunk beds which was nice for an all adult trip. The wifi was pretty decent but spotty. The area is so rural that we expected this. Everything is closed by 5pm so no reaching them unless an emergency situation occurs. We stayed in the family cabin that sleeps 6 and it is an older cabin. I mention this bc it looked like they may have had newer cabins in the other area of the property. Ours was Cabin #9.

Hope K

Google

Husband and I wanted to visit West Virginia! We came here the week before Valentine’s Day and wow. It was amazing. The people were so kind, and the place was so wonderful. You have your own grill, picnic table, then inside is gorgeous. You also have a back deck on the honeymoon cabin right by the water. Such a lovely place we got to see horses right behind our cabin and all the wonderful fish in the ponds. It was like a dream come true. My husband and I felt super excited the whole time and so relaxed. Such a beautiful place we will definitely be back!

J Moore

Google

We went to Smoke Hole Caverns and gift shop this past weekend and it was awesome! I hadn't been there in 20 years and my friend from South Carolina had never been. Our tour guide Makyah (should have asked her how to spell it lol) was wonderful ... very sweet, informative and friendly young lady! The Caverns were very cool too! There are a good bit of steps for the folks that don't get around well and you might want to take a light jacket as it's mid-high 50s in the Caverns. And the gift shop is huge and tons of stuff so you might want to allow some extra time to look around. Would definitely recommend this outing!

Elizabeth M

Google

Stayed in motel room. Clean but no air conditioning. Good towels. Bring your own soap, shampoo etc. not enough for 2 people. Beds comfy enough. wifi and cable. Easy to find. Next door to gift shop and caverns. Plenty of parking and mini golf. Be advised outside the motel there are no cell towers. Not good cell service and gps gets sketchy sending you in circles.

Jared Montgomery

Google

I stayed one night in the log cabin motel and thoroughly enjoyed my stay. The room was a great location to the gift shop and caverns tour, as well as the mini golf course out front. Across the parking lot was a swinging bench in front of the creek, very relaxing.