Caves of Maryland - List of Caves - Allegany County

Allegany County

After Washington County, Allegany County contains the second-highest concentration of caves in Maryland. The many ridges of the Appalachian’s Ridge & Valley Province provide terrain well-suited to the formation of caves. While rocks here varry in age from Silurian to Mississippian, most caves are developed in the middle of this range in the Tonoloway and Helderberg Formations. Like Washington County, distribution of caves within Allegany County often tend to run in patterns that parallel folds in local mountain chains.

• Allegany High School - about 150 feet (46 m) above the south side of Wills Creek is a crawlway about twenty feet long, developed in the Wills Creek Shale at 770'.
• Atheys - Tonoloway Formation at 1,230 feet (370 m). Very little information could be found to indicate the cave's exact location: somewhere near the town of Rush on the property of an R. Bluebaker. The entrance is said to be inconspicuous. The cave contains four rooms and several pools of water. The cave entrance was filled in during the 1960s. The owner does not wish to be approached about the cave.
• Bins Fissure Cave - Located on a sandstone ridge overlooking the Potomac River in between McKenzie and Cresaptown. Cave consists of two levels for a total of about 30 feet (9.1 m).
• Bowmann’s Addition Cave- Tonoloway Formation at 720 feet (220 m). Located in an old quarry on the east side of Valley Road, south of Bowman's addition. The cave consists of one crawlway, a large room, and a chimney. A second cave is reported in the far end of the quarry.
• Corriganville Quarry Fissure - A fissure can be found at what now remains of Devil's Backbone. The extent of this fissure is unknown as it was unexplored at the time of the discovery, but it is estimated to be at least 40 feet (12 m) long.
• Cumberland Bone Cave - located within Andy's Ridge near the town of Corriganville, this cave was exposed in 1912 when the Western Maryland Railway cut through the mountain. After its discovery the cave yielded impressive quantities of Pleistocene vertebrate remains that were sent off to the Smithsonian Institution. Trent Spielman is current the Paleontologist associated with the cave. Although very little of the cave still exists, its remnants can sill be seen on the north and south walls of the railroad pass; it is developed in the Keyser Limestone at approximately 840'. Andy's Ridge still holds secrets to this day.
• Cumberland Quarry - Wills Creek Formation at 720 feet (220 m). On the south side of Wills Creek, opposite Valley Street in Cumberland. There are two crawlways here in a tightly folded section of the Wills Creek Formation, on the east face of an old quarry.
• Devil's Den - located south of Flintstone on the farm one time owned by an H. Jackson. The entrance is on a wooded hillside, and can be found by following the strike of the rocks northeast from a spring adjacent the house. Local tradition holds that children have played here for many years, though no dates are known to occur in the cave. The entrance is at 1,030 feet (310 m) and can be easily deduced by the following means: the cave represents a lesser-used drainway of Flintstone Creek, where it plunges below the surface behind the school until its resurgence at the Jackson spring where it joins the other half of Flintstone Creek as a tributary of the Murley Branch. The cave is part of an upper level located around 1,030 feet (310 m), directly above the subterranean branch of the Flintstone, both of which occur in a thin band of the Tonoloway Formation adjacent the Wills Creek Shale and Keyser Limestone. The present owner, Donald Jackson, reports the rear portion of the cave to be collapsing. He said the cave is considered to be closed.
• Devil's Hole - located at 1,250 feet (380 m) in the Helderberg Limestone's Keyser Member, the cave can be found northeast of Twiggtown on the property of R. Mullenax. The cave is one of the larger (1/4 mile of mapped passage), more interesting caves in the state. A liability waiver must be signed before entering the cave.
• Dressmans - part of the Tonoloway Limestone, located at 760 feet (230 m) on the northwest face of an old quarry. The cave is 60 feet long but the last 40 feet is difficult to access due to a minor collapse or intentional fill. A few feet northeast and higher from the entrance is a small animal hole with slight airflow, indicating a possible continuation of the cave. Above the cave are several elongated depressions between the vertical bedding, underneath which are possibly the counterparts of Dressmans. Springs can also be found south of the quarry near Braddock Run by following the strike.
• Fort Hill Fissures - a series of three fissure caves have developed in the land owned by Potomac Edison on the northern end of Fort Hill (of Allegany Co.) that overlooks Rawlings. These fissures are all aligned in a southwest-northeast direction, and are several hundred feet in length, and span over 50 feet (15 m) in the vertical.
• Goat - elevation 720 feet (220 m); located at the end of Paterson Street; the entrance faces southeast. The cave is developed in a narrow bed of folded limestone within the Wills Creek Formation. The cave is of very low ceiling (less than 4 feet (1.2 m) in most places), and is said to be a favorite spot of local children. The entrance currently has a mound of dirt in front of it, making entering difficult. This cave has "bad air" in the deepest part of it.
• Greises - developed in the Tonoloway Limestone at 1,020 feet (310 m); the cave has approximately 150 feet (46 m) of narrow passage and three observed rooms. The cave can be very wet, and was not fully explored at the time of the survey. Cavers have since explored the cave to its fullest extent. This cave is the first cave in MD to have recorded White Nose Syndrome.(Closed by private owner (Cumberland Bowhunters Club), 12/09)
• Gunning's Fissure Cave - Located just northeast of Bins Fissure Cave and likely related, this cave consists of one level with about the same length of passage as Bins.
• Haystack Mountain - a small shelter cave in the Tuscarora Sandstone south of Wills Creek; elevation 1,000 feet (300 m).
• Horse - can be found 1,000 yards south of Twiggs Cave, near the Twiggtown-Spring Gap road. The cave is about 200 feet (61 m) and accommodating in most regards. Developed in the Keyser Limestone at 1,440 feet (440 m). This cave is on the same property that Twigg's Cave is located. This cave is also considered to be closed.
• Lovers Leap - Tuscarora Sandstone at 1,200 feet (370 m). Located on the north side of the Cumberland Narrows; three hundred feet west of the promenade (known locally as Lovers' Leap) atop Wills Mountain is a fissure which contains about fifty feet of vertical passage and one side passage which returns to the surface. This fissure is opposite Haystack Cave, and the formation of the two fractures appears to be closely related. Accessing the cave is considered dangerous, as it means traversing an area alongside a sheer cliff face with a drop of some 600 feet (180 m). A 34 year old man fell from this area on 02-23-12 losing his life.
• Mt. Savage Road Quarry - Developed in the famous Greenbrier Limestone band that houses many of West Virginia's larger caves. Several caves have been discovered in quarries on opposite sides of Jennings Run along the Little Allegheny and Piney Mountains. All of these caves are on POSTED private property. These caves are to be considered closed to all.
• Murley Branch Spring - Tonoloway Limestone at 1,000 feet (300 m). The entrance to this cave faces north, out of which flows a large stream. The cave is developed in massive limestone near the base of the formation, where the bedding can be seen as horizontal at the crest of a subordinate anticline. Once inside the entrance and in the main room, the passage becomes impassable where the spring emerges from a siphon. The water here is said to be some 10 feet (3.0 m) deep and thus cannot be penetrated. Local residents report that during a particularly dry season in the 1940s, Frank Humbertson Sr. and several young men were able to pass beyond the siphon and found a passage extended further south for some 300 feet (91 m). Another cave was once reported to lie some 100 yards south of the spring, but was not located in the Franz/Slifer survey. This could be the Wilsonian Cave reported in the area in the 1940"s.
• Pinto Mines - Keyser Limestone at 700 feet (210 m). Along the Potomac River near Pinto a series of disused limestone mines can be found in a cliff face. One of these mines was explored in 1966 using scuba gear, but the deeper passages were not fully explored. The cave was dived and mapped in 1976 to its fullest extent. Atop the cliff there are several active sinkholes indicating solutional activity; another cave was reported to be in the area, but was not located during Davies' exploration. Other caves have been found west of the mines in the same railroad cut, and can be easily seen in the winter high up in the cliff walls. Peculiarly, a large sandstone boulder blocks the passage of one.
• Reynold's Gap Cave - A very accommodating shelter cave occurs on the opposite side of Reynold's Gap from Rhodes Cave. There are also many solutional tubes along this ridge as well as some possible filled in caves.
• Rhodes - a narrow passage developed in the Tuscorora Sandstone at 800 feet (240 m), east of U.S. Route 220 and south of Rawlings. The passage can be traversed through the cliff and is about 50 feet (15 m) in length
• I-68 Caves - Two cave passages occur on the northwest side of Md. Interstate 68 at the top of Martin's Mountain. These were opened during construction of the highway in the late 70's. One is a partially cement filled passage and the other is a pit. Both could be opened easily but are on private property. There are neighbors who watch the property and immediately report trespassers to the State Police. These caves are to be considered closed. There was a cave, now filled, discovered also during construction, located between the east/westbound lanes. It was explored by Lawrence Cosgrove and friends prior to filling. It is reported extensive with several large rooms and highly decorated.
• Rocky Gap - Tuscarora Sandstone at 1,300 feet (400 m). Located about 350 feet (110 m) above the Rock Gap Run along the Rocky Gap Gorge's southern lip, this fissure cave extends some 120 feet (37 m) to the southeast. The entrance can be found very close to the edge of the cliff, hidden in shrubs.
• Rocky Gap Golf Course Cave - Developed in Tonoloway limestone, this "cave" is a blowhole located in the side of a drainage ditch near the golf cart crossing at Rocky Gap State Park. It has been plumbed to be at least 25 ft in length. Also has a resident groundhog in it. It issues an impressive amount of air and a room can be seen in the back of the entrance passage. It is not presently passable for exploration. The State of Maryland has denied permission to dig it open.
• Stegmaier Orchard Caves - Tonoloway Limestone at 1,000 feet (300 m). Three caves are known to exist along a line of similar elevation, on the west flank of Irons Mountain. They all occur within 550 feet (170 m) of each other and are of moderate interest. Permission may or may not be granted to enter these caves.
• Tewell - Tonoloway Limestone at 1,440 feet (440 m). One quarter mile northeast of Devil's Hole Cave, on the east side of a ravine, three leads of interest can be found occurring within 200 feet (61 m) of each other. At least one of these leads needs more exploration to determine its size, while the other two appear of little interest. These caves require permission to view. Roger Mullenax owns these caves as well as Devil's Hole.
• Trash Pile Pit - Tonoloway Limestone at 1,080 feet (330 m). A pit used for waste disposal by local residents is known to have a couple of passages, mostly obstructed by garbage. Local reports have it that there were once several other caves in existence, said to have been filled during construction of a nearby golf course; these same sources have it that one of these caves was quite extensive. Another cave was opened in the 1930s on the same property. It was a pit, reportedly opening into a small underground pond or lake. A boat was lowered and it was viewed. It was decided that it was not feasible for commercial operation. The pit was capped and forgotten. This was reported by a Grabenstien before his death on the Grabenstien farm, owners of that property at that time. There was an insurgence 500 feet southeast (prior to the building of the Mall) of Trash Pile Pit and watercourse resurged below an old quarry 1800 feet southwest in the Helderberg Limestone. This old quarry exhibits several small holes, some issuing air, but none passable.
• Twiggs - Helderberg Formation at 1,360 feet (410 m). Developed in the western side of an anticline, Twigg's Cave is formed by two parallel fissures connected by a subordinate joint. The cave is very muddy: high in clay content and containing an active stream. The cave was opened in 1898 by the Twigg Family, whose homestead lies approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) north of the cave's entrance on the east side of a limestone ridge. Notable formations include the "King's Chair" and a giant mud glacier; several large drops and chimneys have also been mapped. This cave is of the largest in Allegany County. It is rumored that Twiggs cave was rumored to be permanently sealed, following an involved rescue due to low oxygen.
• Valley Road Quarry - Tonoloway Limestone at 720 feet (220 m). Two small caves occur on the west side of Shriver Ridge, opposite the Dry Run Dam near Valley Road in Cumberland. Both are said to be of little interest but one does issue air.