Linville Caverns

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Linville Caverns is a privately owned show cave located in the Linville Valley north of Marion, North Carolina.

The caverns were discovered in the 1800s by two fishermen that noticed trout in the stream at the beginning of the caverns. They were opened commercially in 1939 by John Q. Gilkey. They are the only limestone caverns open to the public in North Carolina.

In 1909 two boys spent two days locating their way out after one of them dropped their lantern in the stream that runs through the caverns. Eventually they found their way out by following the flow of the stream to the entrance.

In the 1860's deserters in the civil war from both sides used the caverns as a hideout. Two soldiers were hiding out and having a camp fire. They were later captured after soldiers on top of the caverns saw smoke coming out of the ground.