Cave House at Highlands Nature Sanctuary

Cave House was originally built in the late 1920’s as the household home for the manager of the historic cave park known as 7 Caves. This beloved tourist destination and children’s theme park operated for 70 years on Cave Road, serving thousands of visitors and not closing its doors until 2005. The cabin is tucked into a rocky hillside high above Cave Road and the Rocky Fork Gorge, located directly across the road from the Appalachian Forest Museum. Cave House has been decorated with 7 Caves memorabilia and antiques to help visitors recall this nostalgic and romantic art deco era on Cave Road.

The Cave House has direct access to the Appalachian Museum (click here for hours) where two hiking trails lead into the cliff-country of the Rocky Fork Gorge – the shortest but the most visually stunning of all the Sanctuary’s 14 trails. These two trails are open during Museum hours, but are otherwise closed for safety reasons. The Cave House also has direct access to the Sanctuary’s longest trail known as Barrier Ridge (3.5 miles).  Barrier Ridge Trail is also closed to the public when the Museum is closed, but is available exclusively to Cave House guests between the extended hours of sunrise to sunset.

Because Cave House is part of the Museum complex, guests share the large parking lot with preserve visitors by day, but enjoy a completely private space by night when the entire complex is secured behind locked gates, to which renters are provided the passcode. By day, visitors may make limited use of the Museum’s wi-fi for phone and computer access. Inquire at the Museum desk.

Cave House, with its three bedrooms, is an excellent space for small groups and families. This lodge has a large kitchen and two walls of windows that give guests an unparalleled panorama of scenic Cave Road, the Appalachian Forest Museum, and the heart of the Rocky Fork Gorge.

Amenities:

• Three bedrooms (1 Queen, 1 Full, 1 Twin);
• Occupancy up to 5 guests. Please note that there is only 1 bathroom);
• Standard heat and air conditioning; historic fireplace is decorative only, not functional.
• Large fully-equipped kitchen with refrigerator, stove, microwave & full service kitchenware;
• Immediate access to three hiking trails

Rates:

• $150/night  2 night minimum stay.
• Weekly Special: 25% discount on stays of 7 nights or more.
• Other Charges: 7.25% state sales and 3% county lodging tax.

Overview

• Closest City: Bainbridge
• Region: Northeast
• Category: Venue
• Sub-Category: Business Retreats, Business Meetings