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 The West Virginia Cave Conservancy (WVCC), a non profit, West
Virginia Corporation, has received approximately 5.22 acres that
includes the entrance to Island Ford Cave. This parcel is adjacent
to U.S. Route 60 in Alleghany County, Virginia.
Access to caves and associated karst features in Alleghany County
are potentially threatened by increased recreation usage, liability
concerns, and changing demographic and land-use patterns. One
of the goals of the WVCC is to maintain open access to Island
Ford Cave and to other threatened caves and karst features of
the Virginia’s. Island Ford Cave offers outstanding scientific,
educational, and recreational opportunities. WVCC will manage
the Island Ford Cave Preserve to maximize these benefits.
The entrance to Island Ford Cave is situated approximately 50
feet from State Route 60 in Alleghany County, Virginia. The WVCC
acquired approximately 5.22 acres of land surrounding the Island
Ford Cave Entrance. The site offers abundant opportunities for
day use activities, such as: recreational caving, picnicking,
birding, fishing (in the nearby Jackson River), and hiking. Appropriate
facilities may be developed to support such activities in the
future.
Island Ford Cave is listed on the Significant Cave List for
geology, biology, history, and esthetics.
SURFACE RESOURCES
The surface
resources of the site are part of the Island Ford Cave ecosystem
and should therefor be given the same amount of study and
protection as the cave itself. At this time, only a cursory investigation
of the site has taken place. It is recommended that a more
comprehensive investigation be conducted, possibly in partnership
with local
academic institutions (VPI, Radford, UVA, VMI, etc.).
Vegetation:
A mature Oak-Hickory forest extends across the steep sided terrain
of this site. Oak, beech, hickory and poplar dominate the canopy
of the forest and are supported by an understory of dogwood,
sourwood, redbud, and other species. Mosses, ferns, bloodroot,
trillium, cardinal flower, and members of the orchid family can
be found sporadically throughout the site.
Forest Management:
The upper reaches of this property were probably timbered 40
to 60 years ago and thus the site represents a mature second-growth
forest. It is recommended that a volunteer forester cruise the
property to identify hazard trees, invasive species, and assess
the potential value of specific trees for any future select harvesting
of the site.
RECREATION RESOURCES
Caving:
Island Ford Cave is the most readily accessible non-commercial
cave in Virginia. It receives a fair amount of local visitation
by flashlight cavers. The cave appears to have escaped the high-traffic
of college students and commercial guides because of its geographic
location and its deceptive size. However, Island Ford Cave does
provide a rewarding in-cave experience to both the novice and
experienced caver. A typical visit to the cave lasts between
one to two hours. No special gear is required (other than standard
horizontal cave equipment).
At this time, there is no recommendation on limiting the number
of participants in any cave group.
Hiking:
Hiking (and birding and plant identification) needs could be
met on site by providing a loop trail from the proposed parking
area. This approximately 1.5 mile long trail could bolster the
educational benefits of the cave by including appropriate interpretive
signage recognizing the geology, plant life, and cultural history
of the site. It is recommended that the trail consist of an earthen
single-track treadway and that side-hill construction address
run-off and erosion through adequate control devices.
Mountain Biking
At this time, mountain biking is not recommended on this site
because of the limited acreage of the property, steep topography,
and proximity to private dwellings. If mountain biking is allowed
on site at a later date, then it is recommended that all trails
follow International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) trail
construction/management guidelines.
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