The Geology of the Chestnut Ridge Caves

Abstract

The Chestnut Ridge caves consist of the Chestnut Ridge System itself with more than 20 miles of surveyed passages and also a line of smaller caves strung out southwestward along the axis of the ridge. The Chestnut Ridge System contains two branches that converge at the northeast end. The eastern branch is a north-south trend that cuts across the structure and contains segments of maze formed on joints oblique to the main trend. At the southwestern end is the Burns section with streams that drain to Cathedral Spring. The western branch is strike-oriented along the trend of Chestnut Ridge. It includes the Burnsville Turnpike, the largest passage in the system, and includes along the trend line the other caves and also the main trunk of Barberry Cave. Steams in this section drain to Aqua Spring and thus the Chestnut Ridge System displays and underground drainage divide. The system has multiple levels and also many shafts and later-stage modifications.

Information Compiled by the Editor from Various Sources.

Cave Description by John Rosenfeld.