Eighth grade students enjoy Smoke Hole Caverns tour Courtesy of Calhoun Middle School
Calhoun Middle's 8th grade science classes toured Smoke Hole Caverns and hiked up to the top of Seneca Rocks last Friday on a field trip.
Students have been studying rock layers and formations, concluding the lesson with a tour of Smoke Hole Caverns.
Smoke Hole has a genuine Crystal Coral Pool, found in only one other cavern in the world. It is filled with golden and rainbow trout.
Smoke Hole has a sparkling room of a million stalactites, with the second highest ceiling of any cavern in the eastern United Sates, towering 274 feet. It has the world's longest Ribbon Stalactite, weighing six tons.
The cavern has spectacular stalactites, stalagmites, flow stone, columns and dazzling multi-colored formations.
The Seneca Indians used the front section of the cavern to smoke and preserve venison and wild game. The slow burning wood fires set clouds of Smoke swirling out into the valley, hence giving it the name "Smoke Hole".
Legend has it that Civil war soldiers used the cave to hide along, with early settlers and immigrants using it to make moonshine.
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