| Ogdens Cave Natural Area Preserve | |
| Map: | Virginia |
| Location: | Frederick County, Virginia |
| Coordinates: | 39.0482°N -78.3168°W[1] |
| Governing Body: | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation |
Ogdens Cave Natural Area Preserve is a 131acres Natural Area Preserve located in Frederick County, Virginia. The preserve protects a cave that carries a below-ground branch of Buffalo Marsh Run, which also flows overland through the preserve.[2]
With nearly 1miles of the cave mapped, Ogdens Cave is the longest known cave in Frederick County.[3] Several rare invertebrate species are found within the cave, including the thin-neck cave beetle (Pseudanophthalmus parvicollis), two amphipods, an isopod, and the Appalachian springsnail (Fontigens bottimeri).[2] [3] [4] These species are sustained by nutrients delivered by the cave's stream and by various animals, such as bats and crickets, that come and go from time to time.[2]
Above ground, the preserve covers a former farm that is reverting to a natural state. Management of the preserve includes the planting of native warm-season grasses in upland fields, and hardwood trees along Buffalo Marsh Run, to reconstruct the historic natural landscape of the area.[3]
The preserve is owned and maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. To protect the cave's delicate ecosystem, public access is not permitted.[2] Public, guided tours of the cave have been arranged in the past.[3] [5]