Tory Cave

Tory Cave, a limestone cave high on the Helderberg Escarpment near Albany, New York, is notable both for local Revolutionary War tradition and for unusual spring ice formations. Its enduring name comes from an account that a Tory, or British loyalist, hid there during the American Revolution; some versions identify him as Jacob Salsbury, who was said to have informed the British about rebel troop movements. The cave is also distinguished by seasonal ice stalagmites. According to Jim Gould, a partial rock fall blocks drafts that would otherwise inhibit their growth, allowing these striking columns of ice to form.

New Scotland, New York · United States