A Non-Spelunker’s Guide to the Caves of the Smoky Mountains and Beyond
Growing up a member of Generation X, I had more access to freedom than was probably good for me. As a result, I developed a healthy sense of adventure. Living in medium to small cities, I explored neighborhoods and areas well outside the range of my parents’ yelling ability.
When we moved to rural areas with wide fields and forests of varying sizes, I was free, within certain relatively wide parameters, to explore to my heart’s content. And so, I found myself as a youth with access to more caves, especially in Southern Indiana, the limestone capital of the world. I liked the idea of exploring and imagining that people used them for shelter decades before I got there. Fancying myself a fledgling archeologist, I’d look for evidence of previous occupancies, cave drawings, arrowheads, that kind of thing.
But there was a limit to my adventure, which was tempered by the kind of prudence that kept me from getting too far from the light. The kind of prudence that kept me from squeezing into tight fits or seeking larger caverns beyond.
The Smoky Mountains Are Home to Vast Underground Majesties
When we moved to Tennessee, my interest in caving became more commercial. The Smoky Mountains are home to vast underground majesties, the kind that would have tickled the fascination of Tolkien’s dwarves. I find these commercial caves a suitable balance for my interest in underground adventure and my need to preserve my own life, health and well-being.
A warmly lit underground kingdom with massive rock formations, the occasional bats and maybe some fish? That, my friends, is a good time in the Smokies.
Here Is Our Guide to Our Favorite Caves in the Smokies and Beyond
Tuckaleechee Caverns
We start with Tuckaleechee Caverns, something of a sentimental peak. A million years ago, when I was in high school, several of my buddies worked as guides at these caverns while I toiled away sacking groceries at the Bi-Lo. It worked out, that was where I met my wife. But there was always a part of me that wished I had joined the Tuckaleechee gang.
But my ranking here isn’t purely sentimental. The Caverns – located in Townsend – feature the massive “Big Room” as well as the beautiful Silver Falls. The 210-foot Silver Falls is billed as the tallest subterranean waterfall in the Eastern U.S. The trip is 1.25 miles out and back, and you can see millions of formations that date back 20 or 30 million years.
Alum Cave
Now, I’m cheating. The Alum Cave – located on the Alum Cave Trail that leads up to Mt. LeConte – isn’t technically a cave. But rather a concave bluff about 80 feet high and feet long. It overlooks the vast mountains out to the east and offers one of the truly stunning views across the Smokies. Also, it’s cut so deeply into the rock that it has provided shelter for centuries. It stays dry even in heavy rain. Remember my younger self who thought about being an archaeologist. Well, here is a spot where I know native people lingered. In the mid-1800s, it was used as a saltpeter mining location. The “Cave” is one of the truly unique spots in the Smokies.
The Lost Sea
What if I told you there was a place where you could explore massive underground caverns and ride on a lake that science has yet to accurately measure? Let’s head down I-75 or 411 if you prefer a more scenic route to Sweetwater, home of The Lost Sea. Located 140 feet below ground is the massive lake. The visible portion of which is 800 feet long by 220 feet wide. However, the full extent of the lake has yet to be determined. More than 13 acres of water have been mapped in a massive series of rooms.
The lake is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as America’s largest underground lake. Part of a system known as the Craighead Caverns, the cave is home to crystalline structures known as anthodites, spiky clusters also called cave flowers. They are relatively rare among the world’s known caves.
Forbidden Caverns
Third in the great trilogy of massive, commercial East Tennessee caves is the Forbidden Caverns. They are the most convenient for guests of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Located in Sevierville, the caves are the former home of a moonshine operation. But they were also popular with native people who used their flint to make tools. The cave contains the largest wall of rare cave onyx or dripstones known to exist, and many of its formations are still growing.
Gregory’s Cave
If not for the quirks of history, Gregory’s Cave might well be the fourth great commercial cave in the region. Located in Cades Cove, Gregory’s Cave was briefly commercialized before the coming of the National Park. Like the Alum Cave, it had also served as a saltpeter mine.
But what interests me, however, is that during the Cold War, the cave was designated “Dr. Strangelove” style as a nuclear fallout structure with an assigned capacity of 1,000 people. It was stocked with food, water and emergency supplies. Can you imagine? The post-apocalyptic cave people of Cades Cove emerging, blinking into the sun? It’s wild.
Today, you can get down into the entrance of the cave. However, there’s a security gate just a few feet into the mouth of the cave. Entrance is by permit only, and you can’t get a permit unless you have a scientific reason to be down there. And no, “I want to see if any of the fallout supplies are still down there” is not a “scientific” enough reason for the National Park Service.
The Caverns in Grundy County
There’s commercializing a cave and then there’s COMMERCIALIZING a cave. The folks in Grundy County know how to turn a cave into a real moneymaker. Located between Chattanooga and Nashville, the Caverns are located in the Western Highland Rim – aka the plateau – where the elevation from Middle Tennessee drops significantly down into the Tennessee Valley.
The Caverns – with 8,000 linear feet of underground passages – has become a popular concert venue for groups of up to 850 people (seated) or 1,200 (standing room only). The venue has been popular with country and bluegrass acts, but doesn’t limit its options. For you 90s kids, the Heavy Metal act GWAR and their … distinctive … costumes are set to play there this June. Weird Al played there a couple of years ago. I’m still kicking myself for missing it.
Have you visited any of the caves and caverns? Let us know in the comments! Are you planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains soon? Make sure to check out our coupons page before your trip!