Just up the road, Cumberland Caverns both delights and surprises
It’s about 60 miles away from Chattanooga driving, but a world away in adventure. Cumberland Caverns was “discovered” back in 1810 by surveyor Aaron Higgenbotham, who gave the large cave its name. Another section of the vast hollow underground was known as Henshaw Cave. Both were mined for nitrates during the War of 1812 and during the Civil War.
More exploration in the 1940s and 1950s led to the discovery of the “Ten Acre Room,” a large 60 foot wide, ten foot high, 2,000 foot long chamber. It was also discovered that the caves connected. In 1955 the entire network was renamed, collectively, Cumberland Caverns.
In all, there are some 32 miles of pathways, large and small, that can be explored beneath the surface of Warren County, Tennessee, making it one of the largest, most extensive caves in North America.
Cumberland Caverns is also a National Historic Landmark. That exploration can be undertaken by small or large groups and customized with the help of the staff at Cumberland Caverns. Daytime as well as overnight excursions are also available.
Daytime trips are the most common. The shortest would be a 1.5 mile guided tour. This walk is through an 1880s saltpeter mine. It’s very easy on the feet and legs and is a great way for even the very young and very old to experience the caves. On this tour, you can see a waterfall, mirrored pools and a great variety of mineral formations including stalactites, stalagmites, flow stone, curtains and columns. The path is smooth and there’s not a lot of change of elevation involved. These tours leave every hour on the hour.
For the more adventurous and more physically-fit, there is the “Higgenbotham’s Revenge” tour. This one is recommended only for experienced cavers who are in good physical condition. There’s also a 12-year-old minimum age requirement. Just getting to cave entrance is an interesting 1.5 mile hike through the beautiful forests of Middle Tennessee.
Once inside, you will retrace the route taken by the original discoverer, Aaron Higgenbotham. Narrow passageways, muddy trails and ladder climbs (some as high as 20 feet) make this a true adventure. Bring along some spare clothes, you may get wet and muddy on this one.
For the most sturdy and experienced cavers, there’s the Extreme Caving Adventure. This is only for small groups of 2-14 people and no one under 16 years of age. Along this trail, you’ll be required to climb ladders, ropes and cross the Devil’s Quarry.
Also, this is where you can see the Ten Acre Room mentioned earlier in this article. It’s a twisting, winding passage into the depths of the caverns, but for those who brave it, the payoff is magnificent. The Monument Pillar is a unique sight, and a fitting payoff for your efforts.
While all these caving adventures are certainly enough to make your trip worthwhile … and the sheer vastness of the underground passages are legendary … they’re not the only or even best-known reasons for making the trip north to McMinnville. It’s the music.
Bluegrass Underground is, perhaps, the most unique concert series in North America. Three hundred, thirty-three feet underground is the Volcano Room. This massive void in the solid rock of Middle Tennessee countryside is an acoustically perfect venue to perform music.
At 200 feet wide, 100 feet long, and 60 feet from ceiling to floor, the Volcano Room can comfortably seat more than 600 music lovers. Concerts occur almost weekly and are recorded for radio broadcast...and a few years ago, the concerts caught the attention of Public Television. Bluegrass Underground is a very popular show on PBS stations nationwide.
In front of the Volcano Room is the unassuming stage…behind are the concession stands where you can get a great barbeque sandwich, hot dogs, drinks, chips or candy bars. But above…that’s another story. Hanging 60 feet above your seats is the Grand Lady…a 1,500 pound crystal chandelier that hung in the Lowes Metropolitan Theater in Brooklyn, New York, from 1928 until she was purchased by Roy Daves and brought to Cumberland Caverns in 1981.
Now that’s a cave experience you’ll get nowhere else in the world.
After a stint in the U.S. Navy, Louis Lee worked for a weekly newspaper in Baton Rouge, then returned to college for formal training in television news. He is now an award-winning documentary filmmaker.