9 Spectacular Caves in Tennessee to Explore This Year

The Highest Concentration of Caves in America

Tennessee sits on an ancient seabed that formed 350 million years ago when marine creatures’ shells compressed on an ocean floor.

When tectonic forces pushed this seabed upward, creating the Appalachians and Cumberland Plateau, rainwater went to work. This slightly acidic water dissolves limestone along natural cracks, carving out massive underground systems over millions of years.

The result? A vast karst landscape with more than 10,000 caves, complete with sinkholes, underground rivers, and stunning stone formations that continue growing today.

Here are some of the caves you’ll want to check out this year.

Cumberland Caverns – McMinnville

Cumberland Caverns stretches over 32 miles underground, making it Tennessee’s second longest cave. A man named Aaron Higginbotham found it in 1810 while checking out his land. Legend says he got lost inside for three days after his torch went out.

The cave is famous for its stunning rock formations. You’ll see the Monument Pillar (one of Tennessee’s most beautiful cave columns) and the massive Hall of the Mountain King, which is almost two football fields long.

Don’t miss the Volcano Room, where a 15-foot crystal chandelier with 150 lights hangs 60 feet above the floor. Tours range from easy walks to challenging adventures through tight spots like the Lemon Squeeze, which is only 11 inches wide at one point.

• Address: Cumberland Caverns Rd, McMinnville, TN 
• Hours: Open daily 9am-5pm year-round 
• Admission: Various tour options from $24.99 
• Contact: Visit cumberlandcaverns.com for tour reservations

Ruby Falls – Chattanooga

Hidden deep inside Lookout Mountain is Ruby Falls, America’s tallest underground waterfall open to the public. Leo Lambert accidentally found it in 1928 and named it after his wife. The waterfall drops 145 feet in a space more than 1,120 feet below the mountain’s surface.

Your visit starts with a ride in a glass-front elevator that takes you 260 feet down. Then you’ll walk through cave passages filled with interesting rock formations until you reach the main event—the waterfall lit up with colorful lights.

Since opening to the public in 1929, Ruby Falls has become one of Tennessee’s most popular attractions. After seeing the falls, you can enjoy great views of the Tennessee Valley, Cumberland Plateau, and Tennessee River from lookout points above ground.

• Address: 1720 South Scenic Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37409 
• Hours: Daily 8am-8pm (hours vary seasonally) 
• Admission: Adults $24.95, Children $14.95 (2025 rates) 
• Contact: 423-821-2544, rubyfalls.com

The Lost Sea – Sweetwater

You’ll find America’s largest underground lake at The Lost Sea in Sweetwater. This massive lake covers more than 13 acres, but that’s just what we know about so far.

The tour combines walking through Craighead Caverns with a boat ride across the mysterious water. Look for rare “cave flowers” (anthodites) growing on the walls and keep an eye out for strange, colorless creatures that have adapted to life without light.

• Address: 140 Lost Sea Road, Sweetwater, TN 37874 
• Hours: Open daily (closed Christmas Day), 9am-5pm 
• Admission: Adults $24.95, Children (4-12) $14.95 
• Contact: 423-337-6616, thelostsea.com

Tuckaleechee Caverns – Townsend

Often called “The Greatest Site Under the Smokies,” Tuckaleechee Caverns formed 20-30 million years ago. The cave’s “Big Room” is so huge it could almost fit a football stadium at 400 feet long, 300 feet wide, and 150 feet tall.

The star attraction is Silver Falls, a 210-foot waterfall that’s the tallest underground cascade in the eastern United States.

• Address: 825 Cavern Road, Townsend, TN 37882 
• Hours: Open March 1-November 30, 10am-5pm daily 
• Admission: Adults $24 + tax, Children (5-11) $10 + tax, Under 5 free 
• Contact: 865-448-2274, tuckaleecheecaverns.com

Bristol Caverns – Bristol

At Bristol Caverns, you can explore three levels of underground rooms connected by an ancient river that carved this wonder 200-400 million years ago. The paths you’ll walk are the same routes Native American warriors once used to travel secretly beneath the earth.

While the entrance might not look impressive, inside you’ll find vast chambers that take you 180 feet below the surface to the underground river.

• Address: 1157 Bristol Caverns Highway, Bristol, TN 37620 
• Hours: Open daily 10am-4pm (closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas) 
• Admission: Adults $22, Children (6-12) $12, Under 6 free 
• Contact: 423-878-2011, bristolcaverns.com

Appalachian Caverns – Blountville

People have been using Appalachian Caverns for over 1,300 years, starting with Early Woodland Native Americans. Famous American pioneers like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone explored these caves during their travels through East Tennessee.

Today you can choose from three different tours based on how adventurous you’re feeling. The basic walking tour works well for families with kids, while the challenging “Wild Tour” takes experienced cavers through tight spaces and undeveloped passages.

Inside you’ll see dramatic flowstone, delicate soda straws, stalactites, and stalagmites in various stages of growth. For the wilder tours, you’ll need to wear long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, and pants. The cave provides helmet lights to help you see in the darker sections.

When you’re done exploring underground, try gem mining with bags of sand and minerals from the caverns, or stay overnight at the on-site campground.

• Address: 420 Cave Hill Road, Blountville, TN 37617 
• Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 1pm-6pm 
• Admission: Walking Tour: Adults $18, Children (5-12) $10; Wild Tours: $35-45 
• Contact: 423-323-2337, appalachiancaverns.com

Forbidden Caverns – Sevierville

Just 35 minutes from Gatlinburg, Forbidden Caverns has a colorful history behind its beautiful formations. Cherokee tribes once used these caves for shelter, and later, moonshiners found them perfect for hiding their illegal whiskey operations from authorities.

Since opening to the public in 1967, the caverns have shown off impressive features like a massive wall of cave onyx, tall stalagmites, and delicate crystal formations.

The hour-long guided tour follows paved paths with handrails and strategic lighting for safety. You’ll go several hundred feet underground to see the river and impressive rock chimneys formed over thousands of years of slow dripping water.

• Address: 455 Blowing Cave Road, Sevierville, TN 37876 
• Hours: Open April-November, Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm 
• Admission: Adults $24, Children (5-12) $14, Under 5 free 
• Contact: 865-453-5972, forbiddencavern.com

Bell Witch Cave – Adams

Bell Witch Cave might not have the most spectacular rock formations, but it makes up for that with America’s most famous ghost story.

The cave connects to the Bell Witch legend, a well-documented haunting that terrorized the Bell family from 1817-1821 and supposedly caught the attention of future president Andrew Jackson.

The property where the cave sits is where the Bell family reportedly experienced unexplained attacks, disembodied voices, and strange noises. Today you can tour both the reconstructed Bell family cabin and the limestone cave where legend says the witch retreated.

For those who love spooky experiences, nighttime lantern tours explore the darker side of the legend. Brave souls can also join seasonal haunted hayrides through the surrounding woods known as the “Witch’s Dell.”

• Address: 430 Keysburg Road, Adams, TN 37010 
• Hours: Seasonal (May-November), Friday-Sunday, tour times vary 
• Admission: Cave Tours $18, Cabin Tours $12, Combo $25 
• Contact: bellwitchcave.com (reservations recommended)

Raccoon Mountain Caverns – Chattanooga

Raccoon Mountain Caverns remains one of the South’s most active cave systems, with over 5.5 miles of mapped passages filled with pristine formations.

You have two ways to experience these caves: the Crystal Palace Tour (good for all ages) takes you through well-lit developed sections. Then there’s the Wild Cave Expedition (the “get dirty” tour) ventures into undeveloped areas where you’ll crawl, climb, and squeeze through tight spaces.

Raccoon Mountain also offers camping options including RV spots, tent sites, and cabin rentals if you want to extend your stay.

• Address: 319 West Hills Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37419 
• Hours: Daily 9am-6pm (summer), 9am-5pm (winter) 
• Admission: Crystal Palace Tour: Adults $22.95, Children $14.95; Wild Cave Tours: $34.95-79.95 
• Contact: 423-821-9403, raccoonmountain.com