Cherokee Caverns is 14 miles west of Knoxville and can be accessed by Highway 62. It is gated.
Cherokee Caverns is 14 miles west of Knoxville and can be accessed by Highway 62. It is gated.
The cave contains many formations, including stalagmites, stalagmites, flowstone, and small mud volcanos. [1] It is 1500 feet long. [1]
It was discovered in 1854 by Robert Crudgington, who noticed fog emerging between rocks on his farm. He dug the entrance open and explored the cave. His daughter Margaret Crudgington opened the cave to the public in 1929 under the name Gentrys Cave; the next year she changed the name to Grand Caverns. Under this name, it was extensively photographed for postcards. It has had other names throughout the years. It is currently called Cherokee Caverns, referring to the historic tribe who occupied this area at the time of European colonization. [1] Artifacts located in the cave indicate that another entrance to the cave existed at some time in the past. [1]
From 1989 to 2011, the cave held an annual Halloween event, "Haunted Cave". Since 2011, it has been replaced with a more family friendly trick or treating event. [1] [2]
In 2019, the cave flooded, destroying much of the infrastructure put in place over the years. [3]
Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 478,971, making it the third-most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Knoxville, which is the third-most populous city in Tennessee. Knox County is included in the Knoxville metropolitan area. The county is located at the geographical center of the Great Valley of East Tennessee. Near the heart of the county is the origin of the Tennessee River, at the confluence of the Holston and French Broad rivers.
Grainger County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,527. Its county seat is Rutledge. Grainger County is a part of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area and formerly Morristown Metropolitan Statistical Area until 2023.
Townsend is a city in Blount County, Tennessee. The city was chartered in 1921 by persons who were involved with the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company. The population was 550 at the 2020 census. For thousands of years a site of Native American occupation by varying cultures, Townsend is one of three "gateways" to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It has several museums and attractions relating to the natural and human history of the Great Smokies.
The Natural Bridge Caverns are the largest commercial caverns in the US state of Texas. The name is derived from the 60-foot (18 m) natural limestone slab bridge that spans the amphitheater setting of the cavern's entrance. The span was left suspended when a sinkhole collapsed below it.
Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with 2.4 miles (3.9 km) of passages. The park is located 9 miles (14 km) south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the caverns were discovered in 1974 by local cavers, assisted by state biologist Erick Campbell who helped in its preservation.
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Cathedral Caverns State Park is a 493-acre (200 ha) public recreation area and natural history preserve in Kennamer Cove, Alabama, located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Grant and 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Woodville in Marshall County. The park, first known as Bats Cave, was developed as a tourist attraction in the 1950s. Cathedral Caverns was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1972 and opened as a state park in 2000.
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Cumberland Caverns is a national natural landmark and show cave located in McMinnville, Tennessee. It is the second longest cave in Tennessee and the twelfth longest cave in the United States.
Poole's Cavern or Poole's Hole is a two-million-year-old natural limestone cave on the edge of Buxton in the Peak District, in the county of Derbyshire, England.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a national park of the United States in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park is the show cave Carlsbad Cavern. Visitors to the cave can hike in on their own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center.
Onondaga Cave State Park is a Missouri state park located on the Meramec River approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of the village of Leasburg. The park was established in 1982. Park activities include cave tours, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and swimming.
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Lost World Caverns, located just outside Lewisburg, West Virginia, is an underground natural series of caverns. In November 1973, the caverns were registered as a National Natural Landmark as they "feature terraced pedestal-like stalagmites, flowstone, curtains, rimstone, domepits, and waterfalls."
The Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park in the Mexican state of Guerrero, Mexico, is best known for the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa Caverns. It is also home to the Grutas of Carlos Pacheco, a smaller system, as well as two subterranean rivers which have carved out tunnels in the rock. The park has outdoor pursuit attractions such as rappelling, and rock climbing in Limontitla Canyon. as well as the two underground rivers to explore. It also has a small botanical garden, a pool and places to camp.
Gosu Cave (Korean: 고수동굴), alternatively Kosu Cave, is a huge limestone cave near Danyang, South Korea formed over 450 million years ago. It is among the best known natural caves in Korea, and is known as the "underground palace". Gosu Cave is listed as the country's "Natural Monument No. 256".
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