The Lost Sea Adventure!

In between Sweetwater and Madsonville in East Tennessee you'll find The Lost Sea, a cave that contains the world's 2nd largest lake. The cave system itself was known originally as Craighead Caverns, but the discovery of the lake in the early 1900s lead to what the world would know the cave as: The Lost Sea (or, at least according to the signage, The Lost Sea Adventure!). It existed for many years as the largest known underground lake in the world until it was unceremoniously beaten out by a cave called the Dragon's Breath Cave in Africa. I would like to think the Lost Sea wanted to put up a fight to defend their title, but who would want to mess with a cave with a name like that? So they've settled on the still awesome title of "World's 2nd Largest Underground Lake". It's also listed in the Guinness Book of World Record's as America's largest underground lake.

The tunnel descends to the cave below.

The 3/4s of a mile long tour starts off within an entrance building that contains a manmade tunnel that slopes down in to the natural cave below. The cave tour is a mixture of walking passage and the actual boat ride itself. The cave features large rooms and some formations, along with some Civil War era signatures on the walls and ceilings as well as artifacts from saltpeter mining. In the entrance building you can see the remains of a jaguar that was discovered in the 1830s. Here are a few photos from the walking tour:

Cave room brilliantly rendered by a smartphone camera.

Gypsum crystals on the ceiling

Some old signatures found on a wall.

The highlight of the tour is, as you can imagine, the boat ride on the lake. There's a slightly surreal aspect to the whole thing. There's a full blown boat dock here with 3-4 boats tied up to it and the lake room extends on for four and a half acres. The ceiling is relatively low over the lake, and periodic lights in the water provide the only illumination. The vast majority of the lake is not accessible by boat and can only be reached by divers who can access the remaining parts of the lake under the water. The story goes that no diver has been able to reach the end of the lake so far.

Boat dock and the lake

The Lost Sea! You must click on this to see this image in full-screen glory!

Stocked in the lake are, and I'm not making this up, rainbow trout. I have no idea why the owners thought it was necessary to stock the lake with fish other than it was an added draw to the tourist attraction. The rainbow trout are not naturally found in the cave, so it was done purposely. The boats do feature glass bottoms that were pretty murky to see through. I don't recall seeing a single fish pass under the boat but you can see plenty in the water around the boat. No fishing is allowed either.

The murky "glass bottom" of the boat

Rainbow Trout!

On our tour there were a number of guests who questioned why the trout were being kept in the lake. The tour guide was very supportive of the idea, stating that the lake was free from natural predators and thus they could live a much longer life than they could on the surface. Plus they have a consistent food supply they have dubbed "trout chow". Obviously, there are mixed feelings amongst guests as to the role of these fish outside their natural environment.

There are also wild cave tours available and there are some additional things to do on the property like gem mining, glass blower, a blacksmith shop, a wishing well, and a sweet shop that will give you a cavity just from a whiff of the treats inside. There is also a nature trail you can hike to burn off some of those calories.

This is my second time seeing the Lost Sea and I still enjoyed the tour. The main building that houses the tunnel entrance is in need of some repairs (the bathrooms were in pretty rough shape). I'm hoping this is not an overall sign of how business is going for them. The tours were full of people, though, and they run them continuously so at least on this day business was good. It's important to note that during times of extreme drought the water levels in the lake will drop low enough to cause them to suspend boat tours. I believe there's only been one drought in recent memory where they had to stop tours.

Google Terrain map showing the location of the cave.

If you find yourself traveling between Chattanooga and Knoxville, I would recommend getting off in Sweetwater and following the signs for The Lost Sea. It's definitely worth at least one trip to experience the large underground lake. For more information about The Lost Sea, you can check out their website here.

Lula Lake

Lula Lake

On the edge of Lookout Mountain in North Georgia (not too far from Chattanooga, TN) you will find Lula Lake, a privately owned preserve home to Rock Creek and the surrounding wilderness. Here Rock Creek begins its descent to the valley below.  Along the way it falls in to Lula Lake and then over the very nice Lula Falls.

Lula Falls

There are several miles of trails and nice views of Lookout Valley below.  Seeing this land is a little tricky.  It's only opened the first and last Saturdays of the month but it is free (and they do accept donations). We recommend going early to avoid the inevitable crowds that will show up as the day goes on.

Jessica at Rock Creek (with trail crossing in the background)

There are plenty of trails to experience here and when you get your fill of walking along the creek, seeing the lake and the falls, you can head towards the edge of the mountain for some great views.

There are several other intriguing aspects to Lula Lake.  The Chickamauga and Durham Railroad ran from the top of Lookout Mountain down to Lookout Valley through the Rock Creek Gorge. The rail line serviced a mining town that once existed on top of Lookout Mountain. Having driven (and ridden my bike) up several of the ascents of Lookout Mountain, you have to imagine this was one steep railroad.  But thanks to Rock Creek's natural erosion over the years, it was probably one of the least steep approaches a railroad could take. Today, the old rail line has been converted to one of the park's trails.

Terrain map of Lula Lake (lower left) and Rock Creek Canyon

The other intriguing story surrounding Lula Lake is probably the most interesting - the Lula Lake Murders. The story goes that in the late 1960s, a local man (who happened to be married with three kids) would head over to the park at night to "hunt" couples. He would dress in camouflage so as to not be seen. Initially he would only spy on couples making out, but that would soon change. One day a local couple never returned home from their make-out session. A search began and soon they dragged Lula Lake and began searching the nearby forests. Their bodies were ultimately found just down hill from where their parked car was discovered. This story is supposed to have influenced Carmac McCarthy when he wrote his novel "Child of God". For more information on this case (including the long and bizarre trial), check out this link.

In 1994, the Lula Lake Land Trust was formed to protect the over 1,000 acres of land from logging and other destructive activities. The Trust has bought additional land over the years to protect more of the surrounding watershed of Rock Creek. The Trust limits the impact from human visitation by only opening the land a few times a month. It's truly one of the great gems of Lookout Mountain and it adds yet another attraction to seek out when you visit Chattanooga.

Rock Creek spills in to Lula Lake

For more information about Lula Lake, visit the Lula Lake Land Trust's site.

Caves!

I love caves.  I love them so much I even broke my leg in one just to extend to the trip another 8 hours or so  (I lost count in between bouts of passing out from pain). I also love national parks and there are a few of them dedicated to showcasing some awesome caves. Findyourpark.com just posted 5 national parks featuring caves including the planet's longest known cave, Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky. To check out this list, go here.

A few years ago we wrote up a little post on exploring some of Kentucky's other caves.  You can check that out here.

Raccoon Mountain

Raccoon Mountain as seen from Google Maps Terrain view

Near Chattanooga, TN you will find Raccoon Mountain.  The mountain is part of the Tennessee River Canyon and it got its name from a mysterious raccoon infestation that occurred in the early 17th Century... or not. The area is home to a tourist attraction that features a cave, gem mining AND a go-cart track!  But, what makes Raccoon Mountain truly special is the large manmade reservoir found on top.  It seems pretty bizarre to find a lake of this size constructed on top of a high plateau like this.  But there's a reason.

Raccoon Mountain Lake

The mountain itself is hollowed out and is home to the Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant. Water is pumped from the Tennessee River up through the mountain and in to the lake on top. When energy is needed, water is released back down through the mountain, passing through giant turbines which generate electricity.  It's a pretty ingenious operation that the raccoons had nothing to do with.

Pump House

Electricity Flowing!

You can take the drive up the mountain and tour the visitor's center on top for free.  But there are no longer any tours down in to the plant deep inside the mountain.  At one point (pre-9/11) you could take the long elevator ride down and take a tour, but today you're limited to just the area on top.  You can also take a drive around the lake and see just how massive it is.

There are also some trails to hike and mountain bike, including one that leads to a nice view. There's also a baseball diamond just in case you get a hankering for hitting some balls while touring the area, though I'm sure it's mainly used by the TVA staff.

View from the top

As you can see from the picture, the views are spectacular from Raccoon Mountain and the river canyon is impressive.  The canyon itself is 26 miles long and it is, without a doubt, underrated as far as canyons go.  You can imagine if this canyon didn't have trees it would fit right at home with the ones found in Utah and Arizona.

Back in the river boat days there was an obstruction along the river called the Suck that made navigating almost impossible.  It was such a famous, or more appropriately, notorious stretch of river that even Thomas Jefferson reportedly knew of it's existence. Rumor has it that once he heard the news, he rubbed his chin and thought "that sounds awful" and went on inventing new things (wait, which one of the Founding Father's invented things?).

You can read a bit more about the canyon on this little informative site called Wikipedia. More information about the mountain and pump station can be found here.

P.S. - we're going to let the fact this is the first post in years just slip right by with only a PS.

The Savage Gulf

The Savage Gulf in Tennessee

Savage Gulf State Natural Area is an incredible spot located in the Cumberland Plateau. From the air, Savage Gulf looks a lot like a giant crow's foot carved in to the plateau. Here you'll find numerous hiking trails, waterfalls, scenic overlooks, swimming holes, caves and even a natural Stone Door.

There are multiple spots to take in the wonderful views of the gulf.  The Stone Door Ranger Station offers a short, relatively easy trail to the Stone Door, 10 foot wide, 100 foot deep crack in the rock.  The Savage Gulf Ranger Station features the Savage Gulf Day Loop Trail, a 4.2 mile loop trail that offers views (and a short access trail) of Savage Falls and a wonderful view of the gulf itself (featured in the photo above) from Rattlesnake Point Overlook. And there are many hikes that take you down in to the gorge. Collins Gulf, for example, features the very popular Horsepound Falls on its journey down. You can find long day hikes and there are a number of spots to camp out to make a full weekend of exploration.

World's Largest Treehouse

Two weeks ago, my pal Sarah and I visited what might just be the world's Largest Treehouse.  Located in Crossville, TN just a mile or so off Interstate 40, this monsterous treehouse was created by Horace Burgess, a local minister who was inspired to start builing the treehouse eleven years ago, and essentially never stopped.  According to one of the treehouse employees, Mr. Burgess started with one tree, and now the house has expanded to encompass ten large trees.  Most of the materials have been donated.

Just one corner of the multi-story treehouse


When you drive up the gravel road to the treehouse and view it for the first time, it is just astounding.  Sarah and I stared at it in wonderment before exploring all its nooks and crannies- which include a bell tower, chapel, swing, and several trap doors.  A young man and his mother employed by Mr. Burgess patroled the grounds and treehouse in an effort to stop graffiti (despite their best efforts it is still pretty rampant).  There was also a tin teepee set up nearby that I assumed served as a bunk for overnight patrols.  Apparently they had just busted some teens the night before who had broken into the treehouse at around 3 a.m.

Sarah enjoying the 'swing'

Once you get to the very top of the treehouse, be sure to look down and you will see the word 'Jesus' written out in landscaping across the field below.  Mr. Burgess holds church in the chapel on most Sundays and there have even been several weddings in the treehouse. 

It amazes me that this place is open for free to the public.  It is a definite must-see if you are in Tennessee.  You can find directions by searching for 'the Minister's treehouse' at Roadside America.  Although entrance is free, there is a donation box and trust me, you will be inspired to donate after seeing Mr. Burgess's eleven-year effort born out of personal inspiration.

Running down Short Mountain

Earlier this Spring, my friend Sarah and I participated in the Stones River Relay, a 22-mile relay of running, biking, and kayaking across Cannon County, TN that benefits the Stones River Watershed Association.  Since my right arm was fractured only a few weeks before in a biking accident, and Sarah was having leg pains from marathon training, we decided that I would run and she would bike and kayak.  Together, our two broken bodies made a full team- and an excellent one at that, but more on that later. 

We arrive at the Cannon County Arts Center early despite a brief, unsuccessful attempt to find trail mix in the town of Woodbury.  The one gas station we stopped at was literally empty with the exception of one lone shelf that held a couple of old candy bars.  Why they needed two cashier's to handle my purchase of a circa 1990s Snickers bar is beyond me.  No luck at the grocery store either- but fyi, they do have quite an excellent selection of  refrigerated corn dogs. 

Once we signed in and tagged our gear, we loaded up on one of three school buses that take participants up to the top of Short Mountain to begin the relay at a mountain-top bible camp.  Although Sarah didn't run, she rode the bus to the very top of the mountain where the run begins. As we rode up the mountain and I saw the descent I would have to run back down, I realized:  Shit. I am so not prepared for this.  But, since I didn't plan on staying the night at the Short Mountain Bible camp, I decided to just go for it, and I actually made really good time (despite waking up with severe calf cramps the next day).  Once I made it to Short Mountain school, Sarah was able to take off on her bike as I waited for the school bus to take me back down to the Stones River. 

By the time I did get back to the kayak entry point for the Stones River, Sarah had already beaten me down there on her bike, so I hopped in her car and drove over to the finish line at the historic Readyville Mill.  I watched Sarah paddle in at 11th place, thus making our team the 11th overall and 1st all-girl team to finish this year's race.  I will definitely do this race next year- it was scenic, not too crowded, and the proceeds go to a great cause: preserving the Stones River watershed.  Plus, there's a catfish mascot.