Cave exploring in Tennessee

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by alleycat

It helps if the heroine has a loose top where one side is always slipping down off her shoulder.

How about the greedy guy that puts them all in danger?

[TN Tin Man]

Originally Posted by LauraC

How about the greedy guy that puts them all in danger?

Would his initials be JR........

[GcountyCaver]

I live in east tn ...greene county,i know of at least 40 caves here. None really huge,but none the less all have their own splenders and wonders.Lots of ooooohs and aaaahhhs.

[steppkiowa]

i need help me and my friends go to indian grave point all the time but we wanna know where more free caves are can anybody help

[TN Tin Man]

Still Closed for 2013

State of Tennessee Extends Public Caves Closure into Fourth Year to Protect Bats | TN.gov Newsroom

[knycthomason]

Anybody know about the cave located right as you turnoff to Camelot inKingsport, TN? You have to go down where the waterfalls located and its down in there. We looked at it today and it gotme to wondering if anyone knew about it or not. Plus I've lived in Clarksville, TN my whole life and seen Dunbar Cave inside too. Very cool. Seen a few others as well. Any info greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Jim37680]

Originally Posted by knycthomason

Anybody know about the cave located right as you turnoff to Camelot inKingsport, TN? You have to go down where the waterfalls located and its down in there. We looked at it today and it gotme to wondering if anyone knew about it or not. Plus I've lived in Clarksville, TN my whole life and seen Dunbar Cave inside too. Very cool. Seen a few others as well. Any info greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I am not sure about the reference to a waterfall, but it sounds like you are referring to the pit cave at the entrance to Camelot Care Center off Bradley Street near the Fort Henry Drive (TN36) and John B. Dennis Bypass (US93).

I have been down in that pit several years ago and could not detect any usable leads going into the (supposedly) very large cave system in that area. The cave under this area was worked as a saltpeter mine in the late 1700s and perhaps well into the remainder of the black powder era. The principal entrance was about 100 yards to the north where the north departure lane from TN36 to US93 north was built in the early 60s. TNDOT destroyed that entrance with widening of TN36. There is a fissure in the ditch near a light pole that blows fog on certain very cold days in the winter. There is also an opening of unknown size in the overgrown area north of the boundary fence on US93 that blows a powerful column of fog under the same cold weather circumstances.

The same construction destroyed a passage connecting the main cave with another entrance in a sinkhole beside the new Bojangles restaurant across the road. I think that entrance may have been covered because I could never locate it several years after it was explored by some well trusted friends. It had suffered collapse but they said could hear rumble of traffic on TN36 through the rock overhead. A classmate that lived nearby as a child told me several times of going in the main entrance and exiting down on the river bluff. Also, according to another third party there is a house on South Morgan Street the construction of which destroyed another entrance connecting with the river. The teller claimed to have used that route to go fishing on the river while it still existed.

So, presumably that cavern is still accessible from the river bluff. However due to private property considerations the land side approach to the open bluff area is probably out of the question. The bluff could probably be examined and approached by boat from the launching area at the river on US93.

It is truly a shame this cavern was rendered inaccessible due to it's historic role as a saltpeter source in the early settlement days. I have seen some references that it was a major supply source for the powder mill near Sycamore Shoals producing the powder for the Over-mountain Campaign to the Battle of King's Mountain. The classmate that had been in the cavern many years ago said wooden artifacts from the saltpeter process were still in the cavern.

[knycthomason]

I wasn't sure of even getting a response. I just shared the info with my other half. It does resemble a waterfall structure just without water when we were recently there. I allowed my nine year old only to venture to the entrance with my boyfriend who was also interested. You gave us a wonderful history and weealth of information and anyone else who goes searching. Thank you so very much for taking the time to do so. I have always loved caves and learning the history and this cave definitely has one. Sad that its been destroyed, you would think people would fight to protect it and the rich history. I may end up going there myself once it warms up just gotta be careful of snakes. Thank you so very much for your information. It is a beautiful little place. Just mostly unknown I'm guessing.