It’s no secret that Middle Tennessee can get a bit balmy during the summer. For visitors of Fall Creek Falls any activity that keeps the heat to a minimum is a blessing. Perhaps one of the most interesting adventures is a day spent at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville,
Tennessee – just a short drive from Fall Creek Falls State Park.
First discovered in 1810 by local explorer Aaron Higgenbotham, this seven mile long series of caves and caverns now introduce thousands a year to spelunking. Since its initial discovery in the early nineteenth century the cavern has been mined for its minerals, and visitors today can still find artifacts from those early miners as well as chalk messages written on cave walls deep within the caves.
Visitors to Cumberland Caverns have several options for discovering the mysteries buried deep below the surface. The caverns are open daily from 9am to 5pm for guided walking tours. This tour lasts an hour and a half and is one and a half miles long and allows guests a break from the heat with the temperature a steady fifty-six degrees year round.
For those more adventuring, every Saturday Cumberland Caverns offers a Rocky Topper tour, open to individuals and small groups. This more in depth spelunking adventure is two and a half to three hours long and takes guests to some of the most enchanting and mesmerizing places within the vast labyrinth. Aspiring spelunkers need take note, though, that the Rocky Topper tour is very strenuous and requires a lot of crawling and wiggling through tight spots. Guests will get very dirty and muddy.
When deciding on activities in and around Fall Creek Falls State Park, a trip to Cumberland Caverns can be the answer to what to do on a hot summer day. Visitors of all ages can enjoy a cool tour underground while discovering part of Middle Tennessee’s rich and vibrant history.
Cumberland Caverns
1437 Cumberland Caverns Road
McMinnville, Tennessee 37110
Phone: (931)668-4396
E-mail: info@cumberlandcaverns.com
