My experience at The Lost Sea Adventure

The night I slept in a cave at The Lost Sea Adventure and helpful tips for sleeping in a cave.

So, I experienced a first last weekend. I slept in a cave with an underground lake and 85 overly anxious and excited Girl Scouts. God bless me.

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I don’t know what I had more anxiety over, the cave or all of those girl scouts! Kidding aside, it was a great experience. Some aspects are better than others. If you have never been to the Lost Sea Adventure in Sweetwater Tennessee, it’s worth a trip. Sweetwater is about 3.5 hours from Atlanta.

The night I slept in a cave for the first time at The Lost Sea Adventure

What is the Lost Sea Adventure

The Lost Sea is America’s largest underground lake and Registered National Landmark in Sweetwater, Tennessee. It is the second-largest in the world, the first being in Africa. It’s basically a mile guided tour of the caverns where they cover the history of how the caves were used by the Cherokee Indians and Confederate soldiers.

There is a boat ride around the lake called The Lost Sea, which is located 140 feet below the ground. The lake is about 4 acres and about 70 feet deep in the center. Although the cave has slopes and can be slippery, the pathways are wide and secure enough for most to handle.  Our overnight tour included some spelunking and camping as well, which is not for everyone.

History of The Lost Sea

In the 1820s, the first settlers discovered the cave system which is part of a  series of caves known as Craighead Caverns. The lost sea ( the lake)  was discovered in 1905 by a young boy named Ben Sands. Ben wiggled through a small muddy opening 300 feet underground and found himself in a room that contained a huge lake.  To determine the size of his discovery, he threw mudballs into the darkroom to try too determine its size.  Only hearing splashes in response. When he would tell his family about his discovery, nobody believed him. Years later when he was in his 70’s he finally got recognized as the first to discover the Lost Sea.   Still to this day, modern technology has not assessed the full reach of the unseen body of water.

What to bring  for a day tour

If you are doing just the tour ( no overnight) just some comfortable hiking clothes, a flashlight or head lamp. Wear old hiking or tennis shoes as they will get dirty. A light jacket or sweatshirt may be needed as it is always 58 degrees in the cave, which is refreshing if you are touring in the summer months.

What to bring for overnight camping

If you are doing the camping overnight you must bring a flashlight as the only lighting sources are a few spotlights in the camping area. Of course you need something to sleep on. I would highly recommend a camping cot or mattress as the ground is SUPER hard and it made for a uncomfortable nights sleep….lesson learned. There are porta-potties, but no running water so bring your own to brush your teeth etc. Wet wipes may come in handy to clean up after the tour. Bring an extra change of clothes and a bag to put them in as you will get dirty on the overnight tour. 

Camping areas. This is what you will look at as you close your eyes for the night.

The descent down to the campsite. They have ropes or a rail on one side to help make it easier getting down.

Other Tips for your cave experience

The descent down to the camp is about 140 steps. Pack just what you need. You will bring everything back up the next morning when you leave. A camping cot or air mattress will definitely make the experience more enjoyable. I slept in a sleeping bag and was miserable since the ground is so hard and I could not get comfortable.

Speaking of tents, they are not allowed in the cave. Last but not least, ear plugs. Sadly I didn’t bring any and heard the snores of many ALL night. I am married to a snorer…god love them.

The opportunity to witness such remarkable natural beauty is worth it.  Click here for more information, directions, and ticket prices.

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