Visit depths of Cumberland Caverns
First enticing land surveyor Aaron Higgenbotham into its depths almost 200 years ago, what is now known as Cumberland Caverns these days lures visitors numbered in the thousands, making it one of Warren County’s biggest and most well-known attractions.
Upon discovering the cave, burrowed deep within Cardwell Mountain, Higgenbotham ventured inside, by himself. Not too far inside he became trapped on a high ledge when his torch went out. Legend has it that when he was finally reached by a rescue party his hair had turned completely white!
Thankfully, a visit to the cave isn’t quite that scary these days. First opened to the public in 1956, Cumberland Caverns provides visitors an up close and personal, not to mention lighted, look at one the country’s most spectacular underground wonders.
Attracting visitors from all over the world, the cave offers those who visit the chance to see some of the most impressive cave formations possible, including towering stalactites and stalagmites, as well as flowstone and an underground waterfall and pool.
While Cumberland Caverns certainly showcases nature at its best, visitors can also see the works of man. Most impressive to history buffs are the remains of vats used during the War of 1812 and the Civil War to extract saltpeter, a main ingredient of gun powder, from the nitrate-rich cave floor.
Seeming out of place at first is 3/4 ton chandelier hanging in the cave’s dining room, also known as the Volcano Room. Here seating for 500 is available for parties, banquets and even weddings!
The most convenient way to visit the Cumberland Caverns is by taking one of the one-and-a-half hour guided tours offered seven days a week, May through October. In addition to seeing the cave’s best formations and artifacts, visitors taking the tour also experience “God of the Mountain,” a sound and light pageant conducted in the cave’s absolute darkness.
For the more adventurous, another option is an overnight tour. These tours, offered year-round, give scout groups, church groups, families and others the opportunity to spend the night 500 feet underground. In addition to receiving the so-called “daily tour,” participants also receive a “wild” tour where they climb and crawl through undeveloped sections of the cave.
Cumberland Caverns is located six miles southeast of McMinnville off Hwy. 8. For more information call 668-4396.