Camp Inside This Tennessee Cave For A Night You'll Never Forget

Camping in the south of one of the region’s best-known pastimes. Is there anything better than pitching a tent with your loved ones and curling up around a campfire, warming your hands during the autumn, and throwing yourself into hidden swimming holes during the heat? No matter the season, the topography of Tennessee remains the same: beautiful. But what about if you decided to go underneath the ground entirely? Cave Camping in Tennessee? Not only is it real but it is one of the most unique ways to camp in all of the state. Intrigued? This underground camping experience made us stop in our tracks – it looks like such an adventure!

Cumberland Caverns/ Facebook

Cumberland Caverns, the second longest cave in Tennessee, and is the longest show cave in the state, offers an incredible camping experience.

Eli Christman - Flickr

There are several packages offered known as "overnight packages". Each one will have a requirement for a minimum group size and various physical requirements. The price range will vary as well depending on which package you choose. With all of the different options, it is best to peruse the options on their website to find the best fit for you and your group. We provide a link for the Cumberland Caverns website below.

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Cumberland Caverns/ Facebook

If you book one of the packages you get a chance to experience sleeping in a cave, experience extreme caving, see incredible rock formations, and to top it all off with a daily walking tour then breakfast in the morning,

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Eli Christman - Flickr

You'll have to book your camping trip in a group, however, some of the tours will have different requirements for group size and age limits. Some of the packages are available for kids as young as 6 then other tours require children to be at least 16. Most of the packages require a group of 10 people but some of them can be as low as only 2 people.

Cumberland Caverns/ Facebook

You will not need a tent while camping underground. The place where you sleep is a dirt floor and can be dirty so they suggest bringing a tarp and an air mattress as well as your sleeping bag and pillow. The motto always is "pack in and pack out" so make sure you bring only what you need. You can also see a full list of what to bring on your adventure at the Cumberland Caverns website.

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Eli Christman - Flickr

The cave itself is usually around 56 degrees year round, so you won't be freezing cold or burning up depending on the date of your stay. There are multiple spelunking packages available, and daily walking tours. Be sure to check out the walking tours that are offered so you can find just the right one. This cave certainly has a lot of variety to offer guests.

Michael Hicks - Flickr

Know that on the walking tour, you'll be expected to walk for 45 to 120 minutes depending on which tour you choose. The trek can be anywhere from a quarter of a mile to around a mile and a half. Each tour requires you to book ahead of time so make sure you plan ahead.

Eli Christman - Flickr

There are also multiple Adventure Trips available for reservation as well, like the 4 hour Guts and Glory, the 3 to 4 hour Higgenbotham's Hollow, or the 2 to 3 hour Hall Crawl.

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Michael Hicks - Flickr

if you're coming for an adventure tour, make sure that you pack light with a backpack or duffel bag, and a sturdy flashlight - you're about to see the underbelly of Tennessee.

Eli Christman - Flickr

Is this an experience you would dare to add to your story? How do you feel about Cumberland Caverns now? We're excited to hear all about your personal experience, so feel free to leave tips, tricks, and stories in the comments below.

There is nothing quite like cave camping in Tennessee. We love to find some pretty epic adventures but this has to be at the top of the list when it comes to unique places to stay the night. For more information please visit the Cumberland Caverns website.

Pretty incredible, wouldn’t you say? If you’d rather live high, HIGH above ground, however, these gorgeous Tennessee mountain towns.