If you are ready for an adventure reminiscent of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, plan a trip to East Tennessee. Craighead Caverns, near Sweetwater, TN, is home to the largest underground lake in America. The Lost Sea is listed in Guinness World Records and is worthy of a position on your bucket list.
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The portion of the underground lake that is visible is 800 feet long and 220 feet wide. While that may not seem huge, that is only the visible portion. Divers have been unable to fully explore the Lost Sea, despite the deployment of modern exploration equipment. Teams of divers have been unable to completely explore the lake.
The visible surface area is about four and a half acres. To date, divers have mapped more than 13 acres of water. There is a large series of water-filled rooms. One diver with a sonar device ventured into the rooms to take sonar readings. Casting the sonar in all directions, he received no return signals, indicating he found nothing but more water.
Sail Upon The Lost Sea
Visitors to the cavern can take a tour in an electric boat of the accessible part of the lake. Swimming in the lake are some of the largest rainbow trout you will ever see. Unfortunately, fishing isn’t allowed in the Lost Sea. The lake is 140 feet below ground and maintains a constant temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit.
The caverns have a long history of use. Cherokee Indians sheltered there in the 1820s. Confederate soldiers mined the caverns’ saltpeter to make gunpowder. Ben Sands, a 13-year-old boy, crawled through a tiny opening in 1905, discovering the underground lake. The opening was a tunnel about 40 feet long and only as big around as a bicycle tire.
Throughout the years, the upper cavern areas have seen cock fighting, moonshining, and service as a community dance hall. The site became a tourist attraction in the 1960s. If you ever dreamt of re-enacting a Jules Verne fantasy, the Lost Sea is a viable alternative and much safer than the volcanoes of Iceland.
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