The Ultimate Tour Of Tennessee's Century Old Underground Marvel
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- Come along with us as Jason and I take you on a WONDERFUL tour of Tennessee's Second Oldest Show Cave, Wonder Cave. Wonder Cave was long considered by many to be one of the State's premier show caves and for more than a century Wonder Cave operated as a commercial show cave. Jason and I had the most awesome opportunity to survey Wonder Cave about ten years ago. Now that we have a UA-cam Channel, I wanted to go back to show you all this spectacular cave and the beauty inside. There is a massive formation area that was the main attraction and there are all kinds of secrets hidden inside it.
On December 13, 2014, we made our first survey trip into the cave and nearly two and a half years later we officially called end of survey in April 2016. Overall, we set approximately 400 stations for a total surveyed length of 14,678.3 feet = 2.77 miles. Wonder Cave was previously listed as 7,000 feet long in the Tennessee Cave Survey and it is now listed as the 58th longest cave in Tennessee where it was previously 149.
After completing the survey of Wonder Cave, Jason Hardy and I began the survey of Crystal Cave which hydrologically connects to Wonder Cave. The Mystic River as it is known flows out of Wonder for about 200 feet, goes into what is known as Wonder Natural Bridge Cave for 100 feet, back out on the surface for another 200 feet and then into Crystal Cave. Crystal Cave is listed as 4,000 feet long in the Tennessee Cave Survey and has four entrances. We expect to get a least a mile out of the survey and over four miles out of the entire Wonder & Crystal Cave complex.
Please note that we had permission from landowners to complete the survey of both Wonder Cave and Crystal Cave. They are both privately owned and are not open to the public. Please do not visit these caves without permission from the owners.
To read more details about the history and our survey of Wonder Cave, please visit our blog at: tagcaver.wixsi....
You can watch my video on the History and Exploration/Survey of Wonder Cave at: • Wonder Cave, Tennessee...
To see the completed Wonder Cave map and other Jason Hardy cartography, please visit:
tagcaver.wixsi...
If you'd like to purchase a copy of the Wonder Cave map, send me an email for more details.
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![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #30 ДВА В ОДНОМ [Один человек]• Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nrXy15orKhY/mqdefault.jpg)
I went there with my family 55 years ago. I remember fat mans misery and also going through a tiny wedged tunnel that only us smallest kids could get thru. When we got to the cathedral room (the still photo)
The guide told us to turn the flashlights off. It was the darkest dark I ever experienced.. we learned about stalactites and stalagmites.
Wow thanks for the tour today.
You are most welcome. Thank you for sharing your memory as well and for watching along.
I am so glad our cave etiquette has evolved to today's standards. To see the etchings, touching, breakage, and litter is a bit heart-wrenching. Thank you for sharing. Keep it up. We all need to see how a mismanaged cave can be harmful.
Thankfully we all know better now. One of the good things about this cave is the original proprietor actually had the first cave vandalism laws in the state of Tennessee written. He was very adamant about trying to protect this cave.
It's a cave for Pete's sake 🙄
@@YankeeDoodle2 so you imply we shouldn't care about it because it's a cave? Cavers take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprint and kill nothing but time.
@tag_caver
I watched you move plenty of rocks moving around and you left marker tape so you can move things and leave things behind but others can't?
@@YankeeDoodle2we did not leave anything in the cave. What you saw was already there. I don't think you understand
Cave pearls, for other claustrophobes, are little nuggets formed when liquid dripping from the top of a cave is dripping too fast to form a stalactite. (Speleothems, or formations, is what they are calling things in the video that I would refer to as stalactites and stalagmites, which are only two of the possible kinds of formations.)
They accrete into pebbly shapes around a grit, as do pearls. Lying in water or a damp environment that allows them to move without dissolving causes them to be rounded. If the water is mineral rich, they will add layers and grow. They're mainly composed of calcite. If allowed to dry, they become rough and dull.
For reference, chalk is a form of calcite.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speleothem
I'm glad this is on youtube for the public
Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for showing this large beautiful cave. I'm almost 70 yrs. old and my knees are shot. I would have missed seeing the beauty that was in this cave.
I live in North Ga I've never heard of this cave but I know Tennessee is full of caves that one is really unique well done !
It was operated as a Show Cave from the early 1900's to the year 2000, when it closed.
It's too bad they couldn't keep it open I've been in a lot of caves and that one is amazing
I was a guide from 67-70, my first job 7.00$ a day plus tips worked weekends during the off season and a varied week during the summer. A lot of memories ,never went back after Frank Raulston passed.
Oh wow. Thank you for sharing. I would have loved to have seen the gift shop back then. Do you have any photos or memorabilia? Would be cool to see it if so!
@43:16, those remind me of the barite and calcite "roses" we have here in Oklahoma, that we call simply "rose rocks"--people collect them. My mom used to have a huge collection of rose rocks ranging in size from as large as her fist, all the way down to a little bigger than a pea. They are most common in the Lake Stanley Draper area, but are found all the way down south as far as Tecumseh, OK. Wonderful to see sparkly versions of them there on a cave wall near the east coast. But it's a wonderful cave!
Thank you. I knew they were called something with rose in the name but I couldn't remember exactly. I had seen them on some of our trips out west in Rock shops. 😊
The shark tooth on the ceiling is really cool. Thanks for the tour.
Thank you!
I remember going in a large cave when I was a teenager, in Etowah, Tennessee. I have never seen anything posted about it on youtube.
If it was a commercial cave, perhaps it was the Lost sea? Otherwise there are nearly 12,000 known caves in the state of Tennessee alone.
I remember this since I was a kid. Thank y'all so much. ✝️🇺🇸
I went there in kindergarten. I remember buying a puzzle of the cave in the gift shop.
Oh nice. That would be an awesome thing to still have!
I went on a tour of Wonder Cave when I was youngster and I do remember the Coleman lanterns. It was nice to see it again. It’s a shame that so much of the main formation area is dry, but I wonder if that has more to do with the dry weather lately. Still very beautiful and I’m happy it’s reverting back to its natural state.
Yes! The dryer weather does affect some of the formations. There is usually water dripping in the pearl areas too.
So cool! I grew up in West Tennessee and spent a lot of time in East Tennessee but never knew about Wonder Cave. Thank Yall!
My cousin the old Rockeater has mapped a lot of caves in the TAG area… this is a beautiful cave for sure…
I know Jerry!
@@tag_caver awww cool… yep his mom and my dad was brother and sister…
Wow what a special place. I am amazed at God' creation which existed way before anyone saw it. It was there hiding waiting for eyes to see. A great gift from our loving Father.. Thanks for sharing this amazing place!
Thank you for the comment and for watching along :)
Spectacular cave. Thank you so much for the awesome narration and footage.
Thank you for watching along 😊
I've lived in Tennessee my whole 45 years of life. Born and raised in a small community in West Tennessee. I've never heard of this place and that makes me sad!
I've lived in East Tennessee most of my 65 years, and really don't know anything about it.
This Is Awesome !!! ive always wanted to see Wonder Cave Thank You !!!!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.
I remember going in wonder cave back when I was a kid… I don’t even remember exactly where it is… in fact I had forgotten about it until your video… thanks…
Oh nice! It's here in Grundy County, Tennessee! 😊
@@tag_caver thanks…
Excellent video about the cave. I saw it close to its closing but you all bring out to best in it. I used to cave around Chattanooga but I’m now a little too old for that but it’s good to see you folks exploring and enjoying it as well as protecting the beautiful caverns in our State. Sincerely, Carbaugh Mann
Thank you! I wish I had been able to visit it before it closed. I'm fascinated with the history. We live out here in South Pittsburg and cave mostly in Marion, Grundy, and Franklin counties.
Wow wow and wow again! That was an amazing wonderful beautiful cave! I am so so envious of y'all being able to go in and enjoy that cave. Thanks so much for sharing that cave! Watching y'all climbing up and down the break down reminded me of early photo's of miners traversing the Yukon trail on their way to the mining fields during the Klondike gold rush.
@@josephkerley363 Thank you. This cave is very special to Jason and I. We spent a lot of time here. You can see his map on our blog at tagcaver.wixsite.com/undergroundearth/jason-hardy-cartography
I am totally enjoying this show. You have a very nice story telling voice and pronunciation of words. Love your accent too. I made a negative comment yesterday about how I thought you talked too fast and moved your head cam too fast. Video I’m watching now is very enjoyable and very interesting. Thank you from Alaska! Be safe.
Thank you. I try my best. Sometimes I may get going a little too fast with the camera. Thank you for giving another video a chance.
That was amazing 😮wow!
Thank you for sharing your adventure.
Thank you
I enjoyed the whole video with your educational conversations!!
Thank you. I appreciate the comments and you watching along. It really is a special cave!
Great job. Visit Bill Elder at Shenanigans and he can share stories about our adventures at Wonder Cave. If he tells you anything bad about me, it might be true. Hope to see you on the mountain sometime.
Thank you 😂
Toured Wonder Cave in 1970. I was 12 yrs. old. Had a good time.
Very cool!
Great! Enjoyed it very much and was glued to my seat.
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this. I remember so many family trips to Chattanooga, seeing the signs for this and always wanted to visit but never got the opportunity. I think it was typically closed when we came through. I believe my dad had explored it, though, when he was a young man, exploring and spelunking through that region. ❤
I love caves ! I'm 1/2 way thru the video, I know Carlsbad was beautiful, but I'm a bit more impressed with the formations in this cave. Thank you for showing it. I'm glad these owners are letting the cave heal. :~)
🥰
Aww you guys are having way too much fun!
Always!
Loved watching your tour. Something we would never get to see in person. Thanks!
You are welcome! Thank you for watching.
@@tag_caver how far underground did you go?
@@HonorMom this cave is just over 2.5 miles long.
@tag_caver from ground level, how deep down?
@@HonorMom this particular cave has a depth/vertical extent of just over 100 feet. That is from the lowest point in the cave to the highest. For example this cave, the depth goes UP, not down as there is a large room you climb UP into. Vertical caves are the ones where we go down and deep!
Sad to hear that it is no longer open to the public. Fortunately, in the mid 90's, some friends and I drove up to Monteagle from Florida for some backpacking and camping and were able to tour the cave. Young couple were the owners of the property at the time and the wife took us on a personal tour. Nice lady, very informative. They were hoping to open the cave tours back into full operation.
Oh nice! It's a really special place.
Would love to see this cave.with a few changes it could be safe for the cave if people came thru. Enjoyed the tour. All the unseen rocks in the water looks a little dangerous.
I have never seen cave turnips before today. Awesome!
So much color! WoW
I'm happy that you did this for us, Thank you.
Thank you for watching along!
84 miles south of were I live in TN. Thanks for posting.
Where you live
@@margepaz Buffalo Valley. Do you want to take into this cave?
Awesome spelunking! Thank you for sharing this adventure. I have done some lava tube caving in Hawaii, and it is fabulous, too.
Thank you. Hawaii lava tube caving is on my bucket list. I've got a few caver friends who live there, just got to get myself on a plane and visit!
Very interesting about cave pearls! Never heard of those. 😊
They are some of the prettiest cave formations.
Thanks for the tour of Wonder Cave. It brought back so many memories of my childhood since I grew up about 1 mile from the cave and have fond memories of the Raulston family. It was so great to see both the public areas where I have been and the rest of the cave all the way to the back. Such a beautiful cave. Is their log house still at the top of the hill?
Thank you. Yes, it is still there but privately owned so we didn't want to show it out of respect of the folks living there.
I remember going through this cave when it was open to the public. Not sure when it was but it was many years ago. I was born in 59 so I'm guessing 70s maybe early 80s.
Oh nice! I wish I could have toured it then. I would have loved to have seen the gift shop.
When I was young we went to this cave many times. Then it had people there all the time. When they built the interstate 24, traffic was all moved to it and Hwy 41 was no longer used. This was a death sentence to the cave tours. As a kid it was so neat to go there.
P.S. have you heard of Lusk Cove Cave. We went there also, the air was really cool coming out of it, so it was a natural air condition. Have family reunions out the front of it. There is another one in Boss Cove, I believe MTSU has mapped it as a project years ago.
I haven't been but did look up Lusk, not far from here. Couldn't find Boss Cave in the database.
@@tag_caver might Bost
I checked it is Bost Cove, it is on the way to Lusk Cove. I live on the other side of Mt. In Henry Cove. Bost is a dead end Cove, same as Lusk. Friends growing up live in Bost Cove and my Greatuncle married into the Lusk family. We farm it when I was young. Lots of Indian artifacts there. Believe at one time a hunting ground. Lots of quarzt's rock there, made arrow heads there.
@@keithier1958 Oh nice. Yea that whole area had a lot of natives. There is the mound not far from there in the cemetery too. What a beautiful area that is.
Thank you for sharing ❤❤🎉🎉
I have lived in East Tennessee all of my life and I'm about 45 minutes or less from this cave and have never heard of it.
It fell off the radar when the interstate was built. It's officially closed now.
@@tag_caver I live in Marion county as well & I recall a cave in Whitwell that a few guys got lost in back in the 1990’s, but I’m not sure where it’s located.
As you pointed out the our state has an abundance of caves, although I’m not really into that sort of thing (claustrophobic I guess or just don’t like the thought of a cave in & being trapped).
@@utcnc7mm Hmm, I've been caving since 2003, but have only lived here in Marion County since 2013. I have not heard of the incident in the Whitwell cave. It is like swiss cheese here. Marion County has almost 800 caves just in our county alone!
@@tag_caver This happened in the late 80’s or early 90’s if I see any of those guys I’ll ask about it. From the best of my memory, they went deep into the cave and they only had one or two lights, and both of them went out.
@@utcnc7mm Oh no! I bet that was scary for them for sure.
Thank you for sharing what i could never see, due to my severe claustrophobia. Thanks to my mean older brother shutting my sister and in a utility closet when we were 3 and 4 years old...still not funny to this day. He swears it was only for a few minutes, but the damage was done, nonetheless.
Thank you. I am sorry to hear of your trauma and severe claustrophobia. I used to think I was claustrophobic but I actually sometimes find that I enjoy tight spaces. It can be both a physical and a mental challenge.
@@tag_caver you're so right! I think I will face my fear and learn to trust The Lord to make me stronger in my faith. Thank you dear one.
Thank you , Thank you, Thank you 💕🙏💕
Love ❤❤❤❤ Love 💖💖💖💖 the cave Tour Absolutely Awesome 💖💖💖💖💖
thank you for watching along 🥰
AWESOME! A cave! Oh wait . . . . we dont get to go in it . *sigh* Thanx for the video anyway
Thank you
Enjoyed the tour and info. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching along.
I believe Wonder Cave was a nuclear fallout shelter at one time. I remember in school the teachers told us that’s where we would end up if anything happened.
Yes! It was. I talk more about the history in an earlier video I did.
ua-cam.com/video/CRhBbNncUe8/v-deo.html
Heck Yeah I learned a new word today I can't spell it as of yet though (Spheliofilm) that's a cool word😊
Speleothem!
Thats amazing thank you.
Thanks for watching.
After looking at your complete video I must say that the owners after the Raultons almost destroyed the cave with explosions, there were never any wooden walkways all the damage made me want to cry, all the broken formations the barrel that had been in the cave you said had rotted, had about 2”of calcite all over it , the original had to be destroyed, it’s a pity
Thank you for the updated information. I was told the wood had been in there that long so did not realize it wasn't that old. There was one owner after the Raulston's and prior to the current owners for about one year. They had plans to make it into a large park, with camping and even a landing strip. I wonder if they are the ones who might have done all the modifications in the cave. I had seen an older barrel at one point that did have a much thicker flowstone crust on.
What a cave! Thanks for the tour and so glad it’s closed! WOW!
Thank you. This one has always been very special to us.
Very cool thanks for the video
Thank you!
@47:44 stalagmite anticipating a kiss from stalactite
Very beautiful ❤ thank you ❤
Thank you :)
You need to check out Worley‘s cave in Bluff city Tennessee, over 4 miles mapped. Also on private property.
Oh yes, I have heard of it... There are nearly 12,000 known caves here in Tennessee. In Marion County, where I live we have the third highest concentration of caves per county, over 750! So we never have to travel far to go caving. Worley's is about a 4 hour drive for us each way!
@@tag_caver Ahhh, gotcha. :) Worley's is about 5 minutes from my house... In fact, I'm pretty sure part of my back yard is now inside the cave... (Very large sink hole)
@@jsfoster75 oh cool! Well if I ever come u that way, I will reach out.
@@jsfoster75 So since part of the cave is under your property, do you own that part? Or does the landowner of the rest of it own some versions of underground rights so that they own the entire cave system?
@@playhooky I have no idea, maybe I should look into that. LOL
i’m from knoxville TN,how can I join the group,i have a list of places that need to be explored
I might suggest looking up the East Tennessee Grotto or the Smoky Mountain Grotto as we are over three hours from Knoxville where we are. These are both grottos (caving clubs) and offer caving trips to get you started. caves.org/find-a-grotto/
My grandmother's people owned the land before the cave was opened to get in it. My father worked there in the 50s
I have a little video of "Blow Hole" cave in Dekalb County. It's probably still locked with a steel door. One thing about video in caves is that the lighting just doesn't show how beautiful the expanses of the tunnels and formation really is. It would be nice if there was good video lighting but you'd have to have a dozen high power batteries and other cavers to carry them.
Yea lighting is hard! We recently purchased some Neewer lights that seem pretty rugged and bright. We will see how they work going forward in videos.
Are the bore holes natural or man-made?
Those were man made
Really Cool
What's it like in there when it rains? Are there lots of places where the water runs over the formations?
Not so much in the tourist area but in other areas of the cave you can see water coming in when it's raining outside. We've been all the way in the back and seen a lot of water coming in at the formation at the end. The water can also get too high and dangerous to traverse the 400 foot long swim passage.
@@tag_caver this video is amazing. Thanks for posting.
@@debrastrayer8600 thank you
JjRaulston is not buried in the cave. He is buried up in monteagle by his wife, Mary Orme near my Granny Elizabeth
i live not to far away from there an hsve never been in it, some person bought it years ago an turned it into a bab. people use to be able to go in that cave
Nice..👍👍
Thanks 😊
So beautiful part of the cave looks like giant marshmallows and piles of jewelry beads.
Let's take a drink, every time she says COOL!!!😅😅
😂😂😂 well it is!
That was a grave the previous owner was a Mayan lol
Denisovan
Closed since 2000 to the public . My question is why waste time money and resources to repair broken formations . There are so many other things that could be focused on above ground and in your communities
It's cavers giving back who are repairing them, not the owners. This is because this is just what we do. We love caves no matter who gets to access them. It's about the cave, not us.
It looks like the inside of a melted building.
I may have missed it, but why do they want calcite on the barrel?
It was a show cave! Just the type of thing they do in them.
@@tag_caver thank you! I appreciate your response! It's a beautiful cave! I love the pearls and the sparkling walls and formations!
What part of Tennessee?
South Cumberland Plateau
So why did they close the cave
Lack of visitation. When they built the nearby interstate, it basically cut it off. They struggled for years, and then finally closed in the year 2000. You can learn more about our survey of the cave and the history in my other video, ua-cam.com/video/CRhBbNncUe8/v-deo.html
@@tag_caver I WISHHH I had known about this amazing place! I caves, & I would have taken anyone I could . People need to see & enjoy amazing places like this . I wonder if it wasnt well advertised 🤔. I live just a couple of counties over, since 1988, & Ive never heard of this place. Dang . So sad!
@@tag_caver interstates ruin towns.
🖤 😎
What caused the breakdown pile?
Water! The stream cuts away the passage, making the over burden too heavy. It then falls making big breakdown piles.
Might I suggest wetsuits for those frigid cave waters🥶
Oh yes, we wear wetsuits when needed and some had them on for this trip too. With so much climbing and walking after that swim i would die of heat exhaustion in a wetsuit.
Sad when they had electricity in the 1800s that they went backwards
It's actually a good thing that this cave was never lit by electric lights. Electric lights in a cave can cause other issues and bring in growth from the outside.
Tennessee full stay where yal at
😂
The man that bought wonder cave , was told to buy it from an angel... King Solomon is on the outside of the wall , he is showing his kingdom, with details..wish I could post it here ..how come the gas inside isn't bothering you ? That's why they closed it..I teach Ancient cartography American research by Troy T Dickerson
There is no gas inside the cave. It was closed due to lack of visitation in the year 2000. Bad air is actually pretty rare around here in caves.
Why was it closed sad😢
Lack of visitation
Hiiiii❤
Hello
Nope. No way - no how. Gives me the heebie jeebies just to watch y'all walk through that. Adding a water feature such as the Lost Sea makes it even worse for me.
Why bother to repair it if you are never gonna let people see it again just close it up and let the cave heal over as it is.
Why can't the cave be repaired and allowed to rest?
@@tag_caverif it isn’t
T for safety reasons why go to the expense. Just let it rest.
@@kaymccormick2279well it's not me doing the restoration but if someone wants to spend their time doing it, then so be it. No harm, it's actually repairing the cave.
Hey, just letting you know there's a video in your advertisement
What do you mean?
@tag_caver
Ads ads everywhere video is literally unwatchable 🤢🤮
@@YankeeDoodle2 well this is UA-cam and that is what they do. You can watch or not. Your choice.
Yankee Doodle 2 Troll!
If no one is allowed in there it is not fair for only your group to be allowed in
This property is privately owned, just like a home or your property. The owners are very gracious in allowing visitors by permission and we spent two years of our lives there making a map of it. So let's talk about fair, really? There are almost 12,000 known caves in Tennessee so there are plenty of others to visit if you want to go caving.
Not a carbide lamp. That’s an oil lamp. You light the wic and the oil soaks up the wic from the glass bottom of the lamp.