Tennessee
The Lost Sea
Sweetwater
In Sweetwater, Tennessee, about equidistant between Chattanooga and Knoxville, lies a phenomenon said to be thousands of years old, but the lake itself – hidden deep inside a cavern 30 feet beneath the surface – was not actually discovered until 1905. Today a 4.5 acre portion of the Lost Sea is a Registered Natural Landmark, so designated by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, and is named in the Guiness Book of Records as “America’s Largest Underground Lake.” The actual size of the lake has not been determined.
Divers have discovered acres of flooded “rooms” in the cavern beneath the Lost Sea, and the conclusion is that there’s more to the Lost Sea than meets the eye. Cave experts say that the Lost Sea is a part of the Craighead Cavern system, known for the rare crystalline cave formation called anthodites.
The cave was once used by Cherokee Indians, later by Civil War soldiers, and over the more recent years, as a dance hall, cockfight venue, and a favorite place of moonshiners. In the 1950s, the cave was designated a fallout shelter.
Visitors may want to take a sweater, for the temperature remains 58 degrees F. year ‘round, and certainly a camera with a flash to capture this most unusual historic site. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout, which are readily visible and usually surface when boats arrive.
The Lost Sea is open year ‘round. To learn more, contact 423/337-6616 or www.thelostsea.com.
