A review of The Lost Sea by Aaron Tanner

Recently, my mom and I took a day trip from Huntsville to Sweetwater, Tennessee. Located between Chattanooga and Knoxville, the town is best known for a Southern roadside attraction called The Lost Sea.

For those who have never heard of the place, Craighead Caverns, where The Lost Sea is located, is home to the largest underground lake in the United States and the second-largest underground lake in the world by size. A curious explorer discovered the underground lake during a drought in the early 1900s when water levels were low. In 1965, The Lost Sea opened to tourists headed to and from the Smoky Mountains.

This place was on my bucket list of Southern attractions I desired to visit. Depending on traffic, it is about a three-hour drive from Huntsville. The main reason to go to The Lost Sea is for the boat ride on the underground lake. Due to restricted crowd size during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is imperative to purchase tickets in advance (the tickets are good one year from the purchase date).

When your tour starts, the guide goes over tour guidelines in a yellow tube that connects the visitor's center with the cave. Throughout the tour, the guide explains the different stalagmites and stalactites in the cave. The neat part was the authentic date initials from Civil War soldiers who camped out in the cave for mining saltpeter and a real moonshine still from when Craighead Caverns functioned as a tavern and dance hall during the 1930s.

The best part of the tour is the boat ride on the calm lake at the bottom of the cave. Tours are split into several boats and glide upon the peaceful water while the employees feed the lake's minnows. By the way, the fish were put there by the park, and they have no natural predators. Afterward, it is a steep walk up from the lake back to the visitor's center.

Like most caves, The Lost Sea is not recommended for those with mobility issues due to the uneven surface spots. Although the tour has three different rest stops with benches when climbing up from the lake to the cave's entrance, the walk-up can leave one out of breath for those with respiratory issues. Although wearing a mask is optional at The Lost Sea, a good majority of visitors wore one the day we went.

Unlike Ruby Falls in nearby Chattanooga, what I like about The Lost Sea is that the cave pathways are wide enough that one does not feel claustrophobic. As someone with sensory issues related to Asperger Syndrome, a plus about The Lost Sea was that the boat ride was calm and not sensory overloading. Due to being out in the middle of nowhere, The Lost Sea doesn't have quite the number of tourists that Gatlinburg or Chattanooga have. For those with sensory issues, I recommend The Lost Sea over Ruby Falls.

For those in a group not wanting to do the cave tour, The Lost Sea provides a picnic area with benches and rocking chairs outside at the visitor's center to watch the scenery. There is also an ice cream shop, a general store with organic oils and lotions, and a glass blowing shop. Kids might also enjoy the gem mine where one can pan for gold or other minerals.

Going to The Lost Sea was worth the admission, and I'm glad I went. The outing was a nice break from all the chaos in the world right now.

Have you ever been to The Lost Sea or other similar attractions in eastern Tennessee? Comment in the section below.