Their website The Lost Sea
Sloping entrance to the Lost Sea caverns. Its about 100 feet long
and slopes maybe 10 degrees down. My tour guide, Will, waits for
me at the bottom. Since I was the only one on the tour, it was like a
personnal tour.
Throughout the tour I tried to capture the various formations created
by dripping water and the mineral deposits. Some of them have
colored lights on them giving them a eerie look.
My camera flash was useless at times. The cavern was strategically
lighted.
Anthodite formations. A chyrstaline type formation. If I remember
correctly, the guide said this cavern contains 60% of all known Anthodite
in the US (maybe world) so it's a National Landmark.
A huge cavern, maybe 80 feet across.
The earliest know date (authentic) found in the cave.
More cave formations.
Prehistoric animals used the cave. Early American Indians used the
cave. Both sides of the conflict used the cave during the Civil War. And
it was also used as a bomb shelter in the 60's. Here remains soda
cracker tins. The guide said that enough food stores were brought
here so 20,000 people could live for three weeks. (All of the information
I attribute to the guide is to the best of my recollection.)
The Devil's Hole. Legend has it, that if you look down this hole and
see the Devil's face, you are a bad person. I didn't see a face. But
truthfully, years ago a woman looked down this hole and saw a hidious
face and ran out screaming. It turned out to be the maintenance man
replacing the light bulb.
A little pool of water maybe 6 feet wide, a foot deep.
Part of the cavern that was preserved. In 1905, 11 year old Ben Sands
was exploring the cavern, crawled a good way into the cavern through
holes such as this and discovered the Lost Sea. When he surfaced no
one believed him, and it wasn't until 1965 that the underground lake
was
rediscovered. The cavern was enlarged so tourists could see the
lake, and now 71 year old Ben was brought back and was given credit
for the original find. He named it the Lost Sea because it had been
lost for 60 years.
The Lost Sea cavern. Due to drought, the water level is 30 lower than
normal.
In the water you can see trout. In 1965, trout were introduced to the
Lost Sea to see if they would survive and see if they could leave. They
did survive, only by being feed, and they didn't leave. Which leads
them to believe there is no natural way out other than the small stream
leading out the cave. They believe the lake is fed by springs and ground
water. They do fish for the trout, and the biggest one caught was
almost 33 inches long and weighed 16lbs 7oz. They restock every three
of four years.
The Lost Sea. Maybe 250 feet long by 100 feet wide. I believe the
guide said it was 25 or 30 feet deep.
Leaving the Lost Sea we come to an area where the man-made path
looks like a Baby Grand Canyon.
A formation called the Bears Claw.
A large professional photo taken of the Lost Sea mounted outside
the entrance. The dock and pontoon boats for rides can be seen.
Posted on exit.
Shortly after I left Sweetwater and headed South, I saw this -
Tennessee motorhomes.