Tuckaleechee Caverns

Discover an entirely different side of the Smoky Mountains at Tuckaleechee Caverns in Townsend. Hidden beneath the mountains of East Tennessee, this spectacular cave system takes visitors underground to explore towering rooms, flowing water, and millions of natural formations.

Known as the “Greatest Site Under the Smokies,” Tuckaleechee Caverns is estimated to be between 20 and 30 million years old. Visitors explore the caverns on a 1.25-mile round-trip guided adventure through an underground landscape shaped by water and time.

One of the highlights is the enormous Big Room. This massive chamber is nearly large enough to contain a football stadium and gives visitors an incredible sense of the scale hidden beneath the surface of the Smokies.

On another portion of the tour, encounter Silver Falls, a spectacular underground waterfall that drops 210 feet from top to bottom. Tuckaleechee Caverns identifies it as the tallest subterranean waterfall in the eastern United States.

Throughout the journey, look for an incredible variety of cave formations created as mineral-rich water slowly moves through the limestone. Stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and other formations decorate the underground passages, with some growing at an extraordinarily slow rate over hundreds or thousands of years.

The caverns also have a fascinating human history. Long before becoming a visitor attraction, the cave was known to people living in the Tuckaleechee Cove area. Later exploration of the cavern system eventually led to its development as the attraction visitors experience today.

The naturally cool underground environment also provides a welcome change from warm Smoky Mountain days. Be prepared for walking, stairs, and uneven surfaces as you explore the cavern system.

Tuckaleechee Caverns operates seasonally from March through November, with hours varying throughout the season. It is located at 825 Cavern Road in Townsend, convenient to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cades Cove area.

From the immense Big Room to the cascading waters of Silver Falls, Tuckaleechee Caverns reveals a remarkable natural world waiting beneath the Smoky Mountains.