Dunbar Cave State Park

Did you grab up a cave tour this year? Time is almost up, and the staff at Dunbar Cave State Park are preparing to say farewell to the amazing bunch of enthusiastic Seasonal Interpretative Rangers we've had this summer.

SIR Jackson Sutton is definitely one we'll miss! Jackson's positive attitude and non-stop energy has made him an uplifting addition to the seasonal crew. You may have encountered him this year leading a cave tour or teaching you about sustainable agriculture during one of his programs. Jackson is studying Environmental Science at WKU.

Curious about becoming a SIR like Jackson? Learn all about the program and start planning your summer with Tennessee State Parks!

https://tnstateparks.com/blog/work-outdoors-as-a-seasonal-interpretive-recreator

If you've visited our park within the last two years, chances are you've run into another Seasonal Intrepretative Ranger, Tessa McAdoo. Not only can she give an informative cave tour, Tessa's also trained in handling birds of prey from her time as an SIR at Paris Landing State Park. Tessa has a background in sociology with a focus on anthropology. Come say hi before the cave tour season ends at the end of September!

Our seasonal staff make Dunbar Cave State Park's tour season so special every summer. But there's more to do at the park than cave tours!

Seasonal Interpretative Ranger Channah Cain has worked hard to keep the pollinator garden looking good during the heat of the summer. She's also invited the community to her special Corn Husk Doll programs throughout the season, where she discusses the doll's indigenous origins.

Look out for Corn Husk Dolls with Channah on Wednesdays and Fridays until the end of the month!

The weather is getting cooler, but our snake friends are still out. If you happen to notice one while enjoying the park, please do not disturb it. They are an important part of Dunbar Cave State Park's ecosystem, too.

This little guy is a copperhead, a native species, noticed by some visitors on the bandstand following a cave tour recently. Copperheads are not aggressive, but will bite if provoked or stepped on. Enjoy from a safe distance and do not wander off marked trails.

Photo by Seasonal Interpretative Ranger Lily Poteete.

Less than 3 hours to go! We're all set up and ready for Cooling at the Cave tonight at 6pm, with performer James Parker crooning tunes from Dunbar Cave's past. Don't have your tickets yet? You can still get them here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cooling-at-dunbar-cave-with-james-parker-tickets-963228962757?aff=oddtdtcreator

The next Cooling at the Cave is September 7th!

NEW! Cooling at Dunbar Cave with James Parker concert coming up! The Friends of Dunbar Cave present a show that will transport you back in time to the formative days of American music history that graced the dance floors and stage at Dunbar Cave! James Parker (a Clarksville native) imagined his voice and sound entertaining folks who attended a dance or listened to the WSM radio broadcast. Many singers have performed at Dunbar Cave throughout history, and it was once owned by Roy Acuff. Growing up with the traditions of music, long ago, James Parker dreamed of a fantastic show for you all, and that day is here - September 7, 2024!
From all the eras of music that have graced these grounds, James Parker will guide us through this musical kaleidoscope that so many people enjoyed throughout their lives at Dunbar Cave.
James Parker is a singer/songwriter that has a dynamic vocal range, soothing tones to ease the mind and a powerful throwback ability to rouse the country music enthusiasts. Come out and join us, raise funds for an important park, and have a great time with your friends and family.
Join us on Saturday night, September 7 to support Dunbar Cave State Park. 🎶 Tickets on sale at Eventbrite now. Links on our website.
We’re a local nonprofit that works to support Dunbar Cave State Park and fund important projects at the park.

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More info on our website: www.friendsofdunbarcave.com (link in bio 🔝)
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We got a late start to our cave tour season due to flooding events in late spring but we have been back up and running for a week now. The response from our visitors has been great! Almost all of the tours have sold out. We highly recommend purchasing your tour tickets in advance as we haven't been able to take many walk-ins with the tours being in such high demand. You can book your cave journey at https://tnstateparks.com/parks/activity-detail/dunbar-cave

Our cave is reopening for guided tours! After months of hard work by our staff to clean up the pathways after the May floods we are ready to go. To see tour availability and purchase tickets please visit https://reserve.tnstateparks.com/dunbar-cave/tours or call our office at 931-648-5526.

Thank you to Paris Landing State Park for allowing both Cleo and Hazel to visit Dunbar Cave and giving us the opportunity to spread the messages of the cave by use of their wings. Thank you to those who made it out to the program - Seasonal Interpretive Ranger Tessa always enjoys being able to spread her wings!

Our Three Sisters Garden has sprouted. The Three Sisters (corn, squash, and beans) method of growing food is at least 1,000 years old. It was used extensively by the Mississippian Culture that created the artwork inside Dunbar Cave. The corn and squash are planted in separate small mounds of soil. When the corn reaches approximately 5 inches in height the beans will be planted with the corn.

In May our cave flooded, twice. As the water recedes thick mud is deposited on the walkways in the cave. While we are working to clear and assess the pathways to safety resume our tours, it may be a while. Our seasonal interpreters are hard at work developing alternative programs so we can continue to meet our mission to connect the public to the amazing cultural resources we preserve and protect every day. Stay tuned for posts about new interpretive programs coming soon!

An update on the cave: Our area received over 5 inches of rain yesterday in a matter of a few hours. The cave once again flooded which is a major setback for opening for tours. At this time we do not know when we will be able to resume cave tours. Flooding events like this should be a rare occurrence. In the last 100 years the cave flooded in 1937, possibly in 1975 (we have few records from that time period), in 2010, and TWICE in May 2024.

We’re still at it and making progress cleaning up the mud inside the cave after the recent flood. We appreciate your patience and understanding with delayed cave tours! We’ll keep you updated.

Meanwhile, how many cave salamanders can you count in this photo?

Cave Tour update: We are working on getting the last of flood water out of the cave passages and dealing with the accumulated mud. We will post again once the pathways are passable and it is safe to resume tours.

Cave tours for the near future are canceled due to flooding. If you have already made reservations for the next couple of weeks we will be contacting you to reschedule to later this summer or to issue refunds. We will post again when we have a better idea how bad the damage to the cave is.

Due to severe flooding, several parts of the paved trail are inaccessible until the water recedes. The park remains open, however, please exercise caution near water.

Cave tours are back! Our first tours of the year will be on May 11th. Tours in May will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays until June 8th when they will be available seven days a week. For more information and tickets please visit https://tnstateparks.com/parks/activity-detail/dunbar-cave

The park will be closing early tomorrow, Saturday May 4th for the Cooling at the Cave concert. Our gates will close at 6pm to the general public and reopen at 6:30pm for tickets holders only. The concert begins at 7:30pm.

💃🏻 There’s a dance floor just waiting for Clarksvillians and May 4th. Cumberland Winds Big Band will play the music. Join us on Saturday night, May 4. Cooling at the Cave to support Dunbar Cave State Park. 🎶 Remember that with ONE CAR ticket, you can bring in as many people as will fit in your vehicle, and you are guaranteed a parking space. Tickets on sale at Eventbrite now. Links on our website.
We’re a local nonprofit that works to support Dunbar Cave State Park and fund important projects at the park.
📸: Roger Busler
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More info on our website: www.friendsofdunbarcave.com (link in bio 🔝)
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We are one week away from the Cooling at the Cave concert! Get your tickets now before they are gone.

💃🏻 There’s a dance floor just waiting for Clarksvillians and May 4th. Cumberland Winds Big Band will play the music. Join us on Saturday night, May 4. Cooling at the Cave to support Dunbar Cave State Park. 🎶 Remember that with ONE CAR ticket, you can bring in as many people as will fit in your vehicle, and you are guaranteed a parking space. Tickets on sale at Eventbrite now. Links on our website.
We’re a local nonprofit that works to support Dunbar Cave State Park and fund important projects at the park.
📸: Roger Busler
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More info on our website: www.friendsofdunbarcave.com (link in bio 🔝)
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Spring Cooling at the Cave is on Saturday, May 4th! This concert is only held twice a year so get your tickets now.

💫 🌙 🤩Cumberland Winds Big Band on Saturday night, May 4 for Cooling at the Cave to support Dunbar Cave State Park. 🎶 Remember that with ONE CAR ticket, you can bring in as many people as will fit in your vehicle, and you are guaranteed a parking space. Tickets on sale at Eventbrite now. Links on our website.
We’re a local nonprofit that works to support Dunbar Cave State Park and fund important projects at the park.
📸: Roger Busler
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More info on our website: www.friendsofdunbarcave.com (link in bio 🔝)
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Any Dunbar Cave lovers? This April we need your help!

Here's the deal – we're engaged in a friendly competition with the other beautiful state parks in Tennessee. The goal? To see which park can rally the most support this April. If our park holds a special place in your heart, now is a great time to show your love by donating at tnstateparks.info/MyTNSP. Your donation will fuel our mission to preserve and enhance our park. 🌳💚

My TN State Park Fundraiser For the entire month of April, Tennessee State Park supporters can donate to vote for their favorite Tennessee State Park in the annual My TN State Park Fundraiser. These donations help make your favorite park even better! The 2024 fundraiser will launch on Monday, April 1.

We had a great turnout for W**d Wrangle this morning. Lots of privet was destroyed!

Wednesday, February 21st is the last day to apply for this position. If you are considering a career with TN State Parks this is a great way to gain some experience. The majority of our fulltime Park Rangers started as SIRs.

Are you looking for a summer job? We are hiring! One of the reasons our cave tours are so popular is our amazing team of tour guides. Within Tennessee State Parks, Seasonal Interpretive Rangers (SIRs) are the frontline staff sharing our state's natural and cultural resources with the public. To apply use the QR code on the flyer or visit: https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/tdec_sir_application

Are you looking for a summer job? We are hiring! One of the reasons our cave tours are so popular is our amazing team of tour guides. Within Tennessee State Parks, Seasonal Interpretive Rangers (SIRs) are the frontline staff sharing our state's natural and cultural resources with the public. To apply use the QR code on the flyer or visit: https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/tdec_sir_application

First Day Hike at Dunbar Cave!

The cross and rayed circle in this gorget are almost identical to one of the pictographs in Dunbar Cave. The Mississippian Culture was widespread in the Cumberland River watershed and beyond.

A replica shell gorget (about 1250 to 1450) is now on display in the Tennessee Time Tunnel. The symbols on this Cox Mound, or the Four-Crested-Bird style gorget, reflect the worldviews of Southeastern Indians during the Mississippian Cultural Period. Four design elements are characteristic of this type of gorget. There is a cross in the center, surrounded by a rayed circle. Those elements are encompassed by a looped square with crested birds positioned in the four cardinal directions. It is believed that the cross and rayed circle represent the axis mundi, or center pole. The center pole connects the Above World, the human world and the Under World. Iconographic elements in prehistoric art can be compared to Indigenous folklore and contemporary stories to aid in the understanding of Indigenous lifeways.

Our cave tour season will be ending this week. The final tours of 2023 will be on Friday the 29th and Saturday the 30th. Tour tickets can be purchased at https://tnstateparks.com/parks/activity-detail/dunbar-cave

Due to the Cooling at the Cave concert, the park will close at 6pm tomorrow, September 16th to the general public. We will reopen at 6:30pm to ticket holders.

Only 14 CAR tickets remaining for Cooling at the Cave with Cumberland Winds Jazz project! Remember that a CAR ticket allows you to bring in as many people as you can fit in your car with seatbelts.
A night of jazz swing! This Saturday, don’t miss it! 💫 🎶 Cumberland Winds Jazz Project on Saturday night, Sept. 16 for Cooling at the Cave to support Dunbar Cave State Park. 🎶 Tickets on sale at Eventbrite now. Links on our website.
We’re a local nonprofit that works to support Dunbar Cave State Park and fund important projects at the park. We’d love to sell out of CAR tickets again, so please join us.
🎼 We are also selling walk-in tickets for $25 per person. There is no parking for Walk-in tickets, but if you live around the park, it’s a perfect evening for a walk and a concert. Don’t miss it—this is the last concert of the year.
📸: Roger Busler
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More info on our website: www.friendsofdunbarcave.com (link in bio 🔝)
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If you have ever wondered what it would have been like to experience a concert at the cave here is your chance!

Less than 2 weeks away! The final Cooling at the Cave concert for 2023 will feature Cumberland Winds Jazz Project on Saturday night, Sept. 16 to support Dunbar Cave State Park. 🎶 Tickets on sale at Eventbrite now. Links on our website.
The park will close early and open only to ticket holders the night of the concert. A CAR ticket allows you to bring in as many people as you can safely fit in your car with seatbelts. We sold out of CAR tickets at the last concert. We hope to sell out again.
We’re a local nonprofit that works to support Dunbar Cave State Park and fund important projects at the park.
📸: Roger Busler
_
More info on our website: www.friendsofdunbarcave.com (link in bio 🔝)
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We were so glad to be able to take the Middle Cumberland Archaeological Society on a tour of the archeological resources of Dunbar Cave today.
Be sure to book your tour before the season is over!