Ruby Falls listed among best caves

Backpackers Tale, a website that bills itself as “a blog for travel junkies,” has named the Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern in Chattanooga and Craighead Caverns in Sweetwater, Tennessee, among the best caves in the United States.

Blogger Stephen Schreck who travels the world to highlight the best designations on Backpackers Tale, picked Ruby Falls Haunted Caverns as “one of the best caves in the United States” and “a great side trip” for any visit to Tennessee. Schreck praised the cave and its 145-foot underground waterfall at Ruby Falls, which has been hosting visitors since it opened as a visitor’s attraction in 1929.

“This exquisite cave is located deep within Lookout Mountain and is known for its spectacularly illuminated underground waterfall,” he said. “Visitors can take a guided tour of the cave, which is filled with breathtaking stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the gorgeous, 145-foot underground waterfall.”

Schreck also highlighted Craighead Caverns in McMinn County, which features a variety of unique stalactites and stalagmites, underground pools and a variety of rare minerals.

“The cave system has been in use for thousands of years by Native Americans and is the site of the Lost Sea, the largest underground lake in the United States,” Schreck said.

Among the 40 best U.S. caves chosen by Schreck, Backpackers Tale also listed Desoto Caverns near Fort Payne, Alabama, which Schreck said “has a fascinating history that dates back thousands of years.” Desoto Caverns is a limestone cave that has three levels, with the deepest reaching more than 100 feet.