Come for the Music.
Stay for the Adventure!
My bucket-list vacation:
One of my favorite bands playing underground... in an actual cave!
Great hiking with waterfalls and incredible bluff overlooks
Cool place to stay and great food
Check, check and check!
The Caverns is a world-renowned destination for live music, home of the PBS television series The Caverns Sessions. Revel in the prehistoric natural acoustics and otherworldly beauty of "Big Mouth Cave," a bucket list experience that keeps fans coming back to The Caverns time and again for “The Greatest Show Under Earth.”
Tennessee's South Cumberland is an unspoiled part of southern Appalachia, full of dramatic 1,000-foot sandstone cliffs with dozens of majestic waterfalls surrounded by lush forests. With 150 miles of hiking trails, you can choose any level of experience, from a quick and easy stroll to a multi-day back country experience.
How do I get started?
First choose your music...
With a wide spectrum of musical genres, you're bound to find an upcoming show that you'll love at The Caverns. If you don't already have tickets to a show, check out their upcoming schedule, then return here to plan the rest of your trip!
Then choose your adventure...
The Caverns are located in Pelham TN at the base of the mountain, with convenient drives up the mountain in several directions. Choose the option that best fits your vibe, OR stay longer and experience more!
1. Walk on the wild side at Savage Gulf
Take a loop around highways 50, 56 and 108 through one or more of the small towns surrounding Savage Gulf State Park: Altamont, Beersheba Springs, Coalmont, Gruetli-Laager & Palmer. There you’ll find the mountain’s most spectacular overlook and several gorgeous waterfalls. Bring your OHV for some off-road action or explore the history of Swiss immigrants. Lodging options include bluff views, unique glamping and more...
Food & Drink - Coalmont
Stinger's
Casual dining with daily and weekly specials in Coalmont
History - Gruetli-Laager
Stoker-Stampfli Farm & Museum
Leaving Switzerland for a Better Life
Lodging - Altamont
Greeter Falls Campground
RV sites, furnished cabins & yurts and tent camping spots less than a half mile from Greeter Falls/Savage Gulf West Trailhead.
Food & Drink - Coalmont
Small Town Junction BBQ
Southern barbecue, burgers and sandwiches in the heart of the South Cumberland
Lodging - Coalmont
The Getaway on Ranger Creek
Glamping & cabins in 18 acres of forest with hiking trails and a creek
Outdoor Adventures - Coalmont
Coalmont OHV Park
Off-road Vehicle park in Coalmont, offering over 1,700 acres of trails with varied wooded terrain for all vehicle types and skill levels.
Outdoor Adventures - Altamont
Greeter Falls
A moderate-to-challenging one-mile out-and-back trail In Savage Gulf State Park featuring a spiral staircase, taking you to Greeter Falls. Also check out the (easier) spur trail to the Blue Hole swimming area, as well as some smaller waterfalls and historic sites. Access this adventure from the Savage Gulf West Trailhead.
Lodging - AltamontMonteagleTracy CityCoalmontBeersheba Springs
South Cumberland Getaways
SCG is the fastest growing vacation rental management company in the region.
Food & Drink - Altamont
The Firescald
Premium steaks and cast iron favorites in a unique, upscale setting
Lodging - Beersheba Springs
Tree Lofts
Luxurious modern loft cabins overlooking the bluff in Beersheba Springs
Food & Drink - Altamont
Hwy 56 Coffee, Ice Cream & Creative Eats
Coffee, ice cream & creative eats with a changing menu of specialty items
Outdoor Adventures - Beersheba Springs
Stone Door Overlook
This is a relatively easy 2 mile out-and-back hike at Savage Gulf State Park with a spectacular overlook and steps that descend through a 150-foot crevice at the crest of the plateau. Access this adventure from the Savage Gulf North Trailhead.
2. Explore history and outdoor activities in the Fiery Gizzard area
Take the 20 minute drive up Clouse Hill Road to Tracy City, where you can experience one of the top rated hikes in the southeast, the area’s tallest waterfall and learn about the area's coal mining history. Relax lakeside and go ziplining or play disc golf. Lodging options include lakeside tiny homes, whimsical cabins and a hip hostel. Tracy City is also just 10 minutes from all that Monteagle has to offer.
Outdoor Adventures - Tracy City
Bigfoot Adventure Zipline & Disc Golf
RV park and campground with ziplining, disc golf and clay shooting
Food & Drink - Tracy City
Hank's Corner Grille
Steaks, burgers, wings & pizza with a full bar
Outdoor Adventures - Tracy City
Foster Falls
In Fiery Gizzard State Park, at the southern end of the Fiery GizzardTrail, is Foster Falls, a 60-foot waterfall, the tallest in the parks, with a swimming hole at its base. There is an easy quarter-mile hike to observe the falls from above; and a much more strenuous two-mile hike (round trip) to clamber to the bottom of the falls on a rocky trail. Access this adventure from the Fiery Gizzard South Trailhead.
Outdoor Adventures - Tracy City
Fiery Gizzard Trail, a 2-day Adventure
Ranked as one of the top 25 backpacking trails in the United States by Backpacker magazine, "The Gizz" features cascading streams, numerous waterfalls, panoramic overlooks, extremely rocky gorges, gentle slopes and lush woodlands. Use either the Fiery Gizzard State Park's North or South trailheads to begin this adventure!
Lodging - Tracy City
The Falls at Sewanee Creek
Unique cabins and glamping options with private waterfall, trails & outdoor movie theater
Outdoor Adventures - Tracy City
Grundy Lakes & Lone Rock Coke Ovens
In Fiery Gizzard State Park, there's a recreational lake with swimming and picnicking facilities at the site of the historic Lone Rock Coke Ovens, where locally-mined coal was converted to coal coke by convict labor. An easy 2.3-mile hike encircles the lakes; some of it using a low-traffic paved road. Access this adventure from the Grundy Lakes Trailhead, which is also the parking area for the swimming and picnicking facilities.
Lodging - Tracy City
Goat Pen Hostel
Bunk rooms and private rooms with shared living space kitchenette and bathrooms
Food & Drink - Tracy City
Dutch Maid Bakery
The oldest family-owned bakery in Tennessee
Lodging - Tracy City
Camp Swann
10 cabins each with their own unique theme, nestled right next Grundy Lakes
Lodging - Tracy CityMonteagle
Retreat Vacations by Oakstone
This new luxury, tiny home mountain community offers over 50 vacation homes. Includes 1/2/3 bedrooms, fire pits, hiking trails, playground, biking, canoe/kayak rentals, hot tubs & gathering areas.
Outdoor Adventures - Tracy City
Grundy Forest Loop/CCC Camp
In Fiery Gizzard State Park, you'll discover a moderate 3-mile trek with swimming holes, history, geology, giant hemlocks and cascading streams with an optional 1/3-mile walk through the site of a 1930s CCC camp. Access this adventure from the Fiery Gizzard North Trailhead.
3. Relax and indulge in the Head of the Crow area
Just up Interstate 24 is Monteagle, the busiest town on the mountain, with plenty of dining and lodging options. A few miles down the road is Sewanee, home of the nation’s most beautiful college campus, one of Tennessee’s newest state parks and two Michelin Guide restaurants. Lodging options run the gamut from a hotel on a golf course to an Airstream village and everything between.
Outdoor Adventures - Sewanee
Memorial Cross Overlook
This scenic and historic overlook at the University of the South in Sewanee is also a favorite spot for sunsets. Access this adventure from University Avenue via Tennessee Avenue.
Food & Drink - Sewanee
Judith
Seasonal menu of creative and approachable dishes including a selection of small, shareable plates perfect for the bar crowd with accessible wines and a cocktail list.
History - Sewanee
University of the South
History Awaits at the University of the South
Lodging - Monteagle
Terralodge
Luxury domes and treehouses in a wooded setting
Food & Drink - Sewanee
LUNCH
Farm-to-table restaurant with a rotating breakfast & lunch menu featuring local farmers & provisioners and a market for frozen meals, local meats, cheeses, craft beer, crafts & other gifts.
Music & Nightlife - Monteagle
Music on the Mountain at The Smoke House Patio Grill
Features some of the best artists and songwriters from Nashville every Friday night from 6:30 to 9:30 and every Saturday night from 4:30 to 9:30. Also serving hot food and cold beer, with indoor and outdoor seating options.
Food & Drink - Monteagle
Mountain Top Restaurant
Bringing innovative techniques and recipes from across the globe to create an exceptional culinary experience. Open Mon-Fri for lunch, Saturday for brunch and Thur-Sat for dinner.
Lodging - Sewanee
Sewanee Inn
43-room hotel on University campus with restaurant, bar, golfing & event space
Outdoor Adventures - Sewanee
Buggytop Cave
This is a moderately difficult 4-mile roundtrip hike at Head of the Crow State Park takes you to one of the largest cave openings in Tennessee, and the only one from which water normally flows. There are two steep ascent/descent areas; one at each end of this trail. Access this adventure from the Lost Cove West Trailhead.
Food & Drink - Monteagle
High Point Restaurant
Built inside a 1929 mansion that presumably once was financed by Al Capone, High Point serves a menu of traditional gourmet dishes including Brie en Croute, Blackened Salmon Oscar and Black Thai Duck.
Food & Drink - Monteagle
Mountain Goat Market
Killer eats, eclectic finds
Outdoor Adventures - Sewanee
Sewanee Natural Bridge
A remarkable natural sandstone arch, easily accessible via a 400-foot stair-stepped path from the parking lot. Access this adventure from the Head of the Crow State Park's Natural Bridge Trailhead.
Dive deeper
Adventures for Your Weekend at The Caverns
While you're here for that concert at The Caverns, here are some quick and easy "must see" adventures...