Dunbar Cave State Park

Located in Clarksville, Tennessee, Dunbar Cave State Park is a 144-acre natural site that features an above-ground cave surrounded by lush hardwood forest. The cave, which remains at a cool 56 degrees year-round, is eight miles long and is estimated to have formed thousands of years ago. One of the key features inside the cave is prehistoric Mississippian Native American art that dates back to the 14th century. The Mississippians lived alongside the Red River and believed Dunbar Cave served as a portal into the Underworld. In the centuries that followed, the property held a hotel and later hosted dances and conventions. Country music legend Roy Acuff purchased the property in the late 1940s and made it a top music destination in the state. Today, Dunbar Cave State Park offers tours to visitors, houses a museum, and is a prime nature park.

It is estimated that Dunbar Cave in Clarksville, Tennessee dates back thousands of years before the first settlers arrived in the area. During a 1970s expedition, archaeologists discovered artifacts from the Paleo Indian era (10000-8000 B.C.), though the majority of what they found is associated with the Archaic period (8000-1000 B.C.). By the time of the Woodland period (1000-800 B.C.), many Native Americans were relying on growing crops, so they moved away from the rocky area of Dunbar Cave to the Red and Cumberland Rivers.

When the Mississippian people were living along the Red River in the 14^th century, they viewed Dunbar Cave as a sacred place and an actual portal into the Underworld. They left behind many charcoal drawings in the cave, many of which were etched into the limestone. There is little known about the meanings of the symbols left behind, but Indigenous peoples in the southeastern part of the U.S. still hold many of them to be sacred. Many of these Native American pictographs and petroglyphs were discovered in 2005 and it was concluded that some of them served as religious symbols, including one being a supernatural warrior from the Mississippian period.

In the 1780s, Thomas Dunbar purchased the land, but he never acquired the deed. A few years later, Robert Nelsen, a land surveyor, claimed it for himself. The two men went to court, and the government ruled in favor of Nelsen, leaving Dunbar to vacate the property. However, his name remained attached to the cave. During the Civil War, the cave was used by the Confederate Army to hide their horses and soldiers from the Union. During this period, individuals also came into the cave to etch dates.

For nearly a century, more than 100 African Americans were enslaved at a plantation on Dunbar Cave’s property. They would slaughter hogs at the mouth of the cave and proceed to store the meat, tobacco, corn, and oats inside because of its cool temperature. Enslaved people also sought relief from the intense field work at the cave’s mouth. When the cave was a privately owned resort in the 1870s, it was segregated, and African Americans were only allowed there to do labor. Equal access to the cave for African Americans did not come until the early 1970s when it was made a state park.

In 1879, the Idaho Springs Hotel opened and remained in operation for 50 years. The Dunbar Cave and Idaho Springs Corporation was formed in 1931, making the cave and park a wellness resort. During the Big Band era, musicians Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, Artie Shaw, and many more performed at the entrance of the cave, bringing in thousands. Country music legend Roy Acuff purchased Dunbar Cave in 1948, and he brought his Grand Ole Opry friends, including Minnie Pearl and Ernest Tubb, to perform, making it a prime destination for country music fans. Acuff also built an adjoining golf course and promoted the site as “Roy Acuff’s Dunbar Cave.”

The popularity of the cave declined in the 1950s when air conditioning units became more prevalent. After Acuff sold the property, the city purchased the golf course while the state bought the rest of the property. All signs of commercialization were removed, and a historic bathhouse was turned into a visitors' center. The cave was deemed a natural area and remained open until 2010, when bats with white-nose syndrome were discovered. After the problem was resolved, Dunbar Cave State reopened in 2015.

As visitors roam the property, they will see historic signs throughout, including one on the Trail of Tears, denoting that just 15 miles away at Port Royal State Park was the last recorded stop of the Cherokee people before leaving Tennessee on the northern route. Dunbar Cave State Park is a place for all seasons where visitors can tour the historic cave and take advantage of the beautiful nature surrounding it. 

Koslowsky, Julia. Dive Into the History of Dunbar Cave, Visit Clarksville. April 26th, 2013. Accessed August 29th, 2023. https://www.visitclarksvilletn.com/blog/post/dive-into-the-history-of-dunbar-cave/.

Dunbar Cave State Park, America's State Parks. December 2nd, 2022. Accessed August 29th, 2023. https://www.americasstateparks.org/dunbar-cave-state-park/.

Menser, Carole. The Archaeology And Prehistoric Art Of Dunbar Cave, TN, Dave's Garden. November 15th, 2019. Accessed September 1st, 2023. https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/the-archaeology-and-prehistoric-art-of-dunbar-cave-tn.

Marsteller, Duane & Tracy. Dunbar Cave: An African American Space, The Historical Marker Database. September 4th, 2022. Accessed September 3rd, 2023. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=205377.