When you think of visiting a cave in Chattanooga, the first one that comes to mind is probably Ruby Falls. Like Rock City, it’s hard to miss the bright red barn rooftops that read “See Ruby Falls” as you drive along the highway. But, did you know that the discoverer of that famous cave, Leo Lambert, actually opened up another cave system?
Raccoon Mountain Caverns
Fewer than 15 minutes from downtown Chattanooga are the Raccoon Mountain Caverns. With about five and a half miles of mapped passageways, this cave system was opened up in 1931 by Lambert for visiting tourists, just one year after Ruby Falls. Since that initial opening, the caverns have passed through many hands. In 2024, the underground cave system was actually donated to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for research. As of June 2026, the public tour and campground, however, are run by Open Road Resorts.
Open Road Resorts leads the commercial operations and above ground activities, including gem panning, a low-intensity way to get little ones engaged and curious about geology! If you’re interested, you can find the sluice (trough for gem panning) near the gift shop at the entrance to the campground.
Crystal Palace
Before booking a tour, it is important to note that the cave is not wheelchair or stroller friendly. You will be descending and climbing stairs (with handrails) and may find some parts slippery. When you arrive, check in at the gift shop (a temporary structure is open to the left of the gem panning with a permanent structure being built just past the parking lot to the right). This is where your guide will provide safety information and you’ll have your last chance to use the restroom!
There are three options for the cave tours. The first is the Crystal Palace. This educational walking tour is about 45 minutes and follows along a quarter-mile path around the cave. It is available for families with young children at least four years of age and able to walk on their own (sorry, no carrying!).
What We Discovered in the Cave
Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by the crisp, cool temperature that stays at around 60F degrees. Our guide introduced us to a board with pictures of all of the critters we might see scampering around the formations and crevices. For example, did you know, the Crystal Caverns cave spider (Nesticus furtivus) is only found in this cave? Because it is rarely seen, people often mistakenly confuse the cave crickets for it.
Our guide then led us down a small set of stairs to a breathtaking opening with colorful lights highlighting the rising and falling rock formations. Here, we learned the difference between stalactites (tites=hang on tight) and stalagmites (mites=you might trip on it). We continued to wind around, admiring natural pools and even spotting a baby salamander!
Wild Cave Expeditions
For the more thrill-seeking families with older kids, the next two options are one of the Wild Cave Expeditions. These tours are more immersive and take guests deeper within the caverns by crawling into the different, undeveloped chambers. They do, however, have more strict age and height restrictions because of the physical demands (I’m not even tall enough for one of them!).
For these expeditions, when you go to check in at the gift shop before heading into the cave, you’ll be provided with a helmet, light, gloves, and knee pads. If you choose the two-hour Canyon Crawl, it is important to note that children must be at least eight-years-old and all guests must be at least 56 inches tall weighing no more than 275 pounds. This is in order for guests to be able to comfortably reach and climb over rocks and squeeze through the tight spaces connecting the rooms.
Last, for a more challenging experience, there is the three-and-half-hour Waterfall Dome tour. This option is for guests with children at least 12-years-old and 64 inches tall. On this tour, adventurers will be climbing both rocks and ropes and even “body-bridging”(?!) across chasms. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?), I don’t meet the height requirements for this one.
Things to Note:
- Open year round (except Thanksgiving and Christmas)
- The cave stays around 60 degrees
- Not wheelchair or stroller accessible; it has stairs with handrails and some slippery parts
- Crystal Palace tour requires children be four and up and able to walk on their own
- There are no bathrooms in the cave
- Wild Cave Expeditions attire is long sleeves and long, sturdy pants
