A link to a 2024 article located at Cumberlandnaturalist.com. https://cumberlandnaturalist.com/2024/11/21/buggytop-cave-jewel-of-a-new-state-park/
High water pictures by David George Haskell https://dghaskell.com/2015/07/09/high-water-buggytop-cave/
Google map to the trailhead... https://maps.app.goo.gl/95EHhpw48tpn44Gn6
October, 2004. Our youth group at church was small, but loyal. We were between Youth Pastors. As parents, we did our best to fill the gap. We scheduled something for the kids once a month. We called it, "Third Saturday Thing." Karen, our oldest, was 11.
Buggytop was on our list. Me and another parent, Herb, who is also a dear friend, signed up to be the responsible adults. Before the trip, I got on the internet, to read everything I could find. I made notes from the personal accounts, and crude maps.
To go with my notes, I sketched a home made map for the day. A large X for the main cave opening. A squiggly line shows the creek. I extended the creek upstream, into the cave, trying to mimic the curves and path. The main cave, and creek make a big underground loop. I added two more x's. Right above the main cave, exit #2. and to show an exit/opening. Another a mile or so into the cave. These three x's are the only ways in and out.
That third x? Peter Cave is the back portion of Buggytop Cave, and at least a mile underground. Including this in our hike was a crazy possibility, more than a solid option. But...if everything else went perfectly? We might try it!
With water, snacks, flashlights, and old clothes and shoes good enough for a cave, off we went. The drive up Sewanee Mountain to the parking area was about forty-five minutes.
We arrived at the trailhead.
After a good stretch, we double checked our supplies and started into the woods. There was a little wooden hut and official looking posters. We each signed in on the Hiker list. That list helps if someone comes up missing. They at least know who to look for, and the time they went in the woods.
Marcus, Lizzie, Julie, and Karen.
The first section of the trail climbed to the top of a rocky ridge. Then was mostly down hill. The excitement of the hike and being in a group got us to the split at mile 1.8 in about forty five minutes. We took a right and hiked down the hill to the cave and creek.
This is the steepest section of the trail. The elevation drops 150 feet or more in a short distance. The first good look at the cave opening...
We sat on rocks at the cave opening, and took a break. The 56 degree cave, and the cool air and creek were amazing after the walk in. We explored the cave opening, and were excited to be there.
The cave opening is massive. The creek was shallow, and wide, with several little waterfalls and pools. There were boulders and huge rocks everywhere. The ceiling was smooth with some grooves showing where the boulders fell from. There were hallways to the right and left with big rocks that led to nowhere.
We walked on into the cave, staying close to the creek. About forty or so yards in, it was pretty dark. We looked up, and to the right, and could see daylight. That was the entrance/exit above the cave. On my map, exit #2. The corridor to get up there was wide and tall, like an escalator. If only the rocks could move forward, we could ride to the top and step off. From the creek, the bit of daylight looked about the size of a quarter, very small.
We decided to climb up and have a look. It took us a few minutes because of all the rocks and we were being careful. We eased over and around boulders, climbing vertically. The rushing water sound from the creek faded to silence about halfway up. At the same time, the spot of sunlight got brighter and bigger. Finally we saw the opening clearly. To our surprise, it was about the size of a car, and much taller. We walked out standing straight up. It felt good to be outside, on top of the cave. The cool Fall breeze moved the trees gently, and made the sounds dry leaves make as they hang on before ending up on the ground.
After looking around for a minute, back down into the cave we went. We carefully got back through the rocks. Then the silence. And back to the sound of rushing water at the creek.
We caught our breath and explored the cave opening and creek some more.
So far everything was going great!
I asked if they wanted to go way on into the cave, and come out a different spot. They all said, "Yes!" So I showed them my map, and notes, and told them what I could about the cave, and where we were about to travel.
We had two main rules...
- Stay together.
- We are going upstream.
Our destination? A second "Great Room" a mile or so deep in the cave. That part is called Peter Cave. To get there we will have a few areas we have to crawl through. We will exit from there.
Off we went, from the light, into darkness.
The flashlights were bright.
The smiles were big.
We were all excited to be there.
Five or so minutes later, we stopped and turned off the flashlights. Total darkness. Total silence. It was spooky, but amazing.
We were confident, but in another world.
A couple of times, the creek disappeared under rocks. We followed the path where other people have been. It was mostly dry, and well traveled.
Then came the first crawl area. Down on our bellies we went. Solid rock below. A slab of rock above. The gap was less than two feet tall. We army crawled along. My research said this spot was about ten feet long, but it seemed much longer.
We were happy to stand back up, and again walk beside the creek.
Upstream we went. If one side of the creek was not walkable, we crossed to the other side, making sure to go upstream.
Another crawl. Then more rocks and boulders. We could see the cave ceiling, and walls with our flashlights. Long sections of the hike were flat, as we walked on wet sand, and mud.
The darkness made us hyperfocus on the things our flashlights could see. Our senses were in overdrive, and we continued on.
It seemed like five miles, but was closer to one mile. Then, all at once, we realized the rock ceiling above was no longer visible. We pointed our lights to the left and right, and the walls were also gone. This has to be the second Great Room. We stayed close to the creek, and kept walking upstream.
I stopped to take a quick look at my map. In darkness, up, down and sideways all gets confusing. But if you stand still, looking at the creek flowing towards you, the exit, my third x on the map, is on the right side of the creek.
It's somewhere up, THERE. And I looked up into the pitch black nothingness to the right and above.
To get to this point, we crossed the creek so many times I had to make myself think for a minute, which side to commit to to get out.
Together, we left the safety of the creek. It took several minutes of climbing. There were boulders, and rocks of every size. Finally, we arrived at the top, and ran out of cave. Over our head, and in front of us was a perfectly flat slab of rock. It was like being on a ladder in a room, and we just climbed to the corner.
Back down to the creek.
We found our footprints and starting spot. We went upstream twenty or thirty steps, and took a new angle. We left the wet sand, and went back into the huge rocks. The same climb, and few minutes to get to the top. Same result. A big slab of rock ceiling. Nowhere to go.
Back down to the creek.
I thought getting out would be easy. I was wrong.
It took us an hour to get to this great room. Now we had been here for at least thirty minutes looking for the way out.
The flashlights were not as bright.
The smiles were not as big.
We were not as excited to be there.
Four worried faces. Herb and I tried to stay confident and in control of our situation.
In our calm dad voices, Herb and I reminded them, "We're good. We chose to be here. It may seem like it, but we're not lost."
"Worst-case scenario? We can turn around and go downstream.
If we really had to, we can get out the same way we got in."
The kids believed us. The worried faces relaxed a little. We all tried to be optimistic.
"Alright, let's try again."
A few more steps upstream.
"Everybody on the right side of the creek? Yes."
"OK. Here we go."
We picked our angle and left the creek. Into the rocks and boulders. We stayed together. Around a big one. Over a smaller one. Around another big one. Following each other. We climbed towards the ceiling of the cave.
Up. Up. And up some more we went.
This time felt different.
This time we're going to see sunlight. We just knew it.
The ceiling should be getting close.
We still couldn't see cave walls or the ceiling.
Just more big boulders.
We now felt very small and less confident in this very big, very dark room.
Finally, we saw the ceiling with our flashlights.
Around one more boulder and we saw...
Daylight!
The way out!
We got a little emotional.
The kids squealed and laughed. We all knew we made it.
I sat down on a rock, and took this picture. I wanted to appreciate the moment, and remember something of where we were.
How many people have been right here?
How many people have seen this?
Thankfully, the exit was bigger than it looked. We walked out of the cave and into warm, bright sunlight. The dry leaves on the trees moved with the Fall breeze. The sounds of fall welcomed us, and seemed louder than before.
Herb and I were exhausted, and relieved. We sat quietly for a few minutes, and just breathed the fresh air. One of the kids took this picture.
Herb is in the white t-shirt, I'm in the red sweatshirt.
Not too far straight in front of us, we saw the other top exit/entrance right above the cave. The sketched map was right. We made the big loop. We were right back where we started.
Getting back to the car was easy after being in the cave for so long.
We signed back out on the Hiker List. What seemed like a silly formality earlier now had real meaning.
Note:
If we ever go back, I think maybe I'd do the cave loop hike a different way.
The very best plan would be to go with a Park Ranger, and be guided safely by a trained person that knows what they are doing. That person knows the cave, the history, and has skills and experience to make the day more predictable. A better choice for "Responsible Adult."
Web site link for information on a Buggytop Park Ranger guided hike...
https://tnstateparks.com/parks/head-of-the-crow/caving
If I went without a guide, and wanted to do the underground loop, this is what I'd do differently...
(We can debate my wisdom or lack of wisdom later. That's just how I'm wired.)
Rather than going in the main cave entrance and going upstream, I think I'd enter the Peter Cave entrance/exit. Then descend through the boulders and rocks till I got to the creek. Then I'd follow the creek downstream to the main cave entrance/exit.
Finding the creek should be quicker, and easier than looking for a pretty small exit in a very large Great Room. Might take some of the drama out of the experience.
As it was, we definitely made some memories!
It was a wonderful, unforgettable day. We still talk about it from time to time. This article seems like a good place to leave the pictures, and come back for a visit.
Twenty-two years have gone by.
Karen and Ryan have a ten year old of their own now. Rylee loves all things to do with nature, creeks, and wild critters.
Buggytop is not that far away. Maybe we can sign up for a guided tour later this fall?
I might have one or two more army crawls in me.