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
When our kids were teenagers, we made an effort to go somewhere interesting at least once a month. Buggytop was on our list. A month or so prior to our trip, I got on the internet, and read everything I could find, and made notes. There were crude maps, and personal accounts of trips to, and into the cave.
With my notes, I made a hand sketched map. I put a large X inside a big circle to show the big cave opening. A squiggly line was added, showing the creek flowing from the cave. Then, I extended the creek into the cave, trying to mimic the curves and directions on the maps. Going upstream, the creek made a big underground loop. I added two more x's. One above the main cave, show an opening. Another way around the loop. These are the three cave entrances and exits.
The third entrance/exit is Peter Cave. This was a maybe option for us if everything else went perfectly.
With water, snacks, flashlights, and old clothes and shoes good enough to go into a cave, off we went. The drive was about forty-five minutes.
We arrived at the trailhead.
After a good stretch, and making sure we had our supplies, we started into the woods. I remember thinking that the parking area is part of the way down the mountain on Hwy 56. Sure enough, the first half mile of the trail climbed back up a rocky ridge.
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 most strenuous part of the trail. The elevation drops 150 feet or so in a short distance. The first good look at the cave opening...
Photo from the Wiki page.
It was a great place to take a break, and enjoy the cool air, and cold water. Some of the kids went into the cave, and we asked them to stay close, and we would all go in a few minutes.
We gathered up and went inside.
It was a big wide open space. The creek was shallow, and wide. There were boulders and huge rocks everywhere. The ceiling had grooves in it showing where the boulders fell from. There were short hallways with big rocks that led to nowhere.
We walked upstream, to the left, The creek went left, into a large room. About forty or so yards in, we looked up, and to the right, and saw daylight. The cave itself was fifty or so feet wide going up, but the spot of daylight looked very small. That was the exit above the cave. We decided to climb up. It took a few minutes because the rocks were huge. We eased around them, climbing vertically from the lowest point where the creek was. The sunlight got brighter and bigger, and finally we saw the opening clearly. To our surprise, it was about the size of a car, but taller. We walked out without bending over. And we were outside, on top of the cave.
We looked around for a minute, then back down through the rock garden. Carefully past the big boulders. Back down to the creek.
We played in the creek for a few minutes. The water was cold and felt so good.
I asked if they wanted to go on into the cave, and come out a different way. They all said yes, and I told them what I had read, and what I could about the mile or so we were about to travel.
Some rules...
- Stay together.
- We are going upstream.
- Do not get out of sight of each other.
- Do not get out of sight of the creek.
- There will be two or three areas where we will have to crawl.
- We will go slow and stay together.
I reminded everyone that our destination is another "Great Room" a mile or so in the cave. That area is called Peter Cave. That is where we exit the cave. (home-made map)
And off we went.
The flashlights were bright. The smiles were big. And we were all excited to be there.
Five minutes in, and we stopped and turned off the flashlights for a minute. Total darkness. Total silence. It was spooky, but amazing.
A couple of times, the creek disappeared under rocks. We followed a visible path where people have been. It was mostly dry, and well traveled.
The first crawl area. Down on our bellies we went. Solid rock below, and a slab of rock above, brushing against our backs. We army crawled along. It was probably twenty feet, but seemed much longer.
Back to the creek. We were glad to be standing up again, and we hoped we didn't have crawl any more.
Upstream we went. If one side of the creek was not walkable, we crossed to the other side, being careful to keep going upstream.
Another crawl. Another rock garden. Continue upstream.
It seemed like five miles, but was closer to one mile. The rock ceiling above was no longer visible. The flashlights pointed left and right saw no walls. This has to be the second Great Room. We stayed in sight of the creek, walking upstream.
A quick look at the home made map. The exit is on the right side of the creek. Somewhere up, THERE. And I looked up into the pitch black nothingness.
We crossed the creek so many times I had to think for a minute which side to commit to.
We gathered up and left the safety of the creek, to go up and find the way out. It took several minutes of climbing. Rocks as big as houses, and medium and little rocks. Finally at the top, we ran out of cave. Just a perfectly flat slab of rock above our heads.
Back down to the creek.
Our footprints were there. We went upstream twenty or so more yards, and took a new angle. We left the wet sand and went back into the huge rocks. Another 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.
At this point, we had been inside the cave for an hour and a half.
The flashlights were not as bright.
The smiles were not as big.
We were not as excited to be there.
In my calm, dad voice, I reminded them that we are Ok. We chose to do this. We are not lost.
Worse case scenario, we can turn around and go downstream.
We can get out the same way we got here.
They believed me.
"Alright, let's try again."
A few more steps upstream. Right side. Check. We picked an angle and left the creek again. Into the rocks, and boulders. Some as big as busses. Up we went.
Up. Up. And up some more.
This time felt different.
This time we are going to see sunlight. I just know it.
We went around more boulders. We still couldn't see side walls or ceiling as we climbed. We felt very small in this very big room.
Finally, the ceiling was visible with our flashlights.
Then, around one more very huge rock and we saw...
The way out!
I got a little emotional.
I was so glad to see daylight.
The kids squealed and laughed. We all knew we were almost out.
I sat down on a rock to appreciate the moment, and where we were. How many people have been here? Seen this?
We emerged from the cave. The sun was warm and bright. We sat outside right there for a few minutes, and just breathed the sweet fresh air.
We could see, about forty yards straight in front of us, the other top entrance to the cave. The sketched map was right. We made a big loop. We were right back where we started.
It was an unforgettable, wonderful place to spend the day.