The Lost Sea Adventure, Tennessee, United States

4Courtenay O 5:00 PM May 14, 2022

Interesting caverns
We have been on several cavern tours, so any time we are in an area with caverns, we find time to explore them. We ordered tickets online since we wanted the noon tour & saw online “only two tickets remain!” When we got to The Lost Sea, we parked down the hill, putting sweatshirts in our backpack since several reviewers mentioned how cool it was inside. At the ticket counter, we saw the sign “No backpacks.” So we checked in, and trudged down the hill to get rid of the backpack and to move our car to a parking space in front of the entrance. We kept our sweatshirts, and waited inside until the tour started. Several people came in and bought tickets for the noon tour. Weren’t they sold out? Our tour guide was JD. He had a wonderful voice, perfect for movie trailers and radio shows. He educated us about the caves, pointing out formations and sights along the way to the lost sea. He was excellent. Five stars for JD. I found myself looking down most of the tour, trying not to trip and fall. It should have been better lit by our feet so I could have spent more time looking up, noticing the cool caverns we transversed. It was also more breathtaking literally than figuratively. Steep inclines had me checking my pulse and catching my breath. JD was patient, waiting for us old timers in the rear so he could keep the group of about 30 together. I’m glad I wore hiking shoes, as it was dusty and muddy at some parts. The highlight of the tour was the underground lake. We got on the small boat, and were warned not to put our fingers in the chilly water. JD said the fish have sharp teeth and like to nibble on fingers. The fish are huge, and greedily devoured the food thrown over the side by JD and another guide on a second boat for our group. A reminder to keep our hands inside the boat. The climb back up to the tour entrance and the end of the tour was intense. JD did stop 3 times for all of us to catch our breath. We did enjoy our hour inside the caverns, and once was enough. Overall, three stars. But for JD and the lake, a final score of 4 stars.

5kay-cee-1138 5:00 PM Jan 6, 2023

A fun underground excursion
At the suggestion of a local, this reviewer was keen to see the Lost Sea cavern in Sweetwater, having visited various other caves over the years across the eastern US. The Lost Sea experience turned out to be a lot of fun. During the walk to the lake, the guide offered a wealth of information about the history of the cave and was a delight to listen to. The path itself was dimly lighted and contained slopes and stairs, but generally it was smooth and even, though in a couple of places the ceiling does get a bit low for 6-footers. There are rest areas every so often, which is a thoughtful touch since the walk seemed to be at a fairly fast pace. At the lake itself are a couple of electric boats, and visitors can see the cave fish (stocked, not natural) swimming around below. The walk back to the surface retraced the earlier path, I think. The guide did point out other cavern rooms which were available for other kinds of tours and overnight stays. A sign noted that both cameras and flash were welcome. That was nice to see, since while there was usually enough ambient lighting for taking snaps, sometimes to pull details in the distance a flash proved most handy. Next to the building's reception room is a modest gift shop, as well as restrooms. There seems to be quite a lot of parking available. Overall, this was a neat experience and another reminder of the fascinating world in the limestone caverns beneath our feet.