Cumberland Caverns Discovery Walking Tour & Apple Brandy Trail Forest Hike

On Saturday, June 21, we will meet at 10:00 am CDT at Cumberland Caverns, located at 1437 Cumberland Caverns Road in McMinnville. We will combine a Discovery Walking Tour inside Cumberland Caverns and a 2.5-mile hike on the nearby Apple Brandy Trail on Caldwell Mountain. This is a joint activity with the Highland Rim & Murfreesboro Chapters.

The guided 90-minute, 1.5-mile Discovery Walking Tour focuses on the Natural Science of Cumberland Caverns including cave animals, the “Never-ending Waterfall” and impressive geologic formations. The tour also features the “Hall of the Mountain King Light Show” that tells the story of cave discovery and exploration. The Historic Volcano Room features the famous chandelier from Loews Metropolitan Theater in New York; today this space hosts concerts and events for up to 600 attendees! The tour is rated as moderately strenuous due to uneven rock steps and an uneven and sometimes steep slippery walking surface (but there are lots of handrails!).

After the cave tour, we take time to eat a picnic lunch and then take a short walk to the trailhead of the Apple Brandy Trail. This well-maintained moderate 2.5-mile loop will take us through a forested landscape with dry streams, karst features, and wildflowers. 

Trail shoes or boots are recommended. Bring water and a picnic lunch. 

There is a group discount fee of $23 per person for the Cavern tour. Payment by check must be received by Sunday May 11. This outing is limited to the first 20 people who sign up. Please contact Margie Schumacher ASAP at rs2msps@yahoo.com or (352) 442-8949 to reserve your spot. Send a check payable to “TTA Highland Rim Chapter”; mail to Jim Barritt, 528 Charlie Russell Road, Shelbyville, TN, 37160