Craighead Caverns
Craighead Caverns is an extensive cave system located in between Sweetwater and Madisonville, Tennessee.
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A cave, 4 mi west of Madisonville
Sweetwater is the nearest base
Sweetwater is 5 miles northwest, with 17 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Sep and Oct
April, May, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 71–83°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Madisonville. Green months are the mild ones.
Craighead Caverns
Craighead Caverns is an extensive cave system located in between Sweetwater and Madisonville, Tennessee. It is best known for containing the United States' largest and the world's second largest non-subglacial underground lake, The Lost Sea. In addition to the lake, the caverns contain an abundance of crystal clusters called anthodites, stalactites, stalagmites, and a waterfall.
- Type
- Cave
- Listed
- National Natural Landmark
- Wikipedia readers
- 17K a year
Where to stay near Craighead Caverns
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Sweetwater (17) and Athens (17), and Knoxville has the most rooms in the area (134).
Sweetwater
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
6,706 people
5 mi northwest of Craighead Caverns
Knoxville
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
202,021 people
40 mi northeast of Craighead Caverns
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From Craighead Caverns | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater | 5 mi northwest | 10 min | 17 11 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 6,706 | $178K | C |
| Athens | 11 mi southwest | 15 min | 17 9 hotels · 3 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 15,263 | $225K | D |
| Tellico Plains | 14 mi southeast | 20 min | 10 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B · 4 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 778 | $188K | — |
| Niota | 7 mi west | 10 min | 3 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 833 | $156K | — |
| Lenoir City | 21 mi northeast | 30 min | 14 8 hotels · 4 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 12,530 | $252K | C |
| Vonore | 12 mi east | 20 min | 4 4 hotels | 1,715 | $291K | C− |
| Loudon | 15 mi north | 20 min | 5 2 hotels · 2 motels · 1 campground | 6,963 | $244K | B |
| Kahite | 11 mi east | 15 min | 3 3 campgrounds | 892 | $668K | — |
| Knoxville | 40 mi northeast | 1 hr | 134 114 hotels · 8 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 202,021 | $240K | D |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Craighead Caverns
Other well-known places within 63 miles.
Big draw54 mi Theme parkDollywood3.1M visitors a year
Big draw41 mi Stadium & arenaNeyland Stadium
Big draw57 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
Big draw52 mi MountainKuwohi
58 mi MountainBrasstown Bald
41 mi LookoutSunsphere
56 mi MountainMount Le Conte
62 mi WaterfallRuby FallsPhoto credits
Dollywood: Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 2.5 · Neyland Stadium: Neomrbungle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kuwohi: C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr., Public domain · Brasstown Bald: Unknown, Public domain · Sunsphere: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Le Conte: No machine-readable author provided. Blinutne assumed (based on copyright claims, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ruby Falls: Oydman (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
Visiting Craighead Caverns
What town is Craighead Caverns near?
Madisonville, TN, about 4 miles east.
When is the best time to visit Craighead Caverns?
April, May, September and October, with highs of 71–83°.
What is the closest airport to Craighead Caverns?
McGhee Tyson (TYS), about 31 miles away.
Where should I stay near Craighead Caverns?
Sweetwater (5 mi, 17 places to stay), Athens (11 mi, 17 places to stay) and Tellico Plains (14 mi, 10 places to stay).
Tips from people in Madisonville
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Madisonville’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.