Dunbar Cave State Park is a 115 acre (450,000 m²) park in Clarksville, Tennessee, situated around Dunbar Cave. Dunbar Cave is the 280th largest cave complex in the world, stretching 8.067 miles (13 km) inward. In front of the cave entrance is a large concrete poured structure with three distinct arches. The cave is located in an area of karst topography, including sinkholes and rock formations. The manmade Swan Lake also sits in front of the cave.

The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset.

History of the cave

Dunbar Cave was inhabited by local prehistoric peoples for thousands of years before settlers arrived. By 1790 it had been claimed by Isacc Rowe Peterson, however the cave's namesake belonged to a man named Dunbar. During the Mexican War, the cave was used to mine saltpeter for gunpowder. In 1858, developers saw the potential in the area, along with nearby Idaho Springs, and the first cabins were built there. After the Civil War, the springs and the cave were acquired by J. A. Tate, who constructed a two-story hotel on the site.

By 1931, the area had hosted numerous social events, including dances, concerts, and fairs, and was in need of repair and renovation. At the time, the state had just completed a new road in front of the hotel and an opportunity arose. A couple of local businessmen cleaned up the site, adding additional recreational facilities, including a concrete swimming pool, bathhouse, and tennis courts, and restoring and expanding the size of the hotel. The existing lake was also dammed up increasing its size to 20 acres (81,000 m²).

During the latter half of the 1940s, Dunbar Cave was purchased by Roy Acuff and was the site of musical festivities and entertainment shows, which would host big bands like Benny Goodman's and Tommy Dorsey's. Acuff also added a golf course adjacent to the lake. Over time the popularity of the cave and surrounding area declined, and the hotel closed in 1950, The pool was shut down and buried in 1967.

In 1973, the State of Tennessee, under then Governor Gordon Browning, purchased the land from Acuff, and classified it a State Park. The purchase was to repay Acuff for being a political "sacrificial lamb" during his run for the governorship in 1948.

In 2002, the park shut down briefly during the state's budget cutting crisis.

Further reading

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Persons wanting to read the complete history of Dunbar Cave, from its use by Native Americans as early as 8,000 years ago, through its pioneer days in the 1800's, through its heyday as a Resort, and finally as a State Park will want to read Dunbar Cave: The Showplace of the South by Larry E. Matthews (2005). This book was published by the National Speleological Society, the largest group of cave scientists and cave explorers in the United States. This book is 146 pages long in a 8.5 X 11 inch format, with numerous maps and historical photographs. It can be ordered online from the National Speleological Society at www.caves.org.

Tennessee state parks