We’re living that lake life 140 feet below the small town of Sweetwater, Tennessee. As you might have guessed, this is no average body of water. It’s dark, mysterious, and eerily beautiful. And oh yeah, it’s underground – a fitting place to be called The Lost Sea.

About 50 miles south of Knoxville tucked into the foothills of the Smoky Mountains sits this unassuming gray building that serves as a portal into another world. As you travel down a long tunnel that looks like something out of Star Wars, you enter the soaring underground labyrinth of Craighead Cavern.

Named for Cherokee Chief Craighead who owned this land in the 1820’s the caverns have a rich and eclectic history… from confederate gunpowder making in the 1860’s to the 13-year-old boy who squeezed through a 40-foot tunnel in 1905 to find something truly amazing.

This 4.5 acre lost sea is 800 feet long, 220 feet wide, and at least 70 feet deep – the true depth is unknown and the lake just keeps going into new and undiscovered rooms.

And you can explore this lake by boat with all those Greek mythology underworld vibes. As you cruise along you can take in the glowing beauty of the lake itself and the impressive geology of the limestone caverns soaring overhead.

The Lost Sea is a member of the National Cave Association, which stresses the preservation of these glorious natural resources. Some of the unique formations here include draperies referred to as “cave bacon” and anthodites – striking formations known as “cave flowers”.

Exploring the lost sea is peaceful, and definitely otherworldly. We can almost promise you’ve never experienced anything like this before.

And that’s kind of the point of coming here. From the glowing turquoise waters teeming with fishy residents… to elaborate underground passageways winding through the subterranean Tennessee earth… The Lost Sea is a place to find an adventure unlike anything else.