The cave was once privately owned and used as a music and dancing venue. The cool air emanating from inside the cave provided the space with natural air conditioning. Peering through the bars of the iron gate blocking the entrance to the cave, I felt as if I was standing in front of an evaporator coil inside of a huge air handler. I can only imagine how refreshing this must have been for the performers and patrons in the days before air conditioning.
Dunbar Cave
The cave overlooks Swan Lake, which was a popular fishing destination on this particular afternoon. A paved trail leads south from the cave to the visitor's center, along the western edge of the lake. From here, a mulched path follows the southern shore, though this feature wasn't shown on any map we saw. The mulch ends at a small dam located at the southeast corner of the lake and so does the park; a golf course owns the property on the east side of the lake so this area is off-limits.
Dunbar Cave as seen from the Lake Trail
The Recovery Trail and Short Loop Trail are north of the cave. Regardless of what the park's brochure says, I would rate both of these wooded trails as easy. We came across several other hikers and even a couple of trail runners on this warm autumn day. With so many beautiful state parks in Tennessee, it's good to see folks outdoors taking advantage of these protected areas. These locations have been set aside for a reason, so make it a point to visit our parks and experience nature's glory firsthand.
Along the Recovery Trail
Near the visitor's center
Turtles enjoy Tennessee state parks, too
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