LOCKWOOD CAVE PHOTO GALLERY

Some facts about Lockwood Cave, one of Tennessee's most unusual caves: At 3.13 miles surveyed length, it is probably the longest known cave in the Pennington Fm. In addition, significant portions of the cave are developed in the overlying Warren Point Sandstone by roof collapse; in Lockwood it is not uncommon to be caving in sandstone and quartz pebble conglomerate, with coal and plant fossils visible in the ceiling. Lockwood likely holds the Tennessee record for number of entrances: at least 22, more if you look hard. Lockwood contains three speleogenetically distinctive sections: The "upper" cave, or main "borehole" is a wide straight tunnel developed at the unconformity separating the Pennington limestone from the Pennsylvanian sandstone above; the unconformity surface, complete with remnants of a weathered zone is visible in many places along this tunnel. The "lower" cave, which actually overlaps elevationally with the "upper" cave, is mainly a joint-controlled maze. A third portion of the cave, the downstream entrance section, is a "constructed cave", formed when the surface stream undercut the limestone cliffs to the point that they collapsed, building up a wall of breakdown, closing in a cave passage along the base of the undercut cliffs. Another feature that makes Lockwood unusual is the fact that the several streams flowing through it all come from the nearby sinking of a major surface stream, and are therefore at near-surface water temperature. In the summer the water is warm and bellying down a low stream crawl is no torture; but in the dead of winter this water feels like razor blades slicing away your flesh! All in all, it's a remarkable cave.

Hope you enjoy the photos below...

  • View of the gulf in which Lockwood lies.

  • April admires flame azaleas in bloom near Lockwood.

  • Beautiful balls of flame azaleas.

  • Harry at the entrance in winter.

  • A view in the main borehole, with Cindi on the entrance breakdown slope.

  • Walt stepping across a joint-controlled stream passage in the lower (main) section of Lockwood.

  • April poses at the main river.

  • The E-Stream in normal flow.

  • Nathan in the E-Stream during a high water event.

  • April standing in the Campground Room, with Ian back by the "Mine Tunnel"

  • April in Clatter Rock Dome.

  • Philip on the far side of Clatter Rock Dome.

  • Beyond Deep Throat in the E-Stream.

  • Dave at the 2nd resurgence, where the E-Stream re-emerges.

  • Ric ascending Trey's Drop, the only ropework in the system.

  • Emerging from the high entrance: "The Beauty and...

  • ...the Beast."

  • Carol at the beginning of the downstream section, just beyond the climb up to the high entrance.

  • April and Dana under the cliffline above the downstream section of the cave.

  • Some of the many entrances to the downstream section under the overhanging cliffs.

  • April in the Slab Room, part of the downstream section, which is a "constructed cave" formed by collapse of the undercut cliffs.

  • Greg in the downstream section near survey station D-50, and entrance numbers 18 & 19.

  • Trey in entrance number 21, the next-to-the-last in a string of entrances in the downstream section.

  • Steve and Katy at the river sinkpoint in the dry season.

  • Where the main river re-emerges: Steve surveying at the main resurgence.

  • Morena, the official cave dog, at the Third Annual Lockwood Campout.

  • Walt and his super-tent, Third Annual Lockwood Campout.

  • Steve and B: At the end of a typical Lockwood trip.