LOCKWOOD CAVE PHOTO GALLERY
Some facts about Lockwood Cave, one of Tennessee's most unusual caves: At 3.13
miles surveyed length, it is the 2nd 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 Cumberland azaleas in bloom near
Lockwood.
Beautiful balls of Cumberland 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.