Hill Cave tours reopen at Norris Dam State Park
Seasonal Rangers Joseph Bailey, in the boat, and Josh Powell, in the water, help passengers on to dry land at the mouth of Hill Cave before starting the cave tour. — Nicholas Skoda
The Hill Cave is named after the Hill family, who owned the property before the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) purchased it from them.
The cave was closed for nearly five years due to the presence of White Nose Syndrome in bats in the area.
But scientists have cleared the cave and Norris Dam State Park Manager Mark Morgan and his team are excited to be once again conducting tours.
The first two tours conducted after the cave reopened were specifically for descendants of Daniel Hill and the Hill family.
Conducting the tours are seasonal rangers Joseph Bailey and Josh Powell.
When it comes to the focus of the tour, Bailey and Powell are responsible for creating their own “programs.”
Powell stated that he likes the creative freedom he is given in doing so.
Their current focus is on preservation and conservation.
“Cave life is very sensitive. We try to inform people on how they can be as careful as they possibly can. But still enjoy their resources.” Powell said.
There has been a fair amount of vandalism in the cave and it is a sad sight to see.
The vandalism changes the natural order of the caves, which could have long lasting effects.
Natural fixtures such as stalactites and stalagmites, which take thousands of years to form, have been manually destroyed.
There are instances of spray-painting as well. This is a major issue due to the fact that the substances that are used to clean the spray paint from the cave walls can be just as harmful as the spray-paint itself.
But there are steps being taken to stop the vandalism.
At the mouth of the cave are two locked, heavy metal gates that are not passable without the proper key.
Once through the gates, the cave tour really begins.
The cave mouth was riddled with cave creatures such as vibrantly colored salamanders and cave frogs.
Powell stated that this tour is a great way to get a beginners experience with cave diving. There are no tight squeezes through a claustrophobic’s nightmare.
It’s vast. There is no crawling or confined spaces.” said Morgan. “But it’s a true wild cave.”
In fact, the cave opens up into ginormous cavernous rooms at times. At times the roof is upwards of 100 ft. high. At other times, the cave ceiling is maybe only 20 ft. high.
One unique thing about this cave tour is that for roughly half of it, you are submerged in water.
Well, never fully submerged.
But the water is definitely cold. Around 62 degrees.
At certain points the water is ankle deep, and at others the water is four ft. deep. And at other points you are on completely dry ground.
Because of this, Powell and Bailey highly recommend long, warm, preferably waterproof pants and a warm top as well.
Closed toed shoes are a requirement.
Hill Cave isn’t an electricity run cave so flashlights are necessary. The guides had extra headlamps.
The Hill Cave tour offers an excellent insight to what caves in the area are like from detailed and professional guides that take their work seriously.
You get a look at cave structures, creatures and also a feel of what total darkness is.
“It’s a big learning experience.” Morgan added.
For more information about tour dates and other events around Norris Dam State Park, visit www.tnstateparks.com/parks/about/norris-dam or visit the Park Office at 125 Village Green Circle Rocky Top, Tennessee.