Nashville Grotto

Secret Cave - Photo by Ashley Adkins Irons

Tennessee's Oldest and Boldest Caving Club

Est. 1953

Caralynn Strand in the Birth Canal - Depriest Branch Cave - Photo by Ashley Adkins Irons

We Are Explorers

We explore the spaces underneath your feet.

Blue Spring Cave blue Crystals

Conservation

Our mission is the protect and conserve the natural spaces we enjoy.

About Nashville Grotto

The Nashville Grotto was established in 1953 as a chapter of the National Speleological Society. As part of the NSS, the grotto's mission is to promote safe and responsible caving practices, effective cave and karst management, speleology, and conservation. Our members are bound together by their love of caves and caving and their desire to learn about the underground wilderness and protect it for future generations.

Learn More About Us

The crew at Welch Cave - 8/7/2021
The crew at Welch Cave - 8/7/2021
Ash @ Blue Spring Cave - 1/9/2021
Ash at Blue Spring Cave - 1/9/2021
Corey admiring formations in Whip Whistle Cave - 8/8/2021
Corey admiring formations in Whip Whistle Cave - 8/8/2021
Darian ear-dipping in Whip Whistle Cave - 8/8/2021
Darian ear-dipping in Whip Whistle Cave - 8/8/2021
The Cavern Tavern at TAG 2019.
Nashville Grotto's Cavern Tavern at 2019 TAG Convention.
Jason Lovvorn at Balcony Sink - 12/12/2020
Jason at Balcony Sink - 12/12/2020
Indian Gravepoint Cave
Indian Gravepoint cave trip - December 22, 2019.
DePriest Branch Cave Crew
Group photo from DePriest Branch Cave - January 4, 2020
The descent into Balcony Sink - 12/12/2020
The descent into Balcony Sink - 12/12/2020
Shannon admiring a wall.
Shannon @ Indian Gravepoint Cave - 12/22/2019
Formations inside DePriest Branch Cave.
Beautiful array of formations inside DePriest Branch Cave - 1/4/2020

Recent News

September 2022 Grotto Meeting Image

September 2022 Grotto Meeting

by Nashville Grotto
September 1st @ 6:30pm - Join us for our monthly grotto meeting! Special presentation by Hazel Barton who will present on the Caves of Greenland.
Keeping Reading
Classes & Workshops
June 2022 Grotto Meeting Image

June 2022 Grotto Meeting

by Nashville Grotto
June 2nd @ 6:30pm - Join us for our monthly grotto meeting at our new location! Special presentation by Ellen Whittle who will present An Overview of Bats and Horsethief Cave.
Keeping Reading
Grotto News
May 2022 Grotto Meeting Image

May 2022 Grotto Meeting

by Nashville Grotto
May 5th @ 6:30pm - Join us for our monthly grotto meeting at our new location! Special presentation by Christian DeCelle who will be presenting his work in Logsdon Cave and some of his Alaska exploration.
Keeping Reading
Event Announcement
10th Annual Nashville Outdoor Rec Festival & Expo Image

10th Annual Nashville Outdoor Rec Festival & Expo

by Nashville Grotto
4/9/2022 - 9:00am-3:30pm -Spend the day at Bells Bend Outdoor Center at the 10th Annual Nashville Outdoor Recreation Festival & Expo. Come out and see the latest and greatest equipment and visit our booth and ask us all your cave questions!
Keeping Reading
Event Announcement
April 2022 Meeting Image

April 2022 Meeting

by Nashville Grotto
Our monthly grotto meeting featuring a special presentation by former grotto member Hali Steinmann will present on Working in Karst - Taking a dive into Hali's professional work as a geologist in Tennessee's karst regions.
Keeping Reading
Event Announcement
March 2022 Meeting Image

March 2022 Meeting

by Nashville Grotto
March 3rd @ 7:00pm - Our monthly grotto meeting featuring a special presentation by Niles Lathrop who will be speaking about Northern California Cave Exploration.
Keeping Reading
Event Announcement

Ready to become a member?