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

Ash @ Blue Spring Cave - 1/9/2021
Ash at Blue Spring Cave - 1/9/2021
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

Survey Talk - Part 4 - Sketching Image

Survey Talk - Part 4 - Sketching

by Nashville Grotto
Part 4 of the Nashville Grotto series, Survey Talk with Josh Brewer. This week he discusses Intro to Cave Map Symbols & Cross-Sections.
Keeping Reading
Classes & Workshops
April 2021 Meeting - Jim "Crash" Kennedy Image

April 2021 Meeting - Jim "Crash" Kennedy

by Nashville Grotto
4/1/2021 - 7:00pm - Join us for our monthly meeting where Jim "Crash" Kennedy will take you on a geographic, geologic, biologic, and scenic tour of the Sierra Madre Oriental area in Mexico.
Keeping Reading
Event Announcement
Survey Talk - Part 2 - Recording Data Image

Survey Talk - Part 2 - Recording Data

by Nashville Grotto
In Part 2 of this series, Josh explains the importance of collecting and recording accurate data while surveying in an often hostile environment, where water, mud, and tight spaces add to the challenges of taking readings.
Keeping Reading
Classes & Workshops
March 2021 Meeting - Hawaii Speleological Survey Image

March 2021 Meeting - Hawaii Speleological Survey

by Nashville Grotto
3/4/2021 - 7:00pm - Join us for our monthly meeting where Bob Richards will present "Hawaii Speleological Survey: 30 years of great discoveries, exploring, mapping the longest and deepest lava caves in the world."
Keeping Reading
Event Announcement

Ready to become a member?

Become A Member