outdoor
Worley's Cave (Morrell Cave)
Second-longest cave in East Tennessee, wild caving destination
Bluff City, Tennessee
Photo: Pexels (CC0) — caver with headlamp navigating wild cave
- City
- Bluff City
- Cell signal
- weak signal
- Admission
- See website for pricing
Worley's Cave, also known as Morrell Cave, is the second-longest cave in East Tennessee at roughly 4.4 miles of surveyed passage. Unlike commercial caves, Worley's is a wild cave, guided trips through unlit passages are popular with caving clubs and adventure tour operators. Located in Bluff City, the cave has been mapped extensively but retains plenty of explorable territory.
This wild cave near Bluff City carries two names: Worley's Cave, for landowner Elias S. Worley, and Morrell Cave, for John Morril, who led early explorations. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved "Morrell Cave" in 1980. An unearthed prehistoric stone wall about six feet high points to habitation by Native peoples, and saltpeter was mined here for gunpowder during the Civil War. The system holds more than 37,000 feet of mapped passages on two levels, with a perennial stream on the lower level.
Visit Info
all: By guided trip only
Not a commercial cave, access through caving clubs or commercial guide services.
Worley's Cave Rd, Bluff City, TN 37618
Parking: Limited pull-off parking; respect private land boundaries.
Visitor Tips
- ›Never enter alone, go with a guided group
- ›Bring three light sources per person
- ›Mud and water are unavoidable, wear cave-appropriate clothing
Stay near this stop
Turn this into an overnight trip.
These places to stay are closest to Worley's Cave (Morrell Cave). Use them as your base, then add nearby food, trails, and events.
What to know before you go
- Access
- Wild cave, not accessible. Requires fitness, helmet, and headlamp.
- Parking
- Limited pull-off parking; respect private land boundaries.
- Cell signal
- Weak / patchy cell signal — download offline maps before you go
- Tips
- Never enter alone, go with a guided group
- Bring three light sources per person
- Mud and water are unavoidable, wear cave-appropriate clothing
Pair this with
Pair Worley's Cave (Morrell Cave) with Ridgewood Barbecue, Bluff City Boardwalk, and Backyard Terrors Dinosaur Park.
Within 6 miles, you can chain these into a half-day without driving back.
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Verified 2026-07-01 · next review 2026-09-29
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