Dunbar Cave State Natural Area

Really enjoyed this park a lot. Nice area. Cool cave entrance and the stone concession stand dating back to the 20’s Wish the cave was open for tours but it was closed because of bat white nose syndrome. Enjoyed the walk around the lake and on the trails, got some great pictures of the scenery.

3 ½ stars.
We hiked the short trail, checked out the abandoned dance floor near the entrance of the cave (so cool!), and peeked through the bars into the cave (so sad!)
We could hear some water flowing very forcefully through the cave and wanted to go explore it so badly. It is so sad that it is locked and people are not allowed inside any longer.
The short trail was nice. Very scenic, enough elevation change to keep it fun and challenging for the kids but not too difficult. It was very poorly marked.
There was a lot of leaf litter on the trail which is expected for this time of year. The problem with this, however, is that the trail maintenance team cut down trees in the center of the lath and left stumps about 4″ tall. These stumps then became covered with leaves. This led to a lot of stumbling children and some boo boos for our group.
It was not very crowded. We only passed a handful of people. All were respectful and quiet.
The area is beautiful. If the cave were open this would be 4 ½ to 5 stars.

Nice place to stop with picnic tables to enjoy your lunch, and there is a nice walking trail. The cave is closed due to white nose so there are no more cave tours allowed.

Beautiful walking trail leading to an abandoned concession stand and dance floor, yes dance floor, from a former resort, circa late 1800s and early 1900s.
Strangely enough, there were two dance floors constructed; the first was wooden and the second, a few years later: concrete. Yes, you read that correctly: a concrete dance floor. An appropriate way to celebrate chiropractic treatment which was just dawning in the USA. There are some great photos of the dance floor from the early 1900s. The resort didn’t make it, but how long can music and dancing, on concrete and in a cave, last?
The only inhabitants I saw at the cave entrance during my visit were some beautiful but somewhat distracting Herald Moths which repeatedly and enthusiastically dive-​bombed me. The unseen nocturnal inhabitants were napping and I understand that there are plenty living in the cave.
Overall, it is a gorgeous park with a bit of a creep factor from the abandoned resort and it is home to plenty of wild creatures that love the pond, trees, and cool, dark, cave. Batman’s dream destination and a great place to explore and unwind. There’s also plenty of room on the dance floor.

Gotta love a good trail especially lake trails, incline, and variety! On a nice hot summers day you can enjoy shaded trails encumbered in green vegetation and a pet friendly place to peruse the historic cave with your four legged companion.
After a nice long jog my buddy likes to jump in the water to cool off, I don’t know if I would suggest it as you have to keep pets on leash, and stagnant water can be a bit… swamp like.
This otherwise cute little place is an accessible escape if you want to briefly get away from the monotony of busy life.
I would try the 1.9 mile trail and the recovery section that winds back down to the shorter trail, just to get more out of your hike/​run.
Happy trails

Really really enjoyed this park a lot. LOVED the scenery! LOVED the cave entrance and the stone concession stand dating back around the Victorian age. Also the stone veranda under the cave itself. Wish the cave was open for tours but it was closed due to the bats. Loved the walk around the lake got some great pictures of the geese and ducks. Turtles too! Beautiful park. Loved it.

I have past this exit a million times it feels like and noticed the brown sign every time wondering… hummmmm wonder what that is about?
So, this particular Saturday, I whipped my car off the exit, Tony said, hey where are we going now… I said Straight to Hell if we don’t change our ways but for now… Dunbar State Park… and we both laughed.
We arrived at the park. It was about 4pm, a lovely day with plenty of sunshine still left in the day. We parked in the adjacent parking lot, grabbed a water and logged the doors. heading out on the marked path to the left of the parking lot into the trees. The path is well marked, so it was easy to follow.
We went to a section about 1000 feet to the right pointing the way to the Dunbar Cave. Well the Cave itself is closed off due to Bats and health issues, but there is still quite a lot to see. The rock formation opening was once used as an outdoor big band and dancing club many years ago in the 1930’s.I could just imagine hearing the sounds of the big bands with trumpets, flutes, guitars, drums and other musical instruments. I would have loved to have been there in the eras gone by and danced under the stars with my sweet beau.
There is also a large lake, so I can imagine them boating under the stars on dreamy nights during magical dates listening to the beautiful music… oh a scene out of an old Doris Day movie…“by the light of the silvery moon”…I want to SWOON for my darling. I do LOVE YOU… HONEYMOON…” lol !!! I guess I grew up watching too many old black and white oldies with my grandma…
We strolled around the area. Read the signs and enjoyed the quiet evening sitting around listening to crickets and far away frog noises. it would have been so romantic to have been here when all this was a major hay day area.
We left the cave area that is all stone covered and really beautiful if you can use your imagination and find yourself back in time… like I DID… ha ha… Tony says I am weird at times.
We spent about 2 hrs enjoying the cave area and strolling around the lake. It was starting to get sort of dusky so we called it an evening, we still had about 45 minute drive south back to Nashville. the starting point of all my adventures.
If you are in the Clarksville, TN area, you should check out this lovely FREE park. There are benches to sit at and enjoy the scenery and there are picnic tables, playgrounds and nice fields for the kids to play in. I can’t wait to go back here again. Please enjoy some of the beauty that the Lord has made for us. I love to play in his backyard and share my adventures. I hope you enjoy them through me…

This was somewhere between a 3 and a 4, but it was so pretty that the 4 won. The hiking trails were beautiful and well maintained. However, it is a bit of a downer that the cave portion of the park (you know, the part that is in its name) is closed to the public.

This feels pretty safe. Nature-​exercise is how I spend time during the day so I go alone, and this place doesn’t feel creepy to me as it’s pretty well visited. The trails are rustic, so hilly and a little rocky with exposed tree routes, not paved or flat like the greenway, so wouldn’t recommend strollers. There’s a 2 mile loop and a 1 mile loop and both feel shorter than that! I’ve never seen a snake on the trail but there are so many tree roots that look like them I wind up spending a lot of time watching the ground! The caves closed to protect the bats from white nose syndrome, you can see researchers around there often. But the old band shell is there and is fun to take pictures in! The nature center is open during the day and has bathrooms and cold water and information about the park. They do a lot of community things here like hiking tours, nature walks… We did a night hike here once with flashlights it was really fun. Pets are allowed and there are two bag dispensers for your convenience! I see people fish here too.

The cave portion of this park is of limits to the public and can not be entered which is a disappointment. However if you’re in to trial running or just looking to go for a walk this park is great for that.

This is a great park. They even allow you to walk your dog off-​leash here. I am a biology student for APSU and do a lot of research in this area. The staff here are committed to keeping this park clean and safe for everyone to enjoy. They’re always hosting some type of event for adults and children to further enjoy and learn about nature.

Don’t bring a stroller and bring shoes and bug spray

Not really made for strollers. Going to return another time to walk the trail, ditch the stroller and put the kids in sneakers. Outside cave area is fun for kids to run around and watch the ducks.

For people that post lower grade reviews, sorry that nature did not live up to your expectations. The park is great city escape, not that Clarksville is very urban city though. Just 7 minutes away from the highway. You can do the longest trail in 40 minutes walking briskly. No mountain bikes allowed. Make sure you come back before parking gate closes. check closing time, as it
flip flops. I survived with crocs (yeah, I know, who wear crocs??), and just one blister. The cave is closed, just external observation.
I don’t see it very safe for females walking solo. Never the less, that’s what the crowd was only. I mean you are moderately inside the woods. No emergency box, cameras, etc. Or, I guess Tennessee women are more outdoor trained than the city warrior passing by Clarksville. No restrooms, but you have the entire park, right? One vending machine at the parking lot.
The lake is little pond with mild odor. Be prepared to sweat as the trails are up hill and down hill. Not a bright idea, if your final destination is not the shower.

I am a huge fan of Dunbar Cave. Don’t let the name fool you, there is more to do than just the cave. People go here to walk/​jog the trails, fish, and walk their dogs. The lake is an ok size, three trails, and the cave (which I think you can only get a tour in the summer).
The history of this place is interesting. At the site of the cave it tells a little of the history of the place, and back in the late 1800’s, it was a country club. They made the entrance of the cave a dance floor, build a stage and a concession stand. It was the place to be back then.
There are three trails, lake side trail, short loop, and recovery loop. All the trails are measured from the back door of the building. The lake side trail is the shorts, but I don’t know the distance. Next is short loop, which includes lake side trail and is said to be 1.1 miles long. Finally, Recovery loop, its includes both lake side trail and short loop trail and is 1.9 miles long.
I am a fan of the area and go there to walk my dog when I can. I recommend this place to all the trail runners and dog walkers.

Dirty and stinky, lots of deers running around in the woods. Just doesn’t feel safe.

I like the trails, they’re not too hard and it’s pretty easy to navigate both in a day. The lake is pretty but it’s a really big bummer that the cave is closed to visitors. It’s nice to just get up to the mouth of the cave where it’s nice and cool-​especially since it’s been so hot out lately as well as missing out on the cave drawings-​but there’s some strange bat disease that made the state wildlife agency close down the caves. There’s also a small museum that used to be the pool house of the hotel that was on these grounds. Not too bad, it’s just really, really disappointing to see the caves are closed off.

I am a hobbyist trail runner (if there is such a thing, then that’s me!) I’m also a barefoot runner, and pavement just does not jive with that method of exercise. Even with the barefoot shoes, it’s probably not the best idea to run on pavement so I was really happy to find that there is a trail that is in close proximity to my home.
As compared to the trail that was in my old neighborhood in San Antonio (Comanche park for those of you familiar with the area), this one is way better! There are two main routes that you can take, neither of which are a substantial length. I think maybe one mile and a mile and a half? Not sure, so don’t quote me. All I know is I have to go round both of them a couple times to get a good workout.
The area is very pretty. If you don’t mind the dank, you could even have a party in the cave. Back in the civil war era when there was no such thing as air conditioning they used this cave for weddings, parties and events. I really don’t know how they got rid of the mosquitoes though… So word of advice, put your OFF on!!! Heh, heh…

Really wish you could tour the cave but you can’t due to the bats in there. The hiking trails are awesome and dog friendly. You can fish as well at the pond. The little museum they have has some heads of animals in there and is sorta creepy but still neat and they have great bathrooms. The cave is wonderful for the events they have occasionally. It really blows that you can’t have a wedding here but that’s ok. Some people try to push you off the trail at times and It kinda blows that you can’t take a bike on the trails.

I enjoyed the short walk to the cave. As a frequent traveler (to some of the most random places in the US), I try to find interesting local places to visit after work. The cave entrance is cool and magnificent. However, the cave itself is not open. A wooden gate with a warning sign inside blocked the dark and cold entrance. One local mentioned to me that it is only open for guided tours on special days (maybe certain weekends?).
It took us less than thirty minutes to walk at a leisurely pace from the parking lot to the cave entrance and back. A trail runs through the cave and continues for quite far beyond it along the lake. But since we were limited on time and had made the pit stop at dinner time, we did not complete the entire route. Nonetheless the short walk and back was relaxing and allowed us to look at a natural wonder in close proximity. I highly recommend anyone from out of town to take 20 minutes out of their day and make the same trip we did!
(Park closes at sunset around 8 PM in the summer months)