CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Flooding this week washed through Dunbar Cave, pulling two boardwalks off their footings, filling the cave floor with mud, and possibly damaging 800-year-old Mississippian cave art.

“Dunbar Cave recently experienced the highest level of flooding inside the cave ever recorded,” Park Ranger David Britton said on social media. “This flood was several feet higher than what we recorded in 2010. Last week’s flood was the third such event in less than one year at Dunbar. Climate change and development have very real implications to the natural world right under our feet.”

The boardwalk in the front of Dunbar Cave on Feb. 24, 2025. It was picked up and moved about 8 feet. (Dunbar Cave State Park, contributed)
The walking surface in Dunbar Cave on Feb. 24, 2025. This varies from 2 to 5 inches deep and is extremely slick. (Dunbar Cave State Park, contributed)
The ceiling of the connecting path/room to the Dunbar Cave art room covered in mud on Feb. 24, 2025. (Dunbar Cave State Park, contributed)
The boardwalk in the cave art room in Dunbar Cave on Feb. 24, 2025. It was moved about 20 feet down the room and shoved against the wall. (Dunbar Cave State Park, contributed)
A thin layer of mud covers the Mississippian cave art in Dunbar Cave on Feb. 24, 2025. (Dunbar Cave State Park, contributed)

In April 2021, a group of Girl Scouts helped create a 100-foot-long boardwalk to help preserve the nearby cave art. Last week’s floodwater lifted that boardwalk and moved it about 20 feet down the room, shoving it against a wall, Britton told Clarksville Now. Another boardwalk in the front of the cave was picked up and pivoted about 8 feet.

Mud is now coating every surface of the cave, even the ceiling in one room. The mud on walking surfaces varies from 2 to 5 inches deep and is extremely slick. Several bats have drowned, Britton said.

DON’T MISS A STORY: Sign up for the free daily Clarksville Now email newsletter

“More importantly, the 800-year-old Mississippian cave art was completely submerged. This has never happened before,” Britton said. A thin layer of mud covers the art, and some of the images appear to have sustained damage from sediment rubbing across the surface. Archaeologists will have to determine the extent of the damage.

The cave tour season, which was to start in May, will likely be delayed.

“We’re shocked and sad,” Britton said. “It’s an emotional scene inside the cave for our Rangers, but our number one job is to preserve, protect, and share Dunbar Cave – and we will. We are working with our partners to assess damages and plan a path forward for repair and conservation,” Britton said. “We appreciate your patience as we navigate a very rough process over the coming months.”

LATEST NEWS: Check out the most recent news articles