When I was a kid there was a long-time family friend who had a camp located on an island in the middle of the lake that we would visit. At night we would wait till the sun would set and watch as hundreds of bats came out for the night. The sky seemed to swirl and move as swarms of winged beasts searched for their nightly meal. The experience left me in complete awe and after all these years I still talk about those nights. Similar to that inspirational event are the bats of Nickajack Cave. Book a tour to take a kayak out to this partially drowned cave to witness this natural phenomenon for a wonderful and unique adventure here in Tennessee. 

Nickajack Cave has a very interesting and long-standing history here in Tennessee.
Blueway/ Wikipedia
In 1967 the TVA built a dam that subsequently flooded the cave making it impassable. Now you can only see the cave from the water which is what brings us to our very unique adventure.
Chattanooga Guided Adventures offers a kayaking tour that leads guests near the mouth of the cave during sunset.
Chattanooga Guided Adventures/ Facebook
Tours run from March to October and they provide the kayak, the paddles, and everything else you need for the tour. They do however recommend wearing appropriate clothing for kayaking such as synthetic clothing layers.
The guide will lead you out on the water and paddle your way to Nickajack Cave during the sunset. The star of the show is to see thousands of bats leaving the cave for the night to find food.
Chattanooga Guided Adventures/ Facebook

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The species of bats that live in the cave are known as Gray Bats and they are considered to be endangered so there is a gate that will not allow you to get into the cave.
Cody Jordan/ Wikimedia
The environment is absolutely perfect for these little creatures as it provides them a warm humid place to sleep and plenty of food to provide for their babies. It is fascinating to watch scores of these winged animals take to the sky and through all the commotion still know exactly where their babies are to feed out of the thousands of other bats. Because of the efforts put in place to protect these bats they are thriving and growing in population once again.
Guests will get a front-row seat to this amazing nightly routine and see something truly special. The sky will be painted in an array of swirling orange, yellow, and pink colors as the backdrop to these little creatures as they fly around.
Chattanooga Guided Adventures/ Facebook
Sitting on the water in a kayak is such a peaceful experience then add on top of that thousands of bats, a painted sky, and a cave, and now that sounds like a memory that will last a lifetime.
Chattanooga Guided Adventures/ Facebook

Have you ever heard of the bats of Nickajack Cave? Witnessing thousands of these creatures flapping their wings and collecting their food all while enjoying a beautiful sunset just sounds perfect to me. If you want to embark on this amazing tour make sure to check out the Cattanooga Guided Adventures website to book your date. 

If you fall in love with kayaking then consider getting your own kayak and taking it out for a magical voyage to dozens of waterfalls. 

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Nickajack Cave Wildlife Refuge, Mapleview Rd, South Pittsburg, TN 37380, USA