Devils Cave is one of those secret places that is trying to stay secret. There is not a curated trail to the cave. It is accessed by an obscure manway from a popular overlook of the Cumberland River. Keith led us a short distance into the forest and then to a rockface.
The only was down the rockface is via these ropes securely tied to a tree above. And yes, I did make sure it was securely tied.
From the rope descent, we continue steeply downhill to this nondescript opening.
Bring light. It is dark inside. There is a fissure opening which provides some light above but due to the wet terrain here, you'll need some light to make your way around. We had only phone flashlights which were enough to get us in and out but I'd be sure to bring better light next time.
The cave is the deepest we have seen yet. I've heard it is 400' and as much as 600' deep. As we went in deeper, light and wetness became limiting factors. We turned back before reaching its deepest point.
Later, in the evening, we met with friends of Keith for a outdoor dinner and firepit social. One of Keith's buddies, Ken Pasternak shared a great deal of information about local caves. Big South Fork is sandstone area and the caves are almost all overhang or rockhouse type caves. In the surrounding counties, there are many limestone caves. Ken said some were in the 25 mile range, meaning the limestone cave systems here are measured in miles, whereas the sandstone cave are merely measured in feet. Ken told us of a visit he had in Devils Cave. Descending by rope from the fissure opening in the ceiling, he was dangling above a group exploring the cave via foot. He waited until the group was right below him before he announced his presence to the unsuspecting group below.
Time to exit the cave
We spend a lot of time maneuvering up and down slick rocks. You need to move slowly as a fall here would not be pleasant. Thee are some tight spots and everywhere is wet. Water was entering the in many spots, forming a slow moving waterway toward the cave opening.
Will ascending via rope
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