A 20-minute drive west from Chattanooga puts one at the edge of a historical, biological, and ecological treasure trove. The Nickajack Reservoir has played an important part throughout time, being a water highway for the Native Americans and Civil War soldiers, as well as an essential home to a diverse array of wildlife.
In particular, Nickajack Cave is a shelter for the now endangered gray bat. Gray bats are native to the southeastern United States and are the largest bat within their genus. They have only one color on their dorsal fur, which is unique among bat species. Being picky about where to roost can make life difficult for these special mammals. These bats will not roost in barns or attics, instead picking only limestone caves near water. Such caves provide the perfect temperature to raise baby bats, and having water nearby provides all the insects a colony of bats could eat (up to 3,000 per bat, per night!). Being in the limestone-rich area of south Tennessee on the Nickajack Reservoir, it’s no surprise that a colony of estimated 100,000 Gray bats have chosen Nickajack Cave as their home.
The caves that Gray bats inhabit are also coveted by others. Nickajack Cave provided shelter for Native Americans whose fires would smoke up the cave and disrupt the Gray bats, causing them to leave or die. During the Civil War, soldiers discovered that Nickajack Cave had an abundance of saltpeter and guano, which they mined to make gunpowder. Disturbances to Gray bat habitat occurring in caves across the United States, making it difficult for this unique species to survive. Gray bats have been on the endangered list since 1976 and have yet to be removed.
Nickajack Cave provides a unique opportunity for humans to experience the beauty of the gray bats without causing them harm. During the summer, Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center takes two trips to the cave to observe the bats emerging from the cave to feed in the evening. The July trip takes place Friday, July 15, from 7:15-10 p.m. and will be led by education director and Naturalist, Corey Hagen.
The cost is $10 for adults and $7 for children, members of Reflection Riding, however, are free. To sign up, call 423 821-1160.