The Red Clay Blue Hole Spring EarthCache
The Red Clay Blue Hole Spring
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Cherokee Council Spring (aka Blue Hole Spring
Welcome to Red Clay State Historic Park! Red Clay is located in the extreme southwest corner of Bradley County in Tennessee, just above the Tennessee-Georgia state line.
You will find a lot of information and history here regarding the Cherokee Indian Tribe and the beginning of the Trail of Tears.
One of the most facinating spots to visit while at Red Clay is the Council Spring. It is a natural landmark which arises from beneath a limestone ledge to form a deep pool that flows into Mill Creek, a tributary of the Conasauga and Coosa River system. It is called the Council Spring because it was used by the Cherokee for their water supply during council meetings, and it was a sacred place to them while they lived here. It is more commonly refered to today as the Blue Hole Spring.
Here are some facts that set this spring apart from an ordinary spring:
The Blue Hole Spring rises from an underground cave below the limestone rock ledge to flow into the river systems described above. Some 504,000 gallons of water flow through here every day at a rate of 350 gallons per minute. The spring maintains an annual temperature of about 56 degrees and is approximately 14 feet deep.
Logging Requirements:
The provided coordinates will take you to the Blue Hole Historical Sign. Here are a few questions to answer from that sign.
1) Fill in the blank: From the first paragraph - "Water in the spring is always __________ in the winter and __________ in the summer than the outer air"
2) From the second paragraph - Who collected legends and myths from the Cherokee mythkeeper 'Swimmer'? What was his title?
3) From the third paragraph - What was 'Swimmer' trained to be? (three things)
The last two questions are NOT on the historical sign.
4) Go down the path to the Blue Hole, and take your picture with the spring in the background. The best place to take your picture is from the part of the path where the creek crosses. DO NOT CROSS THE WOODEN FENCE AT ANY TIME!
5) From your vantage point on the wooden bridge, describe the Blue Hole Spring structure to me. Don't overthink it.
Send answers via "send message" feature on my geocaching profile. I will review all answers, and will respond if any answers are incorrect.
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