Known to be the seventh longest mapped cave in Tennessee the Big Bone Cave is famous not only for its history but as well as its current recreation purposes. It is located in Van Buren County, and has been listed as part of the National Register of Historic Places. In 1811, the bones of a giant ground sloth were discovered within the cave, thus its famous name. The skeleton is now in Philadelphia, under the care of the Academy of the Natural Sciences. There are as well a variety of other natural remains that were discovered in the area, such as humans and other animal bones.
The 400 acre land was purchased in 1974 by the State of Tennessee and is now a part of the State Park System as a State Natural Area. It is currently being managed by the Resource Management Division of the Tennessee government.
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