Fristad Caverns Resort

lifestyles of the rich and the few

Alston Creek by Midjourney

Fristad¹ Caverns Resort² is a massive resort built into a cave system in Tennessee. The complex is spread across two mountains and features six upscale vacation suites that start at $3200 a night in the off-season, along with a multitude of on-site entertainment options. The north mountain is considered to be the functional side of the resort and is the operations center for the complex. The south mountain is the residential area of the property and has its own separate access road. According to a Tennessee records search, the property belongs to Impriva Holdings LLC. The resort had only just opened its doors when Z Hour Alpha hit and the CCS-V virus began sweeping across the nation.

Fristad Resort is fully self-sustainable, and completely off the grid. There are various spring-fed water sources including an underground river located throughout the caverns below the ground, while a river winds lazily between the mountains above. The area sparkles with many creeks, and several waterfalls can be seen dancing down the sides of the mountains. The close proximity to several state parks ensures an abundance of wildlife can be found winding their way through the many trees peppering the landscape. A tranquil lake sits at the base of the valley, home to a variety of species of fish.

Fristad North

This area is dedicated to the daily operations of the resort, and generally is off-limits to guests at the resort. Other than some small structures near the power arrays, the only visible building on the north side is the warehouse. This large stone building can be accessed by a narrow, one-lane paved drive, controlled by an electronic gate. There is a small, covered kiosk on both sides of the gate to allow access. Residents and employees can use a biometric fingerprint system to gain entrance, while delivery drivers and other expected guests are given a code to punch into the keypad. Unexpected visitors can use an intercom system to page staff and announce their arrival.

North Fristad Park by Midjourney

Of course, any unexplained driveway in the middle of nowhere is bound to pique some people's natural curiosity, and so Fristad Resort has had its fair share of uninvited visitors. To try and combat people wandering across the property, a small parking area was put in and a trail cut down to a natural rock overhang with a small one room cave. This generally was enough to satisfy the overly-curious, although a few have left their mark on this once pristine grotto. The little park also features a picnic area with a stone grill and covered gazebo, as well as an old-fashioned outhouse placed for when nature calls. An interesting fact, the grill actually stands in the creek and one must stand in the water in order to cook.

At the end of the driveway is the warehouse, which serves as the delivery hub, the centralized maintenance office, vacation rental office, and administration office for the resort. The delivery area has two bays for commercial trucks to unload, a large space for sorting product, and also houses the garbage export area. Fristad handles its own garbage collection, using fleet trucks to transport waste to the nearest facility for processing. This building also houses the automotive and small engine repair shop and the garage for the resort fleet vehicles, and there are several freight elevators leading to the lower levels of the operations facility.

Following the small drive around the side and down a little from the warehouse is the massive iron and steel gate leading to the propane tank cavern and water processing center. The gate opens to reveal a large space, open at the top, that houses two 100,000 gallon industrial propane tanks. A large freight elevator leads down to access the cavern to the northeast, which serves as the bi-level water treatment facility for the property. Other than access cut in for pipes, wires, and ducts, the propane tank cavern and water processing center do not connect with the rest of the cavern system.

Taking the freight elevators down from the warehouse will lead you:

• U1 - (underground level 1) Parts Storage. Automotive, appliance, machinery, extra solar panels - anything on the facility that has a moving part has duplicate parts here. This is also where you can find spools of all kinds of cables, wires, and chains of all sizes, extra lightbulbs of all kinds and standard disposable batteries. Finally, the hazardous chemical storage rooms are here, stored separately from the rest of the supplies.
• U2 - Textiles Storage. Fabrics and paper supplies can be found here. This includes but isn't limited to: notebook paper, printer paper, vinyl, cotton, silk, linen, sheets, towels, toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, rugs, shower curtains, curtains, coffee and all manner of filters, upholstery fabrics, and carpets are stored here. Pest control is highly regulated.
• U3 - Electronics Storage + Faraday Cages. Computers, monitors, components, keyboards, networking equipment, cables and connectors, televisions, projectors, still cameras, digital cameras, video cameras, stereos, speakers, video game systems with complete libraries, amateur radio equipment, CB equipment, walkies, and other electronic devices are stored here. All unused equipment, and as well as a few active stations, are inside faraday cages.
• U4 - Tunnels & Underground River Power Station. This level houses the waterwheel tunnel, which was the first source of energy for the caverns and is still in use to this day. It also houses the connecting tunnel and the tunnel bay, containing the transport carts used to move goods between the two facilities.

At the far end of the connecting tunnel, there is another tunnel bay, containing two doors and a freight elevator. The main door opens into the resort's main facility and actually appears to be a plain cavern wall from the residential side. This door uses a retinal scanner to unlock. To access the tunnels from the residential side, this door can be opened using an RFID chipped pass card, but the reader is hidden so the holder of the card must know where to swipe. The second door is a blast door, also with a retinal scanner, and there is a rumor among staff that there is some kind of private living area behind this door.

All materials that pass through Fristad North use the FIFO method of rotation, and all storage areas are regularly cleaned, organized, and inventoried. Shipments of food are the only deliveries that are received at Fristad South instead of the Operating Center. All food deliveries are from nearby vendors and for the most part consist of meats, flour, rice, pasta, dried beans, and other pantry staples.

Central Fristad

Totally hidden under the river, only a select few are able to take the freight elevator down in the Fristad South Tunnel Bay. There is only one stop for this elevator, which opens into a central area leading to two large caverns. One of these caves is dedicated to a hydroponic garden and the other contains an aquaponic garden. This area also contains a regular door with an RFID scanner as well as a blast door with a retinal scanner. This type of door should not be surprising, as the tunnel bay above features one as well, but nobody even has a clue what lurks behind this portal.

South Fristad

I'm sure this is the part you were waiting for. Who wants to hear about how many yards of toilet paper a place has stored up? Well, guests here should care just a little, as the road leading into South Fristad is prone to flooding, which can either postpone your trip or leave you stuck there for much longer than anticipated. There will be no Uruguayan plane crashes³ here... at least, not in the way you think...

Resort Main Entrance by Midjourney

The access road leading into the resort entrance is very narrow and winds back and forth up the mountain to the parking area by the front door. The entrance looks like a traditional door one might find on a house, but this is a blast hatch door. All exterior windows are fortified as well and only use blast-resistant glass that has been grooved and fitted into the walls of the cave. Security cameras can be seen peeking out from beneath rocky outcroppings, and there are many more around that you can't see. A hiking trail with a wooden rail and natural stone steps wanders away from the parking area and further down the mountain. A small sign near the start notes locations and distances for hikers to plan their route.

Upon passing through the front door, visitors step into the middle of a tri-level, multi-use space featuring large comfy seating areas, a study area, bookshelves as far as the eye can see, and warm fires dancing in fireplaces. Each level of this grand entrance houses two of the six available living suites, with one two-bedroom and one three-bedroom unit per floor, and the tunnels to other amenities the property offers are also located here.

S. Fristad Basement Level (LB)

The lowest level of the resort holds two of the six room suites, the gourmet kitchen and pantry, dining area, laundry facility, movie theater, and the first level of the library.

Main Kitchen (LB) by Bing AI

Even though each rental unit includes an in-suite kitchen, the bottom floor of the main entry hall features a large, well-equipped, professional kitchen for larger group meals. Truly a chef's dream come true, it boasts a Viking eight-burner gas cooktop complete with broiler, grill, and flat grill surfaces. There are several wall-mounted ovens, including conventional, convection, and microwave ovens. For food storage, one can use the Sub-Zero refrigerators and freezers. Finally, this kitchen is equipped with every gadget, gizmo, and contraption any cook would ever need or desire. If there is one drawback to this room, it would be that the ceilings are quite low in some areas, taller people should use caution when in this room.

Adjacent to the kitchen is a walk-in pantry the size of a single-car garage containing any staple one might need to make practically anything. This pantry also contains the door to the tunnels mentioned above. Nearby is a laundry, with six state-of-the-art washers and dryers, convenient folding tables, and rolling carts. No quarters are required, but guests will still have to send out if they require dry cleaning. A large eating area with several seating options is adjacent to the kitchen opposite the pantry. A tunnel from the dining room leads to a twenty-four-seat movie theater with armchair-style seating. There is a small wet bar and snack area here as well.

Library (LB) by Midjourney

The bottom level (LB) of the tri-level library can be found here, and although it may not boast the sheer magnitude of the Library of Congress, it is one of the largest private collections in the United States. The library uses the Dewey Decimal system of organization, and the bottom level houses nonfiction classes 000-499.999. This includes computer science, information science, philosophy, psychology, religion, social sciences, and languages. The library catalog can be accessed at any resort computer to find if a specific title is present, and if the book is there it can offer a little map to the location it should be at. The L1 of the library contains non-fiction classes 500-999.999 and children's books, and the L2 holds all of the fiction.

S. Fristad Level One (L1)

Besides being the level with the only outdoor access, this floor offers two suites of rooms, several seating and study areas, the middle level of the library, the pool and spa, and the arcade. It is no surprise to find that, between the children's library, the pool, and the arcade, most of the younger visitors to Fristad Caverns can usually be found somewhere on this level when not enjoying the resort's many outdoor activities.

Spa (L1) by Bing AI

The spa and pool are actually a little misleading because they are different locations. The pool is kid-friendly and designed to be a place of splashing and noise and the delighted shouts of gleeful children. The spa is serene and quiet, a place of Zen tranquility that one visits to relax and reset their mind. Guests of the resort can book a variety of services that can be fulfilled by on-site staff or by contracting from a list of local massage therapists, aestheticians, and nail technicians. On-site services are included in the cost of the resort rental, but contracted appointments are entirely at the expense of the guest. Visitors are gently reminded that in either case, a gratuity is not included in the cost and should be factored in when budgeting for your trip.

The arcade is any gamer's wildest dream come true and actually features several rooms that are organized by function. You can find the true arcade, which features all manner of arcade cabinet-style games, but they have been modified by type. For example, there is a large bank of side-by-side driving cabinets that actually allow you to load up pretty much any driving game imaginable, from Mario Kart to Gran Turismo and anything in between and beyond. All of the cabinets are similarly set up so that games with similar control styles can be loaded up on the appropriate machine.

There is also a computer room with eight LAN stations set up around a large bank of monitors. The room is set up with multiple forms of gaming in mind, and can also be used to run tournament-style events like Overwatch League. The computers at the stations are all top-of-the-line custom-built rigs with the best components that could be found in 2024.

Next to the LAN room is the console room, which has every imaginable console video game system and complete libraries for all. The room is set up with several couches arranged around a bank of four televisions, and each television has duplicate systems for LAN or online play. Consoles here range from the early '70s Magnavox Odyssey to the new 2025 X-Station Ultra. The X-SU is the first new hardware to be released since Nintendo's growing success with the Switch II, coupled with the worldwide recession, forced the merging of Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox platforms in mid-2024.

Tabletop Room (L1) by Bing AI

Finally, there is the tabletop room, which houses several large tables for the countless board games and card games that can be found here. There are a few tables specifically designed for tabletop roleplaying games, including one set up with cozy armchairs and laptops stationed around a large screen, presumably to incorporate the newer digital augmentations to the traditional pen and paper games. There are many bookshelves here containing sourcebooks for numerous roleplaying systems, and there is a small closet with extra dice, paper, pens, and other supplies a traditionalist might need to play an old-school style, extended campaign with a large party or a quick dungeon romp with a few close friends.

It is obvious to anyone who comes through the arcade that a lot of time and care was put into the set-up for this area, with its carefully displayed memorabilia and the sheer magnitude of options available for entertainment.

S. Fristad Level Two (L2)

The final level of the Fristad Caverns Resort is where one will find the last two-room suites, the lounge, the gym, and the paintball arena.

Lounge (L2) by Bing AI

The cavern lounge is kind of like an adult playground, complete with a full liquor bar, bar seating, pool, darts, cornhole, bocce ball, and tables for card games. There are small decorative pools and a generous amount of plants scattered throughout the area. A small karaoke stage sits waiting in the corner so one might embrace their inner rock star, and a baby grand piano is situated nearby for those who may prefer making a melody with their fingers. A giant walk-in humidor can also be found here, housing thousands of cigars from top names such as Davidoff, Arturo Fuente, and Ashton Estates, and the entire area is equipped with an air filtration and smoke purifying system.

The gym and the paintball arena share this level with the lounge, perhaps to remind visitors of the benefits of exercise and activity. The gym, while not large, is well-equipped and has a variety of free weights, machines, and equipment to ensure a good workout can be had by all. The paintball arena is pretty much as it says, a large cavern with pillars for cover to shoot the hell out of each other with hard little balls of paint. It's a great way to get out aggression, you should try it!

Outside South Fristad

Ah, the great outdoors... where at Fristad Caverns there is almost as much to do on the outside as there is indoors! Following the trail mentioned earlier, visitors can go tubing or kayaking, fishing, swimming, hiking, or horseback riding. Guests can find areas designated for a zip-line course, a shooting range, another outdoor paintball/airsoft arena, and a fitness and obstacle course. Registered visitors to the resort have access to ATVs and dirt bikes during their stay, and there are many trails dedicated to motorized usage, one leading to a dirt bike track hidden deep in the woods.

A Few Secrets Remain

Our tour ends here, and I am sure by now you are wondering whose life insurance you can collect on to come stay here. Oh, and you are wondering about the doors we didn't go through? The door in the south tunnel bay and the doors in the garden? Oh, well, I could tell you what's behind those doors, but then I'd have to kill you.

Enjoy your stay at Fristad Caverns Resort!!

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by Google Maps

Power Sources

There are several solar panel grids scattered across the property, and these are used to heat the resort water supply, the pool and spa waters, and the radiant heat flooring throughout the complex.

Solar Array by Midjourney

Industrial sized propane gas tanks are on site, and these provide fuel to run the heating system, cooktops, and numerous fireplaces in the resort.

Propane Tank Installation by Midjourney

Electricity is generated using wind and water, with wind turbines on the mountain tops and waterwheels using the underground stream.

Turbine Array by Midjourney

The Old Water Tunnel by Midjourney

All forms of power and fuel run through the operations center, which contains the heating system, water tanks, power conversion station, battery banks, propane tanks, pumps, and everything else needed to get power, fuel, and water to where it needs to go.

Fristad Caverns Operations Plant by Midjourney

Type

Hospitality, Resort

Resort Amenities

Free Parking
Free Wi-Fi
Smart TVs
Evening Meal Provided
In-Suite Kitchens
Gourmet Kitchen
On-Site Laundry
Game Room - Billiards/Cards
Game Room - Electronics
Pool/Spa
Movie Theatre
Tubing/Kayaking
Fishing
Swimming
Hiking
Horseback Riding
Zip-Line Course
Shooting Range
Paintball/Airsoft Arena
Fitness & Obstacle Course

Movie Theater (LB) by Bing AI

Pool (L1) by Bing AI

Gym (L2) by Bing AI

Paintball Arena (L2) by Bing AI

Spa Services

Massages

Swedish Massage
Deep Tissue Massage
Aromatherapy Massage
Hot Stone Massage
Himalayan Salt Massage

Body Treatments

Facial: Lactic Acid Peel
Facial: Microdermabrasion
Facial: Sensitive Skin
LED Skin Phototherapy
Mud Bath
Aquatherapy Bath
Hydrating Body Wrap
Detox Body Wrap

Nails

Nail Maintenance
Basic or Gel Manicure
Acrylic Overlay Manicure
Dip Powder Manicure
Paraffin Manicure
Acrylic Tips
Nail Art
Massage and Oil Treatments

Hair

Wash, Cut, & Style
Full Color
Highlights
Ombre/Balayage
Botanical Therapy
Keratin Treatment
Scalp Detoxification Treatment

Fristad Caverns Room Suites

Click the images here to see more info.

Three Bedroom Suites

LB - The Natural Suite

L1 - The Industrial Suite

L2 - The Bohemian Suite

Two Bedroom Suites

LB - The Shabby Chic Suite

L1 - The Coastal Suite

L2 - The Window Suite