Ultimate Guide to Rickwood Caverns, Alabama (Tours, Pricing, History, Map)
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Are you willing to experience the thrill of underground caverns? Then it would be best if you came down to Rickwood Caverns State Park near the town of Warrior. The main highlight of this place is the massive network of underground caverns that has fascinating geological formations, underground pools, and rare blind cavefish. The magnificent cave has 260 million years old formations that were created by water.
One can visit this cave any time of the year to experience the magic of Rickwood Caverns. Although the main attraction is the cave tour, the Park has a gift shop, playground, gemstone mining facilities, and picnicking arrangements.
Rickwood Caverns, Alabama
Rickwood Caverns is one of the members of the National Cave Association and offers excellent examples of living geology. The available evidence suggests that the caverns were water-formed more than 260 million years ago during the Mississippian period. The cave has active living formations as the mineral-laden waters form flowstones and colorful formations. All these reveal that Rickwood Caverns were carved from an ocean bed as the fossils of marine life are visible on the walls and ceilings of the caverns.
History of Rickwood Caverns
The Rickwood Caverns is a member of the National Caves Association and has an interesting history. The actual caves of the state park were discovered in the 1950s by the Boy Scouts. A small batch of Boy Scouts was exploring the Park led by a man named Eddie Rickles.
As soon as the cave was discovered, he made a partnership with his friend named Sonny Arwood. The name of the caves, Rickwood Caverns, resulted from combining the two last names, and as soon as it was named, they began to develop the property. The cave was run as a private entity until 1974, when Alabama purchased it and the surrounding land. In the same year, it was officially named a State Park.
Geological Cave Formations
The geologists have classified Rickwood Caverns as a ‘living cave’ because it is common to find mineral-laden waters seeping into the cave to form stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone formations. The most popular attractions of the cavern are the Bridal Column and Frozen Castle.
These two are beautiful but naturally created massive columns that run from the cavern floor to the top. But what makes them stand out is that innumerable stalactites surround them. There are also a series of animal-shaped limestones near the underground pool, and you will also come across things and fragile rocks that you can see through.
Wildlife in Rickwood Caverns
Rickwood Caverns has a decent population of wildlife. If you are lucky, you can catch a glimpse of the blind cavefish and cave crayfish in the subterranean lake. There is also a small population of bats that clings to the walls and ceilings of the cave at the end of the cave. Apart from these, the caverns are also home to frogs, salamanders, and the unique transparent fish that is only found in these underground environments.
Is Rickwood Caverns Haunted?
No, Rickwood Caverns is not haunted at all, but some people say that Jack Cole Road that connects Hayden with Rickwood Caverns State Park, has seen mysterious happenings from time to time. It is difficult to tell whether anything occurred, or it is just a fragment of the imagination of the people.
How Big is Rickwood Caverns?
Rickwood Caverns State Park is a recreation area that spreads over 380 acres of land and elevates 968 ft.
Rickwood Caverns Tours
One can only explore the Rickwood Caverns through a registered tour guide. The tours are given at specific intervals throughout the day, and it starts from the gift shop. The tour is a mile long and would take around an hour to complete. It will take you through several narrow passageways and up and down many stairways.
The stairways are fully lighted, enabling you to see the various formations bursting with a plethora of colors. The tour will let you walk through the entire cavern except for a few passageways and an abandoned civil defense fallout shelter.
The chief highlight of this tour is the main passageway that is otherwise known as the Miracle Mile. It runs through the 260-million years old Mississippi period limestone formations. You will be able to see mollusk shells that are fossilized and other embedded animals.
The tour will also take you to a depth of 175 ft below the surface, showing that it has to be the remains of an ancient ocean. It is believed that somehow there is a connection with other caves through the underground lake.
The underground pool is large and has been described as a subterranean lake. Divers explored it before 1974 and found that the lake extends at least 25 ft to the back and 65 ft in depth. The divers turned back for their personal safety.
Tour Prices and Discounts
The Rickwood Caverns Tour takes place between January and November. The prices are as follows –
- Ages 12 and up: USD 19
- Age 5 to 11: USD 9
- Under five years: FREE with parent/guardian
Virtual Reality Cave Tour
There are arrangements for a Virtual Reality Cave Tour for those who cannot walk through the cave. The tour is guided by one of those boy scouts who had helped to develop the cave. The program is subject to availability, and there are no charges for this tour.
Camping and Cave Tour Package
When you commit to at least one night of camping, you will discount in admission as it comes down to
- Ages 12 and up: USD 14
- Age 5 to 11: USD 8
The package is available as per the operating schedule of the cave.
Is Rickwood Caverns Cold?
The underground wonder, Rickwood Caverns, experiences a constant temperature of 58 to 62 degrees F throughout the year. During summer, you can come here to cool off from the sweltering heat or come here to feel a bit warm in the cold winter months.
What to Wear?
The cave maintains a cool temperature throughout the year. Full-sleeved shirts or warm T-shirts should be enough during winter, but you can carry a light jacket if you feel the chill too quickly.
Rickwood Caverns Hours
The Park is open daily from dawn to dusk. The caves are available from March to May and again from August to October. The cave tours take place at 10 am, 12 noon, 2 pm, and 4 pm. Pets are not allowed inside the cave, and masks are highly recommended inside the cave.
What to Do at Rickwood Caverns (Beside Tours)
Apart from the tours, people visiting Rickwood Caverns hike, visit a swimming pool, go camping, indulge in gem mining, spend time in the playground or go for a picnic.
Hike
You can undertake four trails, but the longest one is the Fossil Mountain Hiking Trail. This trail will take you to the limestone-covered mountainside. It is a peaceful hike, and one can search for fossils imprinted on the rocks.
Swimming Pool
The Olympic-sized swimming pool has the chilly spring water that comes from the cave. It comes complete with a low dive and a high dive into 12 ft deep water. Lifeguards are always on duty, and wrist guards are mandatory for swimming which one can buy from the gift shop.
Camping
Camping is widely available, and there are thirteen water & electric campsites which can
accommodate trailers and motor homes up to 40 ft. Five primitive sites are suitable for tents only. The campsites are patrolled for 24 hours, and restrooms are provided for the benefit of the campers.
More to do at Rickwood Caverns
These are not all! There are many more activities where you can participate at the Rickwood Caverns.
Gem Mining
It is a fun activity that is suitable for all ages. The gemstone mining process can be a lot of fun, educational, and can be counted as the first step towards collecting gems. The experience of panning for gems will remain etched in your memory for a long time.
Playground and Picnic Area
The picnic area at Rickwood Caverns has tables, grills, plenty of trees, and an adequate number of shelters. However, the shelters are only available through the reservation, and they are ideal for reunions or family picnics. The children’s playground is close to the picnic area.
Best Time to Visit
You can enjoy Rickwood Caverns and its tours any time of the year. So, you can come here at your convenience but do avoid the period between 23rd November to the end of December as the caverns remain closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
How to Get to Rickwood Caverns
Rickwood Caverns is close to the towns of Birmingham, Cullman, and Gardendale. It is around an hour and fifteen minutes south of Huntsville and involves a short drive off of I – 65.
Hotels near Rickwood Caverns
We recommend that you add camping at Rickwood Caverns to your bucket list. Rickwood provides thirteen developed campsites, out of which nine are landscaped. These can accommodate motor homes and trailers of any size.
The campsites are being patrolled 24 hours, and standard facilities at the site include a dump station, restrooms, and seasonal showers. There are a few hotels near the state park, such as Country View RV Park and Grady’s Bed & Breakfast.
Visiting Rickwood Caverns
Do you need more information before visiting Rickwood Caverns? Call (205) 647 – 9692 for an information packet.
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