Rickwood Caverns

Rickwood Caverns were discovered around the 1950s by a band of boy scouts and their leader, Eddie Rickles. Although the property itself had been known by locals as a graffiti hotspot. Rickles decided to develop the caves into a public attraction with a friend of his, Sonny Arwood. The two combined their names and dubbed the caverns “Rickwood Caverns.” The caverns opened in 1954, but the caverns were sold to the state of Alabama to become a state park. 

Rickwood Caverns is home to 260-million-year-old limestone formations from the Mississippian period. The caves extend well over 200 feet below the earth. Rickwood Caverns is referred to as a “living cave” by geologists as there are still stalagmite, stalactite, and flowstone formations developing due to the mineral-rich water. Many unique rock formations can be seen such as natural bridges.

The park provides an hour-long guided tour through passages that have walls covered in fossilized marine animals. During the tour, visitors can see the underground lake, strange animal-shaped limestone formations, an unused civil defense fallout shelter, and more. The cave is also home to an abundance of wildlife.