The Rickwood Caverns Have Some Very Unique Features

The Rickwood Caverns State Park is one of the most unique parks not only in the state of Alabama, but in the entire southeast.

It is thought to be millions of years old and is believed to have formed from an ancient ocean bed.

View of the Cave

The park itself is made up of over 380 acres and is located approximately 7 miles north of the town of Warrior Alabama.

There are several amenities located by this beautiful cave, including an Olympic size swimming pool.

The History of Rickwood Caverns

The Rickwood Caverns in Warrior Alabama

Rickwood Caverns is a member of the National Caves Association, and it has quite an interesting history.

The actual caves that are located in this state park were first discovered in the early 1950’s, by Boy Scouts.

A troop of Boy Scouts were out exploring the park and their leader was a man named Eddie Rickles.

Once the discovery was made, Mr. Rickles created a partnership with a friend of his, a man named Sonny Arwood.

The name Rickwood Caverns was the result of blending their two last names together, and once named, they developed the property.

It was run as a private entity until the year 1974, when the State of Alabama purchased it and the surrounding land.

It was officially named as a State Park in the same year.

The Major Features Located in Rickwood Caverns

There are four major features that are located in the Rickwood Caverns, and they include the following.

The Miracle Mile
The Frozen Castle
The Bridal Column
Odd Shaped Limestone Formations
An Underground Pool

The Miracle Mile

Rickwood Caverns can only be explored by a registered tour guide, and they are given throughout the day.

These guided tours are about one hour long and will take you through a mile long journey the goes through some very narrow passageways.

It will also take you both up well as down several stairways, all of which are lighted to you the visitor, so you can see the numerous formations that are bursting with a myriad of colors.

The tour takes you through the majority of Rickwood Caverns, with the exception being an old and aging defense fallout shelter.

This “miracle mile” will take you through our ancient past, as you will see mollusk shells that are fossilized, as well as other embedded animals.

It also takes you to a depth of 175 feet below the surface.

This shows the visitor that this has to be the remains of an ancient ocean, which once existed in this part of the county.

The numerous limestone formations that you will see are both beautiful, as well as breathtaking.

Each of these tours begins at the gift shop that is located in the park.

The Frozen Castle and the Bridal Column

Two of both the largest as well as the most popular attractions at Rickwood Caverns are the Frozen Castle, and the Bridal Column.

Both of these magnificent natural creations feature very large columns that ran from the floor of the cavern, all the way to the top.

However, there is something that really makes them stand out; they are virtually surrounded by numerous stalactites.

The Underground Pool at Rickwood Caverns

The Underground Pool

One of the most unique features of the Rickwood Caverns is a very large underground pool, which has been best described as a subterranean lake.

Divers originally explored this subterranean lake before the State acquired the property in 1974.

It is believed that it goes at least 25 feet to the back of the known cave, and as deep as 65 feet.

Because of the unknown, the divers were apparently not willing to go any deeper than that.

Mining Play Area at Rickwood Caverns

If you are one of the visitors that are lucky during your tour, you may be able to see both blind cave fish as well as cave crayfish in this underground lake.

Blind cave fish are considered to be extremely rare.

However, that is not all you will be able to see, as you may also see a small population of bats.

These bats are quite common on both the ceiling as well as the walls of the Rickwood Caverns, near the end of the mile long tour.

There are also several frogs as well as salamanders that call this underground palace their home.

Near the underground pool, you will also be able to see something very unique in this cave.

There is a series of very odd-shaped limestone that are animal shaped.

You will also see what can best be described as a very thin and very fragile rock, which you can actually see through.

The numerous “living rock formations” that are found in the Rickwood Caverns are the result of mineral loaded small water droplets.

These small droplets create not only very colorful structures, but also what is referred to as flowstones.

Because of these formations it is what geologist’s call a “living cave”, as both stalactites as well as stalagmites are continually forming.

There are also several man-made attractions to the Rickwood Caverns State Park, and the most intriguing is the Olympic sized pool.

This pool is fed by the natural spring water that comes from the cave, and it is extremely clean and natural.

The park also has a picnic area for you family, a miniature train ride for children, as well as a playground

There is also a snack bar that is located by the gift shop.

All of this attraction, both natural and man-made, make it one of the exciting Alabama Backroads Day trips.

References

http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2851

The Rickwood Caverns Have Some Very Unique Features

The History of Rickwood Caverns

The Major Features Located in Rickwood Caverns

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