Alabama Travel Guide

Alabama Travel Guide

Northern America

When you hear Alabama, you think of the southern states, whiskey and cotton. The state of Alabama in the United States is nicknamed the ” Cotton State ” because of its high level of cotton cultivation. Other nicknames include ” Yellowhammer State ” since the Civil War, after the state bird of Alabama. Young soldiers who came from Huntsville wore new uniforms with yellow cloth.

According to citypopulationreview.com, another famous name for Alabama is Heart of Dixie. ” The Heart of Dixie ” was developed by the Alabama Chamber of Commerce in the 1940s and 1950s. Until then, many southern states had the suffix “Cotton State,” but Alabama was looking for another name to distinguish itself. The slogan was “Alabama is geographically the Heart of Dixie, Alabama is industrially the Heart of Dixie, Alabama is, in fact, the Heart of Dixie.”

In 1955 the first automobile sign with the addition “Heart of Dixie” was even produced.

The name Alabama comes from the Indian tribe that used to live there. Alabama was founded in 1819 as the 22nd state of the United States with an area of ​​135,765 km². The capital of Alabama is Montgomery, home to Alabama State University and the Confederacy’s first White House. The largest city with the most population is Birmingham. In terms of land area, Huntsville is the largest city.

According to EHUACOM.COM, Alabama borders the following states: Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Mississippi to the west, and Florida to the southeast.

Alabama attractions

Interesting sights of Alabama are: the Rickwood Carverns, the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Cathedral Caverns State Park.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

There are no UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Alabama.

Cities and places of interest in Alabama

Birmingham
Montgomery
Mobile
Huntsville
Tuscaloosa
Hoover

Universities in Alabama

Alabama State University
Auburn University Montgomery (AUM)
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
Faulkner University in Montgomery
Troy University
University of Alabama

Airports in Alabama

Birmingham International / BHM
Huntsville International / HSV
Montgomery Regional / MGM
Dothan Regional / DHN
Mobile Regional / MOB
Muscle Shoals Regional / MSL
Tuscaloosa Regional / TCL
Pryor Field Regional / DCU

Rivers & Lakes in Alabama

Alabama River
Coosa River
Mobile River
Tallapoosa River
Tennessee River
Tombigbee River
Lake Jordan
Lake Martin
Lake Mitchel

Mountains & Elevations in Alabama

Appalachian Mountains
Cheaha Mountain
Red Mountain
Sand Mountain
Monte Sano
Lookout Mountain

Cathedral Caverns State Park with “Goliath” and the Cathedral Room

Breathtaking and overwhelming is the imposing entrance of Cathedral Cavern, Cathedral Caverns State Park, which greets every visitor to the park. At 38.4 meters wide and 7.62 meters high, the huge entrance opening is one of the largest cave entrances in the world. As a visitor to the cave entrance, you feel very small and only realize how powerful and beautiful nature can be.

But inside it gets even better, beautiful natural formations, stalagmite mountains, the rock formation “Frozen Waterfall” and a huge stalagmite column leave you amazed. The “Goliath” stalactite is one of the famous sights in the Cathedral Caverns. At 13.71 meters high and 38.4 meters wide, it is considered the largest stalactite in the world.

Cathedral Caverns are located between Grant and Woodville in the Gunters Mountains of Marshall County, about 31 miles east of Huntsville, in the state of Alabama. They were discovered by Jay Gurley in 1952, who named them Bats Cave. The caves were later renamed Cathedral Caverns because of their dome-like appearance. Jacob Gurley acquired the 160 acre cave and then presented it to the public as a family business. After spending almost a decade taking care of the cave’s expansion, debris clean-up, lighting and driveways.

The Gurley family maintained Cathedral Caverns for 20 years. In 1972, the Cathedral Cavern was designated a National Natural Landmark. However, after financial problems in the Gurley family, the caves were closed.
In 1987, the Cathedral Caverns were purchased by the state of Alabama. The state of Alabama renamed it Cathedral Caverns State Park.

Archaeological surveys were conducted shortly after the state of Alabama took over the caves. The University of Alabama and Jacksonville State University found artifacts that can be dated back to 9000 years ago. Artifacts included animal bones, arrowheads, spearheads, and ancient shards.

Inside, the Mystery River flows through the cave. It enriches the cave with oxygen and fresh air. In heavy rain, however, the Mystery River can cause flooding in the cave.

Cave rooms worth seeing in the Cathedral Cavern are the Cathedral Room, a karst cave with a large stalagmite forest covering an area of ​​approximately 1.2 hectares. The Frozen Waterfall area, formed by the removal of minerals by the flowing water, and the Lincoln Room, in which a shadow depicts the silhouette of Lincoln’s head. The park was named after the famous Cathedral room.

Above ground, Cathedral Caverns State Park features 450 acres of hiking trails, picnic areas, campgrounds, a rock climbing wall and a visitor center. The Welcome Center provides information on the history of the caves and the park.

Gem mining in the Cathedral Cavern’s Gemstone Mine is particularly popular with children and adults alike. For this purpose, a bag with mining sand is bought and sifted by running water. At the end you can see if there is a gem underneath. Each pocket is filled with a variety of rough cut gemstones.

Climate & Weather in Cathedral Caverns State Park

Year-round, the Cathedral Caverns maintain a comfortable temperature of 15.6 degrees.

Accommodation & Overnight in Cathedral Caverns Park

Overnight accommodation is available at the Cathedral Caverns State Park campground or at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge.

Directions & Getting to Cathedral Caverns State Park

Cathedral Caverns are located three miles south of US 72 between Grant and Woodville, Alabama.

From Guntersville: Take Highway 431 north to County Road 5. Turn right to Grant and follow the signs.

From Huntsville: Take Highway 72 east to Highway 63. Turn right and follow signs to the park.

From Scottsboro: Take Highway 72 West to Highway 63. Turn left and continue until you see the Cathedral Caverns Rock sign. Turn left and drive until you see signs for the park.

Entrance to Alabama State Park Cathedral Cavern

The park is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park is only closed on the following days: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Cave tours into the cave are offered throughout the day. Access to the cave consists of concrete paths suitable for wheelchair users.

Cave tours are $12 for adults. Children 6-11 years old are $6 and under 5 years old admission to Cathedral Caverns State Park is free.

Other interesting Alabama attractions near Cathedral Caverns include Lake Guntersville, Monte Sano State Park, DeSoto State Park, Buck Pocket State Park, Decatur, Huntsville and the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Address of the attraction Cathedral Caverns State Park

Cathedral Caverns State Park
637 Cave Rd.
Woodville, AL 35776
//www.alapark.com/CathedralCaverns/

Alabama Travel Guide