Cathedral Caverns State Park is a public recreation area and natural history preserve located in Kennamer Cove, Alabama, approximately northeast of

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and southeast of Woodville in Marshall County. The park, first known as Bats Cave, was developed as a tourist attraction in the 1950s. Cathedral Caverns was declared a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

in 1972 and opened as a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in 2000.

Description

Cathedral Caverns is a

karst cave Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant r ...

with a large

stalagmite A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling") is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typicall ...

forest covering approximately . The public portion of the cave extends along wheelchair-accessible, concrete walkways for approximately and has some of paths; another extend beyond the end of the pathway. Some have been surveyed and explored; only experienced cavers are allowed to go beyond the developed trail. The cave system laid claim to many world records in its commercial heyday though their accuracy has been disputed. Cathedral_Cavern_Entrance_2019

;Features Notable features of the caverns include: * an entrance measuring tall and , believed to be the world's widest entrance to a commercial cave; * the column known as ''Goliath'', one of the largest stalagmites in the world measuring tall and in circumference; * a large

flowstone Flowstones are sheetlike deposits of calcite or other carbonate minerals, formed where water flows down the walls or along the floors of a cave. They are typically found in "solution caves", in limestone, where they are the most common speleot ...

"waterfall", tall and long; * an "improbable" stalagmite, only in diameter at its base and rising at a 45-degree angle from a rock formation to the cave ceiling above; * The Big Room, long and wide; * Mystery River, which flows through the cavern and due to limited outflow may cause flooding after heavy rain.

History

Archaeological excavations at the mouth of Cathedral Caverns have indicated occupation by Native Americans as recently as 200 years ago and perhaps as early as 7000 BCE. The area around the caverns was settled by the Kennamer family and became known as Kennamers Cove. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, the Kennamer family lived in the cave for an extended period of time after their farmhouse was burned down by Union soldiers. The cave was maintained as a tourist attraction by Jacob "Jay" Gurley from 1955 to 1974. It was sold at auction in 1975 to Tom German, who in turn sold it to the State of Alabama in 1987. After funding delays, the state began restoration work in 1995. The cavern was re-opened to the public as Cathedral Caverns State Park in May 2000.

Awards

In September 2020, Cathedral Caverns State Park was one of eleven Alabama State Parks awarded Tripadvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Award, which recognizes businesses and attractions that earn consistently high user reviews.

Activities and amenities

The park offers cave tours, gem mining, and facilities for picnicking. The park has improved, primitive, and backcountry camping sites.

In popular culture

The caverns appear in two motion pictures: in 1983, principal photography for the horror film '' Secrets of the Phantom Caverns'' took place there; and in 1995, they provided cave settings for the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film ''

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.''

References

External links

Cathedral Caverns State Park
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources {{authority control State parks of Alabama Protected areas of Marshall County, Alabama Archaeological sites in Alabama Caves of Alabama Show caves in the United States Limestone caves National Natural Landmarks in Alabama Former populated places in Alabama Landforms of Marshall County, Alabama