A herd of elephants butts, a slice of bacon, and a Christmas tree etched in stone are just of few of the formations you’ll see in Cathedral Caverns if you use your imagination.
Once called Bat Cave its size is so massive it could well have been the cave Batman used for his secret hideout.
It’s aptly named Cathedral Caverns due to its massive ceilings and cathedral-like appearance inside. Measuring 126 feet wide and 25 feet tall, its colossal entrance is probably a world record for commercial caves according to its website. The cave is also home to Goliath, one of the largest stalagmites in the world measuring 45 feet tall and 243 feet in circumference.
Cathedral Caverns, aka Bat Cave, is an Alabama State Park that opened in 2000. I didn’t see any of the winged creatures on our 90-minute tour, which spans 1.5 miles round trip, but I did experience a few hair-raising moments. One such moment came when I felt an eerie rush of cold followed by a wave of eerie light seen only thru my camera while invisible with the naked eye. Also, the flash was turned off. These before and after photos show the surge of what appeared to be a mist and the next photo taken immediately after showed no mist. Hmm.
The most fun was when we got to the deepest part of the cave and experienced total darkness. Our tour guide warned us before turning off all the lights in the cave. He asked that everyone turn off cell phones and watches so there would be no hint of light. With the flip of a switch we were in total darkness, we could not see our hands in front of our face. Our tour guide told us that experiencing total darkness for three days could lead to blindness. I did fact-check this and found that this is somewhat true and somewhat a myth. You may experience blindness, but it’s temporary. How long it takes to gain your eyesight back seems to be the big question. Just don’t live in a cave in total darkness.
We also saw a few creepy creatures and structures like cave crickets and an old wooden bridge near the bottom of the cave just to name a few. The floor was wet all along the path with puddles even during the heat of summer, so be careful where you step. I know caves are damp and dark, but slimy-feeling water kept sloshing in my sneakers. You may want to wear your waterproof shoes.
It’s a cool escape as the cave stays at 58-60 degrees year-round. I gotta say, it was a relief to enter the cave with outside temps in the 90s.
Since I took my hubby and our 12-year-old great-niece on the trip to the caverns it was natural that she wanted to pan for gems and fossils across from the entrance. Okay, somewhat pan for gems (wink, wink). You just have to buy a tub of the gems mixed in sand at the gift shop before you swish them in water at the mine flumes. It’s a really fun project for the kids. The gems and fossils come with a guide that identifies all the finds.
The Cave is just a short 30 minute drive east of Huntsville on Highway 72. If you enjoy camping, they offer campsites as well.
For cave tours and prices check out the Cathedral Caverns website.
Quick Facts
Cathedral Caverns, once called Bat Cave, is an Alabama State Park that opened in 2000.
It is called Cathedral Caverns due to its cathedral-like appearance. It originally opened in the 1950s as a private cave, but was purchased by the state in 1987 and opened as a state park in 2000.
A formation called Goliath is one of the largest stalagmites in the world measures 45 feet tall and 243 feet around.
Everyday Edith 