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    Cathedral Caverns State Park

    4.8 (85 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:30 pm

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    Shelby A.

    An absolute must visit gem we discovered in Alabama! The caverns are located within the cathedral state park which has hiking trails and camping. I recommend buying tickets in advance as they sell out very fast and they only allow for guided tours. I absolutely loved our tour guide, Jacob. He was amazing and left us with corny jokes throughout the whole cave tour. I recommend bringing a sweatshirt as if was 50-60° within the cavern as opposed to the 96° weather outside. We didn't want to come back out as the tour concluded. All of the caverns are fascinating with stalagmites and running water. The history behind the cave also made it super interesting. Like learning how they intended for it to be a fallout shelter but didn't realize the large opening would be an issue. Or how the man who bought the cave dug and crawled by hand for some parts of it which is crazy once you see how large it is inside. The only complaint I had is when you get to the end they turn the lights out to show you the pitch black darkness. We had a few obnoxious people in our group who chose to keep their phones on with their flash to record the darkness. Like come on people. Put the phones away. Parking gets a little intense but there are plenty of spots available.

    Mara R.

    Everything went well! Second time here and our guide Karen was AMAZING!!!!!!!! We will definitely be back!

    Keith F.

    This was one of those last minute decisions to see and wow was I glad we stopped. I'm a little bit weird about being underground to begin with but this cave doesn't have that claustrophobic vibe to it at all in my opinion. The entrance is a huge opening and most of the rooms in the cave are much larger than you would expect. There are some wonderful pictures to be taken and our guide was awesome. She made several dad type jokes. I learned some things about caves along the way as well. There is a part where they cut the lights and it is pitch black. What a strange feeling that was! It is a little pricey but worth it in my opinion. It was nice and cool temperature wise sonic you're a cold type person bring a light coat. Highly recommended.

    Brad H.

    I appreciate the fact this is operated by state parks and not a commercial business. The grounds are well kept and the caves are simply amazing displays of nature. Fair priced for all that needs to be done to keep this experience open and safe to the public. Highly recommend this experience.

    Richard W.

    Cathedral Caverns cave is a hilly 1.5 mile walk to the back of the cave and 1.5 miles to the front. Perfect if you want to get your steps in for the day. This place is very cool (temperature) place if you looking to escape the heat. And it's family friendly. The guided tours go every hour on the hour. You are not allowed to go by yourself. I recommend bringing a light jacket if you are the type to get cold easily, water, and shoes with good traction. The ground isn't slippery but better to be safe.

    Andrea B.

    If you're a fan of caves or even if you're not these caves were beautiful and they were well worth the drive. Our tour guide was excellent, with a ton of knowledge of the history and science of the cave. The tour was perfectly paced. This cavern is accessible to all, which is rare. I especially appreciated that they lighted the cave with natural lighting rather than artificial coloring like other caves I had recently visited. It is $20pp and a great value! Tips: They take reservations up to two days in advance over the phone.

    Cavern

    Impressive caverns with great gift shop also. Lots of cool mineral specimens. The tour was well organized and very interesting. Well worth a visit!

    Cathy P.

    Great place, easy to walk inside, very nice!! We were running late after we got stuck in the road waiting for an accident to move out of the way and we called ahead. They were nice to allow us to go in late. Very great experience.

    Nancy C.

    Coming to the cavern was well worth the teip! The cave was huge and we practiced social distancing during the tour with no problem You must wear a mask, but the woman at the ticket counter didn't wear one?? Kind of pricey at $19.00 each for an adult. Anyway, it is a great tour. The guide was very knowledgeable about the cave and its history. The cave had lots of formations. The tour took about an hour hour and a half. You gotta do this. The only reason I didn't didn't give it 5 stars, was because of the clerk not wearing a mask.

    Ashley S.

    I've been here several times now to include their concur the cave 5k. I have to say this is a definite attraction I bring all my visitors to because it's great any time of year and it's a unique cavern. Incredibly beautiful and worth the visit. I still highly recommend calling your reservation in, especially during busy season. I've done this every time and had no issue.

    Chef Paul P.

    This moment is truly epic, beyond words, etched forever in memory. The journey through time is nothing short of breathtaking. This cave experience is an absolute must; if you find yourself in its vicinity, set aside 90 minutes for the walk--it will transform you into a lifelong enthusiast.

    Serena D.

    We took a large group of kids and adults to the caverns and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The path is wide and paved and even though you walk down about 70 feet in elevation and back up, it's not a bad walk. The tour takes an hour and a half. The caverns are cool and humid and feel really nice when it's hot outside. The original owner of the caves as a commercial venture did try his hand at repairing earthquake damage in one area, resulting in pipes to run water over the frozen waterfall instead of natural water flow. Other than that the cave is pretty much as he found it, in a natural growing state. It's impressive. Side note, we stayed at the improved tent campsites. The bathhouse was spotless and well maintained. The tent sites each came with a picnic table, metal fire pit, water spigot, AC outlet, and wooden picnic table. The camper sites next to the tent sites are also equipped with water and power but not sewer so the campers are all ten small pull behind truck kinds. It was very laid back. The only drawbacks are that the sites are small, one tent is plenty, and the surface is gravel. Hard to get those tent stakes into gravel and not fun to sleep on without a pad. There were cars driving up to the bathhouse during the night so it's not completely quiet.

    Rocks

    Was a nice walk on a summer's day. Because it's 58 degrees. Looking at the rock formations was nice and the tour guide showed us pretty much everything he could in the cave. He was a nice old man that was very knowledgeable. Would go again if I have free time.

    Entrance to cave

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    9 months ago

    Amazing tour, our guide Stephanie was excellent. Well worth the trip. I recommend you bring a light jacket it's cold inside.

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    2 years ago

    Incredible site and tour! Well worth the time. This is such a incredible geological formation. A must see in Alabama.

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    2 years ago

    It's amazing I love it and it's very enjoyable for the whole family and very nice amazing people.

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    3 years ago

    Awesome park great tour funny tour guide we has a great time. Being in the cave was great on a hot day.

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    3 years ago

    This place was fantastic. The staff was amazing with lots of great information and background from the guide.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Cathedral Caverns State Park

    Is there a 'best time' to go, or when its super busy to avoid? Are there areas to exit the cave if someone isn't well and needs to step out?

    If I recall from the tour, temperature in the cave is 58-60 degrees all year round. It doesn't seem to be super busy.… Read more

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    Review Highlights - Cathedral Caverns State Park

    Alex took us on a wonderful fact filled tour of an awesome cavern that is nowhere as claustrophobic as Ruby Falls but was just as spectacular!

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Jackson County Parks & Marina

    Jackson County Parks & Marina

    5.0(2 reviews)
    12.3 mi

    We're from Cape Coral, FL and when we were told to evacuate because of Irma, we headed to Alabama…read more Myself, husband and two pups found a hotel in Scottsboro and stayed two nights. It was NOT easy being on the 4th floor in such cramped quarters! The third day we took a drive and found Jackson County Parks & Marina. We took a chance and visited the office. The young lady could not have been kinder. We were able to rent a two bedroom cabin with a gorgeous lake view. The cabin was spotless and had everything we needed. There are walking paths, boats to rent, a little BBQ restaurant, room for campers and I think tents as well. We highly recommend this place and may even come back to actually vacation and not be running from a hurricane!!! Thank you, Jackson County Parks!!!!

    We started our stay in Scottsboro with a horrible experience with another campground. We decided…read morenot to stay there because everyone was packed into the sites! We decided to try Jackson County Park. The experience of calling the park was nicer than what I expected. The gal told me about a few available sites and then called me back to let me know there was another available spot that I would probably like better. The site is absolutely beautiful and almost perfectly level. The view of the lake is gorgeous! The sites are spaced so nicely it actually feels like you have space without intruding on another campsite. (For the record, we're pulling a 29' travel trailer). There's enough space to pull your slides and hook up and still have space to park your pulling car. The grounds are beautiful and there's plenty of space to enjoy yourself and maneuver. I am just immensely happy with our stay. I would absolutely wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking.

    Photos
    Jackson County Parks & Marina
    Jackson County Parks & Marina
    Jackson County Parks & Marina

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    Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds - Entrance

    Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds

    4.3(100 reviews)
    38.6 mi

    My group said we should go to this event that I had never been to. We drove up from Birmingham that…read moreevening and spent so many hours there walking around together and riding that tiny train once too. I was surprised the whole time bc it was not something I would think to care about except for taking my kids to when they little many years ago. However it was actually so enjoyable and neat to be at. It is filled with so many people clearly for a reason. I'd recommend anyone go to it even if they think it's not their type of thing. It is very cool for sure. Also, the last thing we did was hop on that little train( which I didn't care to do at all without little kids with me) yet it was a shocker how that man driving the train who shares about all things throughout the event that you get to see again from a different view on that train...he was super awesome. I actually would have ridden that train and listened to that man over and over and over again. He was fun to hear from. It is not super expensive so do not resist to do it. Gather up your group or just you and your spouse or for take your kids if they are still young. This is for sure a fun enjoyable thing to go see.

    We visit the park every year at least once.There is a playground,mini golf,train,petting…read morezoo,several historical buildings.The main attraction is of course,the falls,canyon,and the grounds.There is picnic areas in several locations,also a few restaurants nearby.There is also a hiking trail down the mountain.We brought 2 classes today.Check out the next ,The Working Man Review.

    Photos
    Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds - Front of building

    Front of building

    Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds
    Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds - Covered bridge on the park property.

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    Covered bridge on the park property.

    Bucks Pocket State Park - Wooden decking leading to the overlook

    Bucks Pocket State Park

    4.6(5 reviews)
    11.5 mi

    Wonderful Place To Camp and Kayak. The next time we visit we're bringing the Gators and taking the…read moreATV trail. Rumor has it Bigfoot had been spotted around area.

    WOW! What a crack!…read more Buck's Pocket is a 2,000 acre State Park surrounding a natural canyon affectionately referred to as a pocket. The canyon lies in the Cumberland Plateau, a geological area west of the Appalachian Mountain chain that stretches from eastern Kentucky to northern Alabama and is contiguous with the Allegheny Plateau on the northern side. It's one thing to learn about things like plateaus in school and quite another to see them in person. It's pretty incredible to see grassland and farmland so vast that you forget you are in the mountains, but then suddenly and out of nowhere a canyon like Bucks Pocket appears like a huge crack in the earth. ~~~ The main overlook known as Jim Lynn Overlook @ Point Rock sits at the end of a peninsula of stone that is almost undetectable from the parking area. You will follow a wooden platform with multiple stairs up and down for about 100 yards. The stairs/platforms were recently refurbished in 2017. Along the way are several side overlooks that are not fenced (so be careful with children). According to alapark.com, the cliffs surrounding the overlook roughly exceed 1,000 feet, but that is overall elevation above sea level... not the true height of the cliff. ACCORDING TO THE USGS NATIONAL TOPOGRAPHY MAP, the area of Buck's Pocket nearest to Point Rock overlook sits around 1,100 feet above sea level. The Little Sauty Creek that passes through Buck's Pocket near the base of Point Rock is at an elevation of around 750 feet above sea level. This means Point Rock could not possibly be 1,000 feet tall as advertised, but instead only around 350 feet, which geologically is referred to as its overall prominence. Regardless, there are sheer drops here that would be unquestionably fatal. A fence with wooden beams and stone columns surrounds the overlooks main area. This is not an overlook for long distance views, but instead one that magnifies elevation differences. Without the fence, even someone without a fear heights would probably have a panic attack at the cliffs edge. Area 2,000 acres Established 1971 ~~~ HISTORY The park opened in 1971 after the land was originally purchased from a farmer by a Booster Club in 1966. It was once inhabited by Cherokee Indians and was also used for growing coffee and olives by the French during the 1700s and later for logging in the 1940s. Buck's Pocket was said to have been give its name because an abundant amount of deer that once roamed these lands. Urban legend has it that a buck apparently leapt from Point Rock to its death after being trapped by Cherokee Indian. Yet another urban legend says a man named Buck Berry used this area to escape being drafted during the Civil War and still another more modern legend says Alabama politicians would come here after unsuccessful bids for office I suppose to wallow in their sorrows. There are 15 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding plus a picnic area with views into the canyon below. ~~~ FINAL THOUGHTS Beautiful canyon worthy of a quick visit if traveling through Alabama on a scenic road trip! 2020 / 27

    Photos
    Bucks Pocket State Park - View from cliff near parking area (no railing, sheer drop)

    View from cliff near parking area (no railing, sheer drop)

    Bucks Pocket State Park
    Bucks Pocket State Park

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    Cathedral Caverns State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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