Cathedralcaverns

Cathedral Caverns

(Photos by CDaniels unless noted otherwise)

Also known as "Bat Cave", Cathedral Caverns is located in a 461-acre state park between Grant and Woodville, Alabama, approximately 30 miles from Huntsville. It was formerly owned by Jay Gurley who purchased the cave for the cost of the 160 acres of land above it from a farmer. He wanted to open the cave for commercial use after discovering its huge entrance and the unique formations inside the caverns. He worked for several years at making the cave more accessible by clearing a trail to the cave, blasting a tunnel through over 250 feet of solid rock, moving mud and boulders from a canyon ledge, and placing 40 miles of wiring and 80,000 watts for lighting. When the cave opened in 1959, visitors saw stalagmites, stalactites, rimstone dams, flowstone sheets, pool deposits, helictites, and a flowing stream in the cave. The Gurley Family maintained the cave as a tourist attraction for several years but they were forced to close it due to financial difficulties. In 1987 the State of Alabama bought the cave and opened it as part of the Cathedral Caverns State Park in 1995.

Cathedral Caverns had been home to some Indians and their relics and artifacts have been found inside the cave. Archeological digs have brought out spear points, pottery pieces, and animal bones--evidence that Cherokee and Creek Indians lived here 250-300 years ago. There has been evidence of Indians of the Paleo-period (7000-9000 years ago) living here. The fossil record of the caves indicated that Alabama was under a shallow ocean. Fossils of brachiopods, corals, crinoids and sharks teeth have been found in the cave. Explorers of the cave have left their scribbled writings on the walls dating back to the 1800's.

TEACHER ACTIVITIES:

Teachers will be studying cave minerals and speleothems while observing these different features of the caverns.

They will be identifying the form of a speleothem as the shape that can be distinguished by growth or depositional mechanism.

They will review the karst environment that result in the formation of caves and sinkholes.

They will discuss the hydrology of the cave and its impact on the surrounding area. There is an underground stream that flows inside and floods the cave during heavy rains.

They will observe the general profile of the cave relative to the shape of the mountain it is found under.

Teachers will observe some of the fossils found in the cave walls and ceilings.

One of the records claimed for Cathedral cavern is its entrance being the largest in the world, measuring 128 feet wide by 28 feet high.

Other records claimed for this cave are: It has the largest frozen waterfall in a commercial cave in the world, the largest flow stone wall measuring 138' long and 30' high, and the world's largest stalagmite column.

Among the most attractive features of caves are their mineral deposits called speleothems. Three minerals commonly form the speleothems in limestone caves. These minerals are calcite, gypsum and aragonite.

Stalagmites are deposited upwards while stalactites are deposited downward from the ceiling of the caves.

Helictites are smooth-surface deposits that grow in curved paths instead of hanging vertically.

Flowstones are formed when solutions flowing down walls or over ledges deposited masses of travertine.

Caves are fragile habitats for rare plants and animals, some of which spend their whole lives in complete darkness. Caves play a vital role in the quality of our water. On its way to our drinking water supply, runoff often travels through caves into wells, springs, and aquifers. Surface water flows into caves easily receiving very little filtration. Water contaminated with human and animal wastes, fertilizers, petroleum products, pesticides, and other contaminants travel underground polluting our vital source of water.

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