Russell Cave National Monument Was Recently Named Alabama's Coolest National Park
By Jennifer Young
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Published August 11, 2021
There’s no denying that Alabama is an outdoor lover’s dream. After all, the Yellowhammer State is home to a variety of outdoor attractions, including some of the coolest in the nation. One of these is Russell Cave National Monument, which you can learn all about below.
Russell Cave National Monument, which was established on May 11, 1961, is located off the beaten path in Bridgeport, Alabama. It's considered one of the nation's most unique archaeological sites.
Upon your arrival to this park, you'll reach the Gilbert Grosvenor Visitor Center. While at the visitor center, you'll be able to watch a park film, shop for souvenirs, and even explore a...
...small museum, which features a variety of exhibits with information about the people who inhabited Russell Cave throughout four different anthropological time periods. You'll also get to view several artifacts, including arrowheads, fish hooks, and more.
Russell Cave National Monument's main feature is of course Russell Cave. With a mapped length of 7.2 miles, it's Alabama's third longest cave. It also contains the most thorough records of prehistoric culture in the Southeast.
The trail to reach Russell Cave, which was inhabited for more than 10,000 years, is a 1.1-mile loop trail. It has an easy rating and will take about an hour to finish. You can also skip the hike by accessing the trail from the Gilbert Grosvenor Visitor Center. From there, you can easily walk to the cave.
Once reaching the cave, you'll be able to go inside and look out. By doing this, you'll get to experience what the Native Americans did when they used Russell Cave for shelter.
Russell Cave National Monument is also part of the North Alabama Birding Trail, so you can expect to see a variety of bird species during your visit.
For more information about Russell Cave National Monument, you can view its webpage
here and its Facebook page
here . Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Have you ever visited Alabama’s Russell Cave National Monument in Bridgeport? If so, please share your experience with us in the comments below.
Another national park in Alabama that’s worthy of a visit is Little River Canyon National Preserve in Fort Payne. For more information, be sure to take a look at the following article: Little River Canyon National Preserve Was Named The Most Beautiful Place In Alabama And We Have To Agree .
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Russell Cave National Monument, 3729 Co Rd 98, Bridgeport, AL 35740, USA