Rickwood Caverns State Park

Rickwood Caverns State Park is in Blount County near the town of Warrior [1]. The caves were “discovered” in the early 1950s by a troop of Boy Scouts and their leader, Eddie Rickles, although graffiti dated to the 1890s shows local people knew of them earlier. Rickles and his friend Sonny Arwood gave the caverns their combined name. The state bought the property in 1974.

Geology

The main passageway, the Miracle Mile, runs through Mississippian limestone. Walls and ceilings contain fossilized mollusk shells and other marine animals from an ancient ocean floor. Geologists call it a living cave because mineral-rich water still seeps in and forms stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone [1]. See Caves of Alabama.

The tour

Access is by guided tour only, from the gift shop at scheduled times. Visitors descend to 175 feet. Highlights include an underground lake, animal-shaped limestone formations, a translucent thin rock wall, and the Frozen Castle and Bridal Column formations. Divers explored the lake before 1974 and found it extends at least 25 feet back and 65 feet down [1].

Wildlife

Visitors may see blind cave fish, cave crayfish and a small population of bats, plus frogs, salamanders and transparent fish [1].

Park facilities

The 380-acre park has an Olympic-size swimming pool fed by spring water from the cave, picnic areas, two pavilions, a playground, a miniature train, a snack bar and a gift shop. The campground has nine RV sites with electricity and water and four primitive tent sites. The Fossil Mountain Trail is an easy 1.2-mile loop through boulders, and collecting is prohibited [1].

Geology and discovery

Rickwood Caverns State Park is in Blount County near Warrior; the cave limestone dates to the Mississippian Period, about 260 million years ago. A Boy Scout troop and leader Eddie Rickles discovered the caves in the early 1950s, though locals apparently knew of them earlier, and the name combines Rickles’s and partner Sonny Arwood’s names.[2]

Living cave

Stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone are still forming from mineral-laden water, making it a living cave, and there is an underground lake with rare blind cave fish.[2]

Park history and facilities

Private tours ran from 1954 to 1974, and the state bought the property and opened it as a state park in June 1974. The park has an Olympic-size swimming pool fed by spring water from within the cave, and a campground with 9 RV sites with electricity and water and 4 primitive tent sites.[2]

FAQs

Who discovered Rickwood Caverns? A Boy Scout troop led by Eddie Rickles in the early 1950s.

When did it become a state park? June 1974.

How long is the tour? About one hour and one mile.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Rickwood Caverns State Park
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Rickwood Caverns State Park

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue