This write-up is technically part of the previous event I wrote about, which was the Race to the Cave Half-Marathon, but due to the spectacular scenery I felt the cave deserved it's own section. The final mile or so of the race was within the cave and though I walked most of this part due to my poor eyesight, the minimal lighting, and of course, the twelve miles I had just run/walked, I think it was for the best. It kept me from falling and more importantly, allowed me to take all of the pictures included here.
The large cave is contained within Cathedral Caverns State Park in North-eastern Alabama and is a karst-type cave meaning it was made of stone and mineral deposits. It includes one of the most beautiful stalagmite forests I've seen among all of the many caves I have visited.
After entering the large entrance, the poured concrete path takes visitors through a gigantic chamber, roughly the size of a football field. From the amount of large boulders below the walkway, it appears much of the roof of this chamber has collapsed in eons past.
From this large cave, we enter several chambers of stalagmites and stalactites. Jellyfish and bacon formations are very prevalent and I'm in awe of some of the gorgeous formations. One of the largest stalagmite columns ever discovered is located here. Goliath it is called and at a height of 45 feet and circumference of 243 feet it is a spectacle to behold.
There are approximately seven distinct areas within this rock forest and rather than try to describe how beautiful some of this amazing eye candy is, I'm simply going to let the pictures do the talking. It is worth noting how well preserved the rock formations in this cave are. I've visited a lot of caves where the stalactites and stalagmites had been broken off in decades past by visitors wanting to take a souvenir with them. That is not the case here, as most everything is preserved in its natural state.
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