Aerial Adventures

Just two miles from downtown Huntsville, tucked inside a residential area, you’ll find an interesting remnant of local history. Three Caves sits among the trees on Land Trust of North Alabama’s Monte Sano Nature Preserve. Despite its name, it’s actually not a cave at all but a former limestone mine, originally known as Hermitage Quarry. Beginning in spring 1945, Madison County leased the site to the Madison Limestone Company. For the next seven years, limestone harvested from the ground paved many of Huntsville’s streets and parking lots as the surrounding area quickly grew. To more easily access the higher quality limestone located further underground, a method of mining called “room and pillar” was used. This created the three cave-like openings that give the site its current name. There is also a maze of connecting caverns that extend approximately 6 acres underground. In 1952, the quarry operation was closed due to skyrocketing costs and growth of the City of Huntsville that encroached closer and closer to the mine. The quarry site remained unused for the next several years with a couple of exceptions. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, officials designated it as a fallout shelter. It has served as a film site for movies and even a music video. (“The Ravagers” in 1978, “What Waits Below” in 1984, and Kansas’ “Reason to Be” in the early eighties)

In 2007 the city of Huntsville, Alabama, attempted to remove a playground in order to enlarge the neighboring Maple Hill Cemetery. A public outcry at the removal of the park was heard and soon new play equipment was installed. Local children could continue to use the parks facilities... but many who know of the legends of the area will tell you that not all of those children are living.

Dubbed one of the most unique parks and nature preserves in the south, Orr Park is Montevallo's crowning jewel. Bordering the picturesque Shoal Creek, this forty-acre park features traditional amenities such as athletic fields, pavilions, a gazebo, but the magical tree carvings throughout Tinglewood remain our greatest local attraction. Pedestrians and cyclists traveling throughout the park are as likely to pass by gnomes, a dragon, or a fish eating a snake as they are to pass by a local family walking their dog. Tinglewood is solely credited to Mr. Tim Tingle, a coal miner by trade who took it upon himself to transform storm damaged cedar trees into glorious works of art in the early 1990's. He continues to bless the city with his talents for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Horton Mill Covered Bridge is one of the three bridges that make Blount County the Covered Bridge Capital of Alabama. Horton Mill, Swann, and Easley bridges are all set in habitat rich with the three factors that are of ultimate importance to wildlife: food, water, and shelter. Horton Mill is the most accessible of the three and is the only one with a dedicated nature trail.

Replaced by Munford Elementary in 2001, the Ophelia S. Hill Elementary School on Jennifer Road in Munford now sits in ruin, overtaken by nature. The windows are broken, doors hang off hinges, birds nest in the ceilings. Yet, the scene is still recognizable as a school. Chalkboards still bear the names of previous students, decorations still hang in classrooms, and milk cartons litter the cafeteria floor. Some people that have explored the abandoned school will say the site is haunted by former Principal Ms. Hill.

Well known for its sugar white sands and emerald green waters, this former military reservation has over one-and-a-half miles of beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and Grand Lagoon. The Gator Lake Trail and Overlook provide visitors with a beautiful vantage point for spotting alligators and a variety of waterfowl, wading birds and other small animal. At Button Bush Marsh Overlook, a host of birds can be viewed. Herons and ibis feed along the fertile marsh edge as a variety of waterfowl swim and feed in the depths. Through out the interior of the park you will see raccoon, and white tail deer.

Pratt City took a direct hit April 27, 2011 with many homes and buildings completely destroyed by the tornado. Filmed 9/8/2020

Yellow Creek offers an easy, short paddle. It takes you upstream through the ruins of a giant stone railroad bridge where you can paddle to the rock gardens and beach below the house-sized boulders. A short hike leads to 100-foot Yellow Creek Falls, which tumbles into a clear blue hole that’s perfect for swimming. You can start after breakfast, do the whole thing, and be back by lunch. But bring lunch along, this is an excellent picnic opportunity. You can rent kayaks and canoes from Yellow Creek Falls Fish Camp.

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is 67.5-acres of botanical gardens located in Birmingham, Alabama. The gardens are Alabama’s largest living museum with 12,000 different types of plants, 25 themed gardens, more than 30 works of original outdoor sculpture, and several miles of walking paths. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens also has the largest public horticulture library in the U.S., conservatories, a wildflower garden, two rose gardens and Japanese Garden with a traditionally crafted tea house.

Larkwood Falls is located in a neighborhood built near Lake Catoma in Cullman, Alabama. The waterfall is a natural spil-over from the lake and is active year round. Though the falls are not natural, the rock formation which created the falls is natural, so this entry can be considered legitimate. The falls are also known as Lake Catoma Falls or Catoma Lake Falls.

The Natural Bridge and Ghost Creek Falls are located in Marshall County near Grant, in the community of Honeycomb. Set amid the hills of the Cumberland Plateau physiographic section, the 25-foot-long natural bridge is the remnant of a collapsed cave. Ghost Creek Falls runs a few yards away alongside the bridge. The creek is so named because it meanders in and out of the rocky cliff, appearing and disappearing as it runs down the hill. There are also two smaller waterfalls near the home the owners built on the property that emerge from other underground areas along the cliff. In 2007, the site was named one of the Seven Wonders of Marshall County by area residents. The natural bridge is located on private property, but the owners permit visitors, given the site's uniqueness. The property, which encompasses 40 acres, is located in a clearing at the bottom of a limestone cliff riddled with small underground waterways and springs; the type of geologic structure is known as karst. Over millions of years, the mildly acidic water has produced fissures, sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns in the region. The natural bridge is the remnant of such a cavern. Over time, the walls and roof of the opening were gradually worn away, and portions collapsed, leaving the natural arch as all that remains of the cavern's roof. The bottom layer of the natural arch continues to be very fragile, and sections of rock still occasionally fall out of the layers supporting the natural bridge. An attempt several years ago to open a quarry on adjoining property was thwarted by residents concerned about its effects on the natural bridge. The property averages 25 visitors every week, with slightly more during spring flower season. There is a campground, beach, and public boat launch nearby for visitors to the area.

Sloss Furnaces was once the largest manufacturer of pig iron in the world. It stands today just as it did in the late 19th century — a monument to the Industrial Revolution. With its web of pipes and towering stoves, this unique National Historic Landmark provides visitors a glimpse into Birmingham’s rich industrial heritage. It stands with pride and is a symbol of where the “Magic” began for Birmingham. Sloss Furnaces operated from 1882-1970 making it the longest continually running blast furnace in Birmingham’s history. In the early 1900’s, James “Slag” Wormwood, was foreman of the “Graveyard Shift”, the period between sunset and sunrise, where a skeleton crew of nearly 150 workers toiled to keep the furnace fed. During the stifling summer months, temperatures throughout the plant would reach more than 120 degrees. Lack of sleep, the heat, and low visibility made working the furnace literally a “living hell” and only the poorest of workers, desperate for employment, would work it. To impress his supervisors, Wormwood would make his workers take dangerous risks, forcing them to speed up production. During his reign, 47 workers lost their lives, ten times more than any other shift in the history of the furnace. Countless others lost their ability to work due to accidents, mishaps, and even a recorded explosion in the small blowing engine house in 1888 that left 6 workers burned blind. There were no breaks, there were no holidays, there was only the furnace and its constant hunger for more and more coal. In October of 1906, James “Slag” Wormwood, lost his footing at the top of the highest blast furnace (known as Big Alice), and plummeted into a pool of melted iron ore. His body melted instantly. It was reported that “Slag” must have become dizzy from the methane gas created by the furnace and lost his balance–but Slag had never set foot on top of furnace during his years of employment. Many thought that the workers had finally had enough of Wormwood’s slave driving, and fed him into the furnace–but no workers were ever brought to trial. Sloss Industries soon discontinued the graveyard shift, citing numerous reports of accidents and “strange incidents” that decreased steel production. The legend of “Slag” grew each year after his disappearance. Workers complained of an “unnatural presence” they increasingly encountered throughout the work site. A night watchman in 1926 sustained injuries after being “pushed from behind” and told angrily by a deep voice “to get back to work.” The man, upon searching the grounds, could find no sign of any other living person. In 1947, three supervisors turned up missing. Found unconscious and locked in the small boiler room in the southeastern part of the plant, none of the three could explain exactly what happened to them. All agreed they were approached by a man whose skin appeared badly burned and who angrily shouted at them “to push some steel.” Probably the most horrifying tale occurred in 1971, when the night before the plant closed, Samuel Blumenthal, the Sloss Night Watchman, who was nostalgically taking a last look about, found himself face to face with “the most frightening thing he had ever seen.” He described it simply as “evil”, a “half man/half demon” who tried to push him up the stairs. When Blumenthal refused, the monster began to beat on him with his fists. Upon examination by Dr. Jack Barlo, Blumenthal was found covered with intense burns. He died before ever returning to Sloss. There have been more than 100 reports of suspected paranormal activity at Sloss Furnaces recorded in Birmingham Police records. From minor incidents such as steam whistles apparently blowing by themselves, to major sightings and the rare physical assault. It is interesting to note that the majority of these reports happen in the months of September and October at night, during the old “graveyard shift.” Some merely dismiss the occurrences as Halloween hoaxes; others believe it is the restless of spirit of the sadistic foreman, Slag.

Bethel Spring Nature Preserve is a 360 acre property on Keel Mountain with 200 acres open for outdoor recreation. The preserve currently offers hikers a little under two miles of free trails to explore from dawn to dusk daily, including upland forest, working farmland, historic sites, an environmentally-significant spring and creek, as well as one of Madison County’s largest waterfalls. It is impressive enough above ground but continues its descent into a cave below, flows downhill underground, and exits through a spring at the base of the mountain. The cave below the falls – Paul’s Cave, one of three known to exist on the property, is listed on the Alabama Cave Survey as 1,338 feet in length and 334 feet in depth. These and other limestone features are common to Keel Mountain due to its significant karst geology. Due to safety concerns and the vulnerability of these unique ecosystems, caves on all Land Trust nature preserves are not open to the public without a permit acquired through the National Speleological Society.

Peavine Falls is an approximately 65 foot tall, spring fed waterfall located at the top most ridge in Oak Mountain State Park. There are many trail options for you to choose from to reach the falls, so be sure to plan your route before you arrive. It’s a steep climb down to the falls base, but rewarding to play in the pool of water below.

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if you fast-forwarded into the distant future only to find yourself standing in the middle of post-apocalypse? Set aside a dirt road in Springville, Alabama this strange world actually exists. In 1958 Springville Lake Estates was considered to be the finest private lake resort in North Alabama. The estate was divided into approximately 400 lots with the exception of those lots divided for common areas such as the beachheads, church ground, playground, etc. The original owners built many beautiful summer homes. Among the owners were some of Alabama’s top water sports enthusiasts, teachers, ministers, lawyers, steel and foundry workers. The pride of the estate was the twenty-acre lake fed by several under-ground springs. The lake was bordered with lots on each side, two beachheads, a clubhouse and a playground for children. Big Bass fishing was a drawing card for those who took fishing seriously. The average bass caught in Springville weighed in at about 7.5 lbs. So what exactly happened to Springville Lake Estates that made everybody abandon their homes in such a mad dash? What kind of stories sit buried in the remnants left behind by each family previously inhabiting this empty neighborhood?

Hurricane Creek Park located just off Highway 31 in South Vinemont, is nestled in a 500-foot-deep canyon in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains called Hurricane Creek Gorge. Visitors can spend the day trekking or bird watching along the four miles of designated hiking trails that wind through the lush woods, unique rock formations and cliff sides of the gorge. Notable locations in the park that were formed by the weathering of natural rock include Twilight Tunnel, the Stairway to Heaven, and Dead Man’s Squeeze. Along the trails you will see several waterfalls. One rolls over a large bluff and you can walk behind it. The other waterfall has a wooden bridge that leads you across the base of the falls. There is a swimming hole just above the dam to cool off after your hike.

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park has more than 1,500 acres in three counties set aside for hiking, camping and outdoor recreation. A miniature railroad chugs through the pines. From spring through fall, the blacksmith, miller and craftsmen demonstrate their trades. Craft shops occupy restored pioneer cabins and artisans chat with visitors from their front porches. Steeped in history, Tannehill feels timeless. The cotton gin, pioneer farm and working gristmill preserve a long-gone way of life. Hiking trails retrace historic roadways. Artifacts of Alabama’s 19th century iron industry displayed in the Iron and Steel Museum put in perspective the massive stone furnaces, Tannehill’s awe-inspiring centerpiece.

The Ave Maria Grotto is located on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey, the only Benedictine monastery of men in the State of Alabama. The Abbey was founded in 1891. The Grotto consists of a landscaped hillside of 125 small stone and cement structures, the handiwork of the creative genius, Brother Joseph Zoetl, O.S.B., a monk of the Abbey for almost 70 years. A pleasant two-block pathway winds beside these miniature buildings, passing in front of a large cavern-like grotto (Italian word for cave) on the lower level of the hillside. Opened in 1934 on the site of a former stone quarry used by the Abbey, the Grotto was a continuation of the work of Brother Joseph, who built his first replicas in about 1912 and his last, the miniature of the beautiful Lourdes Basilica Church, in 1958. It was constructed when he was 80 years old. Brother Joseph Zoetl was born in 1878 in the town of Landshut, Bavaria. In 1892 he came to the newly founded St. Bernard Abbey where his monastic life was spent in prayer and in laboring in the Abbey power house. When not busy shoveling coal into the furnaces, Brother took time to construct some miniature buildings using stone, concrete, and unwanted donated materials, e.g., broken plates, costume jewelry, ceramic tile, beads, marbles, seashells, etc. Originally Brother Joseph placed his creations in the gardens near the monastery, but due to the large number of visitors coming to see them, they were moved to the present site in 1934. Brother Joseph, who died in 1961, is buried in the Abbey Cemetery, final resting place of the monks of the Abbey. The cemetery is one hundred yards north of the Grotto Gift Shop, and the path leading to it is across the Grotto parking lot. Visitors are welcome to visit Brother’s grave.

Bangor Cave in Blount County, Alabama was once labeled “The Only Underground Nightclub in America.” The night club only existed for a year and a half near the resort town and mineral springs of Blount Springs in the late 1930s. Bangor Cave was discovered in the late nineteenth century by state geologist Walter B. Jones located about four miles northeast of Blount Springs. There are three entrances to the cave. One was created artificially when the cave was used as a nightclub. A spur of the Louisville & Nashville railroad terminated at the Bangor station and carried people almost to the door of the cave. Property owner, J. Breck Musgrove along with a group of investors funded the construction of the nightclub. They blasted a new opening with dynamite and carved a bandstand and bar in the stone. The floor of the first chamber was leveled with the addition of concrete and covered with linoleum, and the second chamber was later turned into a lounge for women patrons. A locked and heavily guarded room housed slot machines, craps tables, roulette wheels, and card tables. Reportedly, the total construction cost for the nightclub was around $70,000, which the owners claimed that they made back in the first few days of operation. The operators have sculptured an orchestra stand from an enormous boulder inside the cave, which provided seating for 20 musicians and singers. The ledge overhangs the dance floor and is surrounded with chromium bannisters with colored flood lights play on the entertainers. This was one of the premier arenas for entertainers to appear in Alabama at that time and many acts were booked from all over the US. Almost immediately, raids and legal proceedings began against the nightclub after it opened in 1937 with Governor Bibb Graves in the forefront. The owners shut the nightclub down in January 1939 and the wooden structures within the cave burned in January 1940. Sheriff Ed Miller of Blount County must have made the gambling casino a major point of his election in the political climate of the time. He acted immediately after being sworn in. Sadly, the cave has suffered structural and cosmetic damage over the years from use and vandalism. Most recently, the cave is not open to the public and has been purchased by an individual who has been restoring it and working to remove the spray paint graffiti.

Originally known as Black Creek Falls, Noccalula Falls is now named after a Cherokee Indian girl whose tribe lived along the Black Creek near the great falls. According to legend, as the girl grew into her formative years, she fell in love with one of her fellow villagers. Even thought the object of her affection was a strong courageous warrior, Noccalula's father, the village chief, did not think the man was worthy enough to marry his daughter. Instead, the father arranged for Noccalula to marry the wealthy chief of a nearby village. To help ensure his daughters cooperation, the chief banished Noccalula's true love from the village. Young Noccalula was distraught, but at her father's insistence, she continued preparations for the upcoming wedding. Finally, the day of the wedding came. But as Noccalula was being dressed by female relatives, she knew in her heart that she only loved one man, and it was not who she was about to marry. When Noccalula had a few minutes to herself, she snuck away from the celebration towards the falls. When her father and crowd noticed her at the falls, she leapt from the top for all to see. The wedding guests were horrified, and Noccalula's father filled with remorse, believing that he had driven his daughter to her death. In his grief, he proclaimed that the falls would forever be known as Noccalula Falls in honor of his daughter who died for love.

There are many beautiful waterfalls located throughout Alabama. While some are more hidden than others, they’re most certainly worth discovering. One waterfall in particular is Mardis Mill Falls (also known as Graves Creek Falls) which features a scenic cascade just over 16 feet tall and 35 feet wide. Mardis Mill Falls is located near Blountsville, Alabama. Over the years, Mardis Mill Falls has become a popular swimming spot among the locals. During the warmer months, especially summer, you can expect to see crowds of people here.

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Childersburg, Alabama, DeSoto Caverns is a site rich in history. In 1796, George Stiggens, a presidential agent, wrote to President George Washington describing the beauty of the cave, making DeSoto Caverns the first cavern on record in the United States. In addition to being the first cavern on record, DeSoto Caverns is also noted for having one of the largest accumulations of onyx-marble stalagmites and stalactites in the world. The caverns have regular tours every hour that allow guests to learn about caverns in general and about the history of this beautiful subterranean wonder. There are over twenty attractions on the land above the cave, making DeSoto Caverns the perfect visit for those seeking adventure, the great outdoors, and fun with family or friends.

Foster Falls is a spectacular 60-foot waterfall plunging into a deep pool. Mountain laurel, azaleas, and hemlocks growing above the falls, along the sandstone overlook, and in the gorge below add to the beauty of this area. An easy hike will take you to the top of the falls. From there a trail will take you down into the gorge, over the creek on a suspension bridge to the base of the falls for a delightful view and experience.