Rickwood Caverns State Park — Attraction in Alabama

Man oh man yall dont know are yall missing what is at rickwood caverns. We were searching for something to fill the back half of our day with before heading back south to prattville. We choose rickwood caverns because of a fellow adventurer's recommendation, and because it was kinda/sorta on the way. Not as out of the way as desoto falls (our original plan that has been rescheduled).

The folks at the caverns are SUPER friendly. It's a bit pricey, but nothing I wouldnt spend to go back. Its $18/person over the age of 12 and $6 for 12 and under. If you want to swim, it's an additional $7/person over the age of 5.

We got there at 1230 and the next tour that was not booked up was at 2pm. We eye balled the pool, but it was super packed and I knew we would have some disciplinary issues with the kids not wanting to leave the pool for the tour. So instead we opted for the "fossil mountain path". Its a loop, couldn't tell you how long cause it's not on the map nor the sign at the trail head. I can tell you that it is probably one of the best marked trails I've been on, inside a state park. The trail we took does have a connector to another trail (called the "lost rock connector" that is on the right south east side of the loop. We didnt take it, so we couldnt tell you much about it the trail it connects you to. It took us about an hour to leisurely trek the trail with a 16yo, 11yo, 9yo, and 7mo. No one wanted to listen to dad about proper footwear, so I think that is where our hang up was.

Once it was time for the tour a very pleasant young blond lady took us through the caverns. Being that we were on a guided tour we didnt do much exploring of the cave (pretty sure that's by their design). The tour was really cool and very informative. Lasted probably about an hour. My kids had a blast. Even the 7mo.

All in all, I think we are gonna take the camper up one weekend and fully explore this place. Very fun. A must do...

Bottom Line Up Front: Spend the day at the cavern, pool, playground, and beautiful park grounds. Spend the night somewhere else. Rickwood Caverns State Park is a wonderful and affordable family day trip. The cavern is a stunning natural treasure. The guided tour is friendly fun and informative. It’s a moderate physical challenge with almost 400 steps in total. It is not wheelchair accessible, but a virtual tour is available for the mobility impaired. Make sure to mention if you are camping as there is a ticket discount. The gift shop is very nice and full of great souvenirs, a snack bar, and a large playground out front. And WOW the pool! Huge and clean and nice all the way around. Fed by fresh clean water from deep within the cavern, it’s always cool and comfortable. The surrounding landscape is lush and beautiful. Amongst the trees, rocks and walking trails are plenty of picnic spots with tables and grills. There are several pavilions for larger events with lots of room and plenty of parking. The campground is lacking. With less than 15 (electric and water only) camp sites, it feels as if camping was an afterthought as opposed to a feature. The sites are cramped and not well laid out. Most of the sites are sliced out of what seems like a large gravel parking lot. There is very little room between sites. Some are very small with little room for more than a small pop-up, and some are larger, but often with the power/water post on the wrong side and 20-30 feet away from the site. The gift shop (which fully supports the cavern and pool) doesn’t even offer the most basic camping supplies and seemed only moderately interested in camping business. The primitive camping area, although not as remote as it could be, is nice if you want...

A few weeks ago, we stayed at the campground. While it was adequate for its purpose, it definitely fits what I would describe as a "camping lot." Site 9 is merely a gravel patch along the roadside within the campground.

The RV sites are small and closely packed, offering no privacy at all. Some sites are so cramped that the picnic tables are positioned behind the sites, encroaching on the neighbors' "front yard." The pool pumps run all night, housed above ground under an open awning. The closer you are to site 1, the louder they become, and their noise can be heard throughout the campground.

The state park seems to have been established after the surrounding neighborhood, as there are houses within the park that appear to be permanent residences. Residents come and go at all hours and leave their exterior lights on throughout the night.

The playground inside the state park is made entirely of metal, becoming very hot in the summer and is in need of some maintenance.

On the positive side, the park is conveniently close to I-65 and offers a strong 5G signal. It’s only a 5-10 minute drive from town, and 30 minutes from Downtown Birmingham. The pool is quite nice for what it is and is included with your stay.

While there are few RV spots, many tent sites can accommodate campers if you don't need hookups.

If you’re passing through and need a place to sleep for two nights (since Alabama doesn’t allow one-night bookings), this campground is decent for the price. However, if you’re seeking a secluded outdoor experience or any level of privacy, this is not the...