The Wildly Underrated Alabama State Park With A Massive Cave Network, Giant Pool, And Serene Campsites

For some travelers, the best way to enjoy a vacation is to spend as much time in nature as possible. Fortunately, if you live in the Southern U.S., there's no shortage of parks and natural green spaces to explore, whether you're by yourself or traveling with friends and/or family. In Alabama, one of the best spots for camping, hiking, and swimming is Rickwood Caverns State Park.

Located about 30-minutes north of Birmingham (aka Alabama's cultural capital with the best food scene), this park is renowned for having one of the largest cave systems, an Olympic-sized swimming pool (fed from the cave itself), and some of the prettiest campsites around. Although this attraction isn't as big as Alabama's largest state park, Oak Mountain, it has more than enough activities for you to spend a night or a weekend.

So, let's grab our camping gear, hiking boots, and swim trunks and discover why Rickwood Caverns State Park is a must-visit destination in the Cotton State.

Rickwood Caverns State Park is open daily from sunrise to sunset, although the office is only open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. There is an entrance fee to access the park, which is (at the time of this writing) $2 for ages 5-11 and $3 for ages 12 and up (kids younger than 5 are free). This fee is only for the park, including the souvenir shop and any open hiking trails. Alternatively, you can pay to access the swimming pool (which is closed during the winter) or take a guided cave tour.

The caverns are the primary attraction at the park, but you can only access them via a guided tour. Prices are $9 for those ages 5-11 and $19 for those 12 and up (these prices include park admission). The reason you can't explore the cave solo is that it goes 175-feet underground. There are 365 stairs at the opening and 110 stairs at the exit. No matter when you visit, the cave remains a balmy 62 degrees, making it an ideal choice for hot Alabama summers. However, the park also hosts holiday tours during the winter season, which includes festive lights throughout the cave. Tours occur at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. during the week, and 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are recommended, and the park offers a virtual reality tour for those who can't navigate the stairs.

Besides the cave, Rickwood Caverns also has an Olympic-sized swimming pool fed by cool water from the cave system. When the pool is open, admission is $7 for all ages 5 and up. There's also a kiddie pool if you're planning to bring little ones along.

The best way to get to Rickwood Caverns State Park is to fly into Birmingham and rent a car to drive north. Although you could just spend the day at the park, it's much more fun to stay the night in the 13 developed campsites, which can accommodate tents or motorhomes. There are also five "primitive" sites for tents only, in case you're planning a solo camping trip.

Another advantage of camping at the park is that you get a discount on tour rates ($14 per adult instead of $19). As far as the price of a campsite, they can range from around $20 to $40 (at the time of this writing). However, there is a 2-night minimum for weekend stays and a 3-night minimum for major holidays (like the 4th of July). The park also has monthly rates if you're looking for something a bit longer.

Once you're in the park, there's not much as far as shopping or dining. There is a souvenir store that offers snacks and drinks, and if you're bringing kids along, you can pay for gem mining. The way it works is you buy a bag of dirt at the store ($6 at the time of this writing), then take it outside to the water trough. Your little ones sift through the dirt to find gorgeous rocks and gems, and each bag is unique.