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Cathedral Caverns State Park is located in Woodville, Alabama (near Gurley, AL). The main attraction here is the world record setting Cathedral Caverns cave. However, their is also some really neat hiking trails here. The trails will take you atop Mt. Pisgah. As for the cave tours, you should also include that into your day of hikes as well. The cave tour takes about an hour and a half (a 1.5 mile round trip). It is well worth it. There is a fee to take the cave tour but not to hike. Also, free trail maps are available at the welcome center.
Trail Head
The trail head parking area is located just past Cave Road (the road that goes to the CCSP welcome center).
To access the trail head: Each trail head is located across the paved road from the parking area.
Just step across the road and walk to your right a few feet and you will see it.
Difficulty
I only rate this a medium since their are a few steep hills. However, most of the hike is easy.
Hiking the Trail
For this hike I suggest completing the Yellow trail, Green trail, and Blue Loop trail all together (as suggested in the 50 hikes in Alabama book).
The way I hiked it is I made my way to the Brown/Yellow/Green trail heads. Take a right on the Brown trail. The Brown
trail will lead you the the Green and Yellow trails. After a bit of hiking the Yellow and Brown trails split. Turn left onto the Yellow trail.
The Yellow trail will take you up Mt. Pisgah and eventually to some small cave entrances (you can't go in them). You will eventually reach the Beech
Camp area. When you do reach it, you will be at the Green trail. From here, turn right onto the Green trail and continue on (left is a short cut back to trail head).
Continue on the Green trail to finish the loop.
Blue Loop Trail:After finishing the Yellow/Green loop, make your way to the Blue Loop trail head.
Take a right. You will go just under a 1/2 mile and the trail will reach a paved road. take a right on the paved road and follow the blue blazes
until reach a sign. The trail will then go left back into the woods. You will hike a short ways into the woods before coming out to an open field and
another paved road. Walk directly across the paved road to a wooden foot bridge. From here the trail will loop back around towards the parking area.
The trail will come out of the woods at Cave Road. Just walk across the road and you will be back at the parking area shortly.
Cave Tour: After (or before) hiking you will definitely want to take a cave tour. Just go in the welcome center to
pay the fee and get your receipt for the time you are scheduled to tour. The tour will take about 1 1/2 hours. The cave is huge and has concrete walkways
all the way to the back. You cannot enter the cave without a tour guide. The tour guides will tell you all kinds of information about
the cave there. After the tour reaches the end you will get to walk out on your own, giving you time to look at things and take more photos.
Scenery
You will see woodland, get to tour the biggest cave in Alabama, rock formations, e.t.c.
Trail Maintenance
The trails are well maintained
Facilities
They have a welcome center which has restrooms, a gift shop, and you can also purchase drinks and snacks. They also have camping available. For more information on camping and the cave tour go to www.alapark.com/cathedral-caverns-state-park.