On my birthday I like to go on adventures and this year was no exception! I finally made a trip out to Stephens Gap, a natural cave with a large opening in North Alabama. This natural wonder is a stunning attraction for hikers and cavers. 

Location

Stephens Gap is a cave located in Woodville, about 30 minutes north of Guntersville. The cave has a 140 foot pit with two entrances: one you can rappel down and the other you can walk through. There is also a waterfall that comes down through the top opening of the cave that adds just a little bit more wonder to the experience.

I saw this place when I first moved to Australia and I could not believe that this site was located in Alabama. After all the years I lived in Alabama I had never heard of it! Of course, Stephens Gap is becoming more popular, and rightfully so. 

You do have to have a permit to hike at Stephens Gap since there are only 25 people allowed everyday. The permit is free, but be sure to request one ahead of time as slots fill up quickly. You can apply for your permit on the Southeastern Cave Conservancy site here: https://permits.scci.org 

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My brothers and I left around 8:00 to make sure we didn’t get to Stephens Gap too late. The lighting is better in the early morning inside the cave (I’ll cover this later on), so if you can, make sure you head there first thing! Make sure that your permit is approved before you take off because when you get to the entrance you have to put in a code (which you receive once your permit is approved) to get into the parking area.

The Hike

It’s supposed to be a short hike to the cave, but we got a little lost at the beginning. We crossed over the rock bed too early and found a false entrance. So be sure to mind all the signs! The trails are clearly marked, just don’t leave the trail to look at anything else like we did. 

Follow the rock bed and don’t cross over it so you’ll stay on the right side. The hike isn’t too bad, but it was a little longer than I had expected. I think it took us 30 minutes or so to get to the cave. We didn’t see any water in the rock bed along the way, so we thought that the waterfall wouldn’t be running, but we finally started hearing the running water as we got closer to the cave. 

There are two entrances to the cave. You can rappel into the cave (if you’re experienced) or climb down through the side entrance like we did. Okay, so maybe I didn’t technically go caving, but my two brothers did venture back into a deeper part of the cave. For those of you who know how to splunk, this is a great adventure for you!

The main reason I wanted to get to Stephens Gap early was so that the light from the top entrance of the cave would be shining down on the pedestal inside. We missed the prime time light by maybe an hour or so, but it was still a stunning sight (and the photos weren’t so bad either!) I read in another blog the best time to go was around 10:00 am and that light on the pedestal slowly moves off of it after two hours or so. 

The Pedestal

One of my favorite things about the cave was that we were able to see rainbows from the waterfall at the top entrance and inside the pit! The next was how the light would come in and out of the cave as the clouds above moved. As clouds came over, the light would dwindle and then almost completely disappear, even with two entrances it got pretty dark inside!

I would honestly love to learn to rappel and then go back (after some practice!). I think all in all we spent 2 hours from the time we left the car to the time we made it back. It’s not quite an all day adventure, but it’s enough to wear you out! Definitely worth it. 

Also, you do have to wear a helmet with a chin strap when you go inside the cave and have a headlamp on. You’re also supposed to bring two backup lights (we used our phones and flashlights). I highly recommend hiking boots as the trail can be slippery and the walk down inside the cave is wet and full of rocks. Here are some things that I wish I would’ve taken but didn’t: towels, wet wipes, and a change of clothes! Turns out you can get pretty dirty in a cave!

As soon as we started walking down the cave entrance the humidity was gone and it was cool. Of course, as soon as we climbed back out, about a foot above the cave the temperature immediately increased and the humidity hit again! So bring plenty of water.

Other Things to Do in the Area

If you’re looking for more to do in the area, check out Guntersville! It’s a beautiful area right on the lake. In fact, I recommend stopping there on the way (if you’re driving north to Stephens Gap) to get snacks and water. There really isn’t anywhere close by to stop once you get within 20 minutes of the cave. 

DeSoto Falls is also in the area, it has great hiking and caving adventures and some not to miss waterfalls. The closest thing to Stephens Gap is Cathedral Caverns. We literally passed the entrance to Cathedral Caverns on the way to Stephens Gap. 

Let me know if you have any questions about Stephens Gap and if you’re planning a trip! It really is an incredible experience.

Check out this short video I made of Stephens Gap to get a better idea of what the cave looks like. Here is the YouTube link: https://youtu.be/y2GYhTRUzak 

~Kristen