Alabama,  North America

Stephens Gap Cave, Northern Alabama

July 7, 2019 / 48 Comments

Prior to my family vacation this summer in Northern Alabama, I had no clue how many cavernous regions there were in the state of Alabama. After some extensive research on the area, I came across Stephens Gap Cave, and I am quite thankful that I did.

Stephens Gap Cave is one of the only vertical caves in the state of Alabama, and one of its most unique qualities is that the bottom of the cave is completely accessible by foot. This cave is open to hikers, cavers, and adventure travel enthusiasts alike thanks to the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, a 501(c)3 non profit, who work to protect and conserve these sites so that individuals like myself have the opportunity to be educated and visit.

Stephens Gap

The cave is located in Jacksonville County, Alabama, along an unsuspecting dirt road, and behind an access gate in which you must apply for a permit through SSCi in order to enter. Once you’ve arrived, there is a marker at the trailhead. The trail leads back into the woods, directly to the cave entrance itself, and is about 1.4 miles out and back. The path is steep, rocky, and a bit slippery (especially after recent rainfall), so I recommend a good sturdy set of hiking boots — see suggestions on my favorite boot brands here.

Once you’ve arrived at the entrance of the cave, you have one of two options. Option One: If you possess quality vertical caving skills, you may rappell to the bottom, or Option Two: You can hike into the side entrance.

DISCLAIMER: If you decide to take either option, please use caution. Hiking the walk-in entrance you will be climbing down rocks on a steep decline that are damp and slippery due to the conditions of the cave. (In fact, I actually sprained my toe climbing out).

Unfortunately during my visit, I was a bit unprepared to capture this enchanting place as far as equipment. Therefore, the photos (or lack thereof) I’ve posted here are not the best quality, and I do apologize for that. Regardless of any photos I took or have seen, I have yet to see one that gives the beauty of this place ANY justice.

Stephens Gap

I must say I will be forever grateful to SSCi to the work that they do to keep these sites alive and well. This was one of the most incredible places I have ever visited, and I will hold this experience near and dear for the rest of my life.

If you are interested in taking on this hike, this is how you can make that happen:
– Apply for your access permit here. Reminder: You are looking for
Stephens Gap Cave site.
– Pack for your visit accordingly (Hiking boots, helmet (required if
climbing), headlamp, water, first aid, and some snacks, camera– hey
maybe you can capture it better than others have, send me your photos i’d
love to see them!)
– Find it (I list this half-jokingly, because I put the wrong address into my
GPS initially, and ended up on the entire wrong end of the road).
– Take a moment to just take it all in. No phones, no cameras, no talking,
just BE.

I hope anyone who makes this trip enjoys Stephens Gap Cave as much as I did. If you would also take the time to donate even the smallest amount to SSCi. These individuals care so much for these hidden miracles of nature, and without them, we wouldn’t be able to see them for ourselves. Every penny counts!

BEFORE I END

A little update on me, and what’s going on in my life:
I was accepted into PA school last month, and am in the process of preparing to pack up and move across the country for the second time this year. My travels will definitely be taking a hit for that as I will be preoccupied with studying and finishing up my final chapter of education. With that being said however, there are going to be some coming changes to my site and my content. Travel will always be my number one covered topic here, but I will be adding a small amount of variety to my site so that I can still bring you all quality content over the next few years. I’m really excited for the next few months, and if you think I won’t be taking full advantage of this move to squeeze in one final eastern US roadtrip on my way to my next destination, you’re all crazy. I think you all should be pretty excited too! Stay tuned, as I’ll be sharing more and more about my future plans with each coming post.

With that being said, I’m going to close, and you’ll just have to wait until next week to learn a little more about the shocking beauty of the state of Alabama, and what’s to come for me in the future. Make sure to subscribe to my blog to remain in the know. Follow my instagram @unfriendlyadvice for continued photographic content during the week when I’m not posting here.

Love you all, and until next time
– C

Stephens Gap
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