Alabama Caves and Caverns

Shelta Cave Nature Preserve

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Shelta Cave is a 2,500 feet (760 m) long underground cave and lake located in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. It is described as one of the most biodiverse caves within the Appalachian Mountains. The cave is currently owned and managed as a nature preserve by the National Speleological Society.

Alabama National Wildlife Refuges
Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge

Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge

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Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge has large open fields managed for warm-season native grasses interspersed with small patches of deciduous woodland and the seasonal sinkhole wetland. The refuge is gradually being converted from crops to native warm-season grasslands.

Alabama Caves and Caverns
Fern Cave Gray Bat

Fern Cave Preserve

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Fern Cave
The Kay Hill Deen Fern Cave Preserve, is a privately owned tract adjoining the federally-owned Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge. Fern Cave has five entrances. Four of these are on the Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge (US Department of the Interior), and one (The Fern Sink, or Surprise Pit entrance) is located on property the SCCi owns. One section of the cave is the largest gray bat hibernaculum in the country. As a result, new restrictions are now in place to protect the bat colony from White Nose Syndrome.