On Monte Sano Mountain most everyone knows about Natural Well, a 185 foot deep vertical shaft cave, but that isn't the only cave on the mountain.
I went for a trail run on Monte Sano recently and parked near the cement barriers at the bottom of the closed section of Bankhead Parkway. Just past the State Park honor box I noticed well worn trail to my left that paralleled Cold Spring Creek. I have spent more time than a person should looking at trail maps in recent months and I knew that no trail should be here. I just figured this was an unnamed Flat Rock connector and made a mental note to explore it at a later date.
A few weeks later I was doing research on the Cold Spring Trail and came across a reference to a Cold Spring Cave which I figured was near the aforementioned trail. After running both the Cold Spring and Cold Spring Loop Trail and finding no caves I started to wonder if that mystery trail near Cold Spring Creek had any sort of association with it. One week later I am heading down that well worn trail in search of the Cold Spring Cave.
The Trail
Cold Spring Cave Trail (Yes I just named the trail), is only 1/10 of mile but quickly descends over 100 feet in that short span. Near the end of the trail there is small rock ledge I had to climb down after which the trail makes a hard left leading back toward the creek. It had been a particularly rainy weekend so the creek was roaring and for just a moment I caught myself staring at rushing water and almost didn't notice that to my left was the entrance to Cold Spring Cave.
{gallery MonteSano/ColdSpringCave/gallery01|Cold Spring Cave Trail}
Monte Sano Caves
It has been established by this website and many other publications that Huntsville and Northern Alabama is filled with caves. If you have lived here for any significant amount of time you also know that before our fair city was known as the Rocket City it was known as Cave City. You may also know that this is such a hot bed for caving that the National Speleological Society is based out of Huntsville.
There is a publication from the Geological SA written in 1968 by Bill Varnedo called the Caves of Madison County that is plethora of knowledge despite the fact that it is almost 50 years old. From this document I was able to gleam that there are at least 23 caves in and around Monte Sano.
5. Natural Well
61. Toll Gate Natural Well (Completely filled in with dirt and refuse)
82. Sadler Spring Cave
110. Miller cave
114. Doug Hill Sinkhole Cave
120. Cold Spring Cave
121. The Sinks
183. Hoopers Well (Burritt)
184. Burritt's Burrow (Burritt)
307. Teakettle Cave
308. Holly's Folley
309. Boiling Springs Cave
404. Fagan Spring Cave
422. Small Cave (Filled with Road Construciton refuse)
423. C Hole (Near Natural Well)
480. Teapot Cave
481. Brigand's Cavern
494. O'Shaughnessy Cave
515. Francis Cave
516. Hummel Cave
550. B.E. Cave
567. Dutchess Cave
602. Sano Cave
Note: I have not read the Bridges of Madison County nor have I watched the movie but I can assume they are are nothing like the Caves of Madison County.
Cold Spring Cave
I am well aware of the dangers of entering a cave without the proper gear to training. I also understand that many of these cave contain endangered species of bats whose populations have been decimated by White Nose Syndrome. For those reason I did not enter the cave and have no plans to do so anytime unless I am accompanied by a seasoned caver. If you are a lover of the outdoors and conservationist I suggest you do the same.
So until that happens the best I can do is this gallery of excerpts from the Caves of Madison County.
{gallery MonteSano/ColdSpringCave/gallery02|Caves Of Madison County Refrences}
