In order to log this cache you must do two very simple things: 1) Email me the estimated dimensions (height and width) of the cave opening, and, 2) Stand on the viewing platform and take a photo of yourself along with your GPS and the gate in the background. Although not required, a "favorite point" would be appreciated if you enjoyed this EC!
Controlled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of eleven National Wildlife Refuges located in the State of Alabama.
Established in 1978, it serves as a hibernation site for federally endangered Gray and Indiana Bats.
It is also historically a major maternity cave for Gray Bats. The most recent summer emergence count documented more than 300,000 - 400,000 gray bats. This natural phenomenon only occurs from June through August and lasts for approximately one hour near dusk. This is definitely a worthwhile trip if you have never seen a large bat flight. 
Cache Log by bama_belle: I somehow convinced my entire muggle family that a 2 hour drive on a week-night was worth it. They love me, what can I say? We got there just before dusk and watched as the first scouts emerged. Darling daughter was giggling like she was four and snapping pics of everything. Then it happened. Not in a huge rush the way my nutty husband was hoping for, but wave after wave of tiny little flyers emerged, swooping, flying, acrobats - some of them no bigger than butterflies, it seemed. I think I snapped a hundred photos and it was probably too dark for any of them to turn out. It was well after midnight when we got home.... All I can say is thank you. THIS is what caching is about!"
All species of the genus Myotis, including the gray bat, rest by day and forage at night. They often hunt and feed over water. The feeding flight usually alternates with periods of rest, during which the bats hang to digest their catch. Their diet consists predominantly of insects. Colonies of the Gray Bat travel up to 14 km from roost to foraging areas. The Gray Bat has a wingspan of about 11-12 inches and is uniformly dark gray. There are more than 1,100 different species of bats in the world, living on every continent except Antarctica. Each one has developed special adaptations for how it lives and what it eats. For example, 70% of all the bats in the world eat insects and many of them use echolocation in order to find food and move around in the dark. Many small insectivorous bats can eat up to 2,000 mosquito-sized insects in one night. These bats are able to eat so much because they have high metabolisms and expend lots of energy in flight.
In addition to the rare fauna within the cave, the federally threatened Price's potato bean occurs on the Refuge, which consists of 264 acres of hardwoods. The cave was created by the rock (limestone) dissolving under the action of rainwater and groundwater charged with H2CO3 (carbonic acid) and naturally occurring organic acids. The dissolution process produces a distinctive landform known as karst, characterized by sinkholes, sinking streams, and underground drainage. (A number of sinkholes can be seen on the preserve property.) Limestone caves like this one are often adorned with calcium carbonate formations produced through slow precipitation, including the most common and well-known- stalactites and stalagmites. These secondary mineral deposits in caves are called speleothems.
Alabama has over 4,000 documented caves. This cave also served as a saltpeter mine during the Civil War. The public use opportunities include wildlife observation, hiking, and photography.
In order to log this cache you must do two very simple things: 1) Email me the estimated dimensions (height and width) of the cave opening, and, 2) Stand on the viewing platform and take a photo of yourself along with your GPS and the gate in the background. Although not required, a "favorite point" would be appreciated if you enjoyed this EC!
Here is a recent photo I took the year before at this very spot.
Here is a recent photo by my pal Nathan.
