Free Topo Maps of Russell Cave National Monument

Download free topo maps of Russell Cave National Monument. Use the adjoining 7.5 minute quadrangle legend to locate the Alabama maps you need.

Adjoining 7.5' Quadrangle Legend

Russell Cave National Monument

Russell Cave National Monument was established to preserve the archeological and cultural history of the indigenous people who passed through this region. The Monument consists of 310 acres of rural land, where the Russell Cave is located. National Geographic Society acquired the old Russell Ranch after the discovery of prehistoric artifacts in the cave, and donated the property to the National Park Service for the purpose of preserving this unique record of what is considered the most comprehensive account of ancient inhabitants in the Southeast. Evidence of prehistoric life dates back over 10,000 years ago, when small groups of prehistoric people sheltered in this secluded cave, safe from the winds, with a stream running through the cave, spring water, good hunting and chert, a stone used for making tools that was available in the cave. Originally the cave had a great deal of water, but as time went on the geology changed and a floor bed built up for more permanent stays. The underground stream still exists, as does the fresh water spring; and the build-up of the 40-foot floor bed has been excavated to the time when the cave was used 10,000 years ago. Today there is a boardwalk leading into the cave where visitors can view the inner workings of Russell Cave, where perhaps 15 to 30 members of these early people lived together at one time. The stream provided fish, while the forested area provided wild game, nuts, fruit and seeds, whether occupied by hunting groups, or sometimes by permanent groups over the millennia. Many different people are surmised to have inhabited Russell Cave, and by the time the European explorers arrived, the cave was used only sporadically by hunting parties. The artifacts unearthed from tools such as the atlatl, a spear thrower, or to the oldest bone fishhook that was found here, to jewelry and pottery fragments, they create a cultural representation of the prehistoric people, and of those that followed. The Visitor Center is opened from April through October offering a Museum Exhibit, in addition to a Video Room, Ranger-led tours, Demonstrations and Interpretive Activities. There is a picnic area, and the Center has information regarding the purchase of the Russell Farm that once existed here. There is also a Birding Trail where over a hundred species of birds can be sighted.