Rickwood Caverns was discovered in the early 1950s by Boy Scout leader Eddie Rickles and his troop; the name combines Rickles’ name with that of Sonny Arwood. It operated as a private commercial attraction from 1954 until 1974, when the State of Alabama acquired it and reopened it as a state park.
The discovery came roughly 35-40 years after the L&N abandoned the Reid’s Gap line in 1914-15 - the caverns only became a going concern after this particular stretch of railroad history had already ended.
In June 2026, Rickwood Caverns completed a brand-new access road and entrance connecting the park to Poplar Road near I-65 Exit 287, alongside a new playground. On-the-ground and LIDAR-mapped research both point to the new entrance landing basically where Reid’s Gap itself once stood - a real, documented backstory that almost nobody visiting the park today knows about.
Sources: Outdoor Alabama, “Rickwood Caverns State Park Celebrates New Road and Playground”; Yellowhammer News, “New road gives visitors easier access to Rickwood Caverns State Park”.
