While it is utterly off the beaten track (and most people's radars), Russell Cave was an important population site of North Alabama for many millennia before the United States was a twinkle in a colonist's eye. Native Americans recognized the value of the cave's natural shelter and defensibility, and lived here for some 10,000 years. Today, national park facilities display artifacts found in the caves, and provide access to surrounding hiking trails.
Russell Cave isn't near much; it's about 75 miles northeast of Huntsville, and 40 miles west of Chattanooga, TN.
