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View with Side Frame! Location DB > United States > Alabama > Huntsville > 3 Caves Quarry  Name 3 Caves Quarry  Viewing Options Log in to activate viewing options  Database Info created by SnArF on 4/27/2004 8:02 PM last modified by washthat on 4/14/2010 9:05 PM  Viewability Publically Viewable This location has been labeled by its creator as Public, and therefore can be viewed by anyone.  Overview  Description A man made cave stretching back in to Monte-Sano Wilderness about a mile back.  Basic Information Type: Underground Status: Abandoned Accessibility: Moderate Recommendation: check it out if you're nearby  Physical Information Address 1190 Kennamer Drive Huntsville, Alabama United States Owner: Huntsville Land Trust See a map of this location  Hazards water Fence/Rattlesnakes and Heights  Interesting Features 3 caves has 40+ foot ceilings, it was mined out a while back. It is still safe to hike in, beware of Rattlesnakes and other wildlife. There are many features here that natural caves have. Several suicides and accidental deaths have also occured around the entrance area. Going alone at night is not recommended.  Security Measures fences locked gates Neighborhood by Entrance  Historical Dates Built: 1945 Closed: 1955  Required Equipment flashlight Fence Jumping Skills, Hiking Boots  Recommended Equipment Camera, GPS  History This was an old Limestone Quarry in the late 40's to early 50's. It is an extremely interesting site. I have been down in the Caves here several times, and my dad even went through him when he was growing up. He's the one that told me about them. That said, heres more info: ------------------ Three caves gets its name from three large obvious openings out of the old Hermitage Quarry. However, three caves is not a true cave and has four, not three entrances. The three entrances that give its name are visible in a large open pit. The fourth entrance is off to the south and is actually a collapse of the roof. The quarry was begun in 1945 to mine limestone, the rock that forms Monte Sano. The rock was crushed and used as gravel, as well as, when ground finer, to make Portland Cement. The 'cave' extends by way of a room and pillar type mine for about 10 acres under the western slope of Monte Sano. As Huntsville expanded, the dust from the crushing operation and the heavy truck traffic passing through a growing neighborhood caused the operation to shut down in 1955. Although it is not a natural cave, Three caves has many of the attributes of a natural cave, there is absolutely no light. At one point, one can see where the excavation breached a real cave. High on one wall, you can see where what once was a cave has been intersected by the quarry. [There is a] small passage that carries a little wet weather stream, as many caves do. However, this stream can no longer go on to exit the mountain as a spring, as it once did, since the remainder of the passage has been removed by excavation. The stream now flows down the wall of the quarry. In doing so, it deposits tavertine, just as water does in natural caves. Tavertine is calcium carbonate or calcite, the principal component in limestone. Rainwater is charged with carbon dioxide making it a weak carbonic acid. As it percolates down it dissolves some of the limestone. The solutional process is what hollows out natural caves in the first place. But now as this stream emerges into the air of the quarry, the carbon dioxide leaves the water. Deprived of its acid, the water can no longer hold its dissolved calcite, which is deposited as precipitate. Speologists give names to the form of these rocky deposits take such as stalagtites and stalagmites, etc. In Three Caves, it takes the form of rimstone dams or gours, which are also common in real caves. Today, the land trust of Huntsville and North Alabama owns Three caves as part of their Monte Sano Land Preserve and hiking trails. Visit their websites at www.landtrust-hsv.org Information taken from "Tales of Huntsville Caves"by William W. Varnedoe Jr. and Charles A. Lundquist of the Huntsville National Speological Society  Media Coverage  Future Plans None known yet, some people have tours during the Summer, watch out for them. Its a Nature Preserve, so nobody will be demolishing this or using it for anything else.  Stories Add your own story  Photo Galleries Summer Trip Mon, Dec 19th, 2005 posted by SnArF 8 pictures   Add your own photos Mark all galleries as Seen  Web Links More Pictures Here: http://www.msstate...larissa/3caves.htm Http://www.Landtrust-hsv.org  Contribute Edit this Location  Moderator Rating The moderator rating is a neutral rating of the content quality, photography, and coolness of this location. Category Rating Photography 5 / 10 Coolness 5 / 10 Content Quality 7 / 10  Validation This location's validation is current. It was last validated by Steed on 4/15/2010 1:09 AM.  Latest Changes on Apr 15 10 at 1:09, Steed validated this location on Apr 14 10 at 21:05, washthat changed the following: Latitude, Longitude, Co-ordinate Accuracy, Prefer Satellite on Oct 5 09 at 15:50, Opheliaism validated this location on Mar 24 06 at 23:23, Emperor Wang validated this location on Mar 24 06 at 5:14, SnArF changed the following: Co-ordinate Accuracy, History, Year Closed, Interesting Features, Security Measures, Required Equipment, Web Links on Dec 19 05 at 18:45, SnArF changed the following: Display Name, Hazards on Dec 19 05 at 18:32, SnArF created a new gallery on Aug 21 05 at 5:44, SnArF changed the following: Display Name on Aug 21 05 at 5:43, SnArF changed the following: Notes for Mods, Type, Street Address, Publically Viewable, History, Accessibility, Interesting Features, Recommendation, Security Measures, Required Equipment, Future Plans, Web Links on Aug 21 05 at 5:41, Freak deleted gallery Internet Pictures and its 2 pictures  Forum Threads about this Location  Who's been looking? 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