Spring Valley Trail

Dogs Unknown

Features Cave · Fall Colors · Wildlife

The trailhead is located at the first parking lot on the right side of the park entrance road. There is no water or facilities at the Spring Valley Trailhead.

The trail starts by briefly paralleling the entrance road before turning sharply into the woods. The entrance to Cliff Cave can be seen by looking up the creek valley right after you cross the spring run. The trail steadily climbs up the valley before reaching the karst plateau where it levels off and becomes mostly flat and easy. The trail surface can become muddy after a rain or snow melt. The trail is well marked and forms a loop through the woods under a canopy of hickories and oaks.

The Cliff Cave area of the park is unique due to the Karst topography of the region. In many places, the bedrock has dissolved or collapsed which has lead to the formation of a cave and sinkholes. In the Cliff Cave area, the bedrock consists of dolomite and limestone and water draining through the leaves and soil becomes slightly acidic and begins to dissolve the bedrock. The karst plateau of Cliff Cave is dotted with sinkholes.