Russell Cave National Monument
Russell Cave National Monument is a U.S. national monument in northeastern Alabama, United States, close to the city of Bridgeport. It lies 3 mi south of Orme. Its operator is the National Park Service. Over 2025, 7.8K visitors passed through.
A national monument, 3 mi south of Orme
Visits fell 16% in 2025
The National Park Service counted 7,821 visitors in 2025, down from 9,261 the year before. Visitors ↓
Kimball is the nearest base
Kimball is 9 miles northeast, with 8 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best month: Oct
October is mild and quieter than average, with a high of 70°. When to go ↓
A day trip from Nashville
Nashville is about 99 miles northwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1961
Russell Cave National Monument dates from 1961 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
The year in visitors and weather
Pick a quieter month for Russell Cave from the chart below.
Russell Cave National Monument
Russell Cave National Monument is a U.S. national monument in northeastern Alabama, United States, close to the city of Bridgeport. The monument was established on May 11, 1961, when 310 acres (1.3 km2) of land were donated by the National Geographic Society to the American people. It is now administered and maintained by the National Park Service. The national monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
- Type
- National Monument
- Established
- 1961
- Area
- 289 acres
- Elevation
- 1,184 ft
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966)
- Wikipedia readers
- 8K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/ruca
Before you set off
Where to stay near Russell Cave National Monument
Rooms are nearest in Kimball (8) and Stevenson (4), and Chattanooga has the most rooms in the area (157).
Kimball
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
1,633 people
9 mi northeast of Gilbert Grosvenor Visitor Center · 9 mi to the park
Bridgeport
2,275 people
5 mi southeast of Gilbert Grosvenor Visitor Center · 5 mi to the park
Monteagle
1,439 people
18 mi north of Gilbert Grosvenor Visitor Center · 18 mi to the park
Chattanooga
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
194,144 people
32 mi east of Gilbert Grosvenor Visitor Center · 32 mi to the park
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimball | 9 mi northeast | 15 min | 8 7 hotels · 1 motel | 1,633 | $231K | C |
| Stevenson | 7 mi south | 10 min | 4 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 RV parks | 2,000 | $157K | C− |
| Bridgeport | 5 mi southeast | 10 min | 3 1 motel · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 2,275 | $94K | C |
| Monteagle | 18 mi north | 25 min | 11 4 hotels · 1 motel · 3 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins | 1,439 | $310K | — |
| Orme | 3 mi north | 5 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 RV park | 85 | $53K | — |
| Trenton | 19 mi southeast | 30 min | 9 2 hotels · 1 motel · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 3 RV parks | 2,236 | $166K | — |
| Scottsboro | 27 mi southwest | 40 min | 18 11 hotels · 2 motels · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 16,123 | $190K | — |
| Tracy City | 20 mi north | 30 min | 7 2 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel · 3 campgrounds | 1,427 | $136K | C |
| Chattanooga | 32 mi east | 50 min | 157 124 hotels · 12 motels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 3 hostels · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 194,144 | $283K | D− |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Next door to Russell Cave
All of these are within 52 miles.
125 mi MountainLookout Mountain
227 mi WaterfallRuby Falls33 mi CaveEllison's Cave
312 mi Park & preserveNickajack Cave
51 mi MuseumU.S. Space & Rocket Center1.0M visitors a year
429 mi Zoo & aquariumTennessee Aquarium32 mi Theme parkLake Winnepesaukah
35 mi MuseumTennessee Valley Railroad MuseumPhoto credits
Lookout Mountain: Teke, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ruby Falls: Oydman (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Nickajack Cave: Blueway, CC BY-SA 3.0 · U.S. Space & Rocket Center: formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Tennessee Aquarium: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: TVSRR at English Wikipedia. Photo by Jason Trew /TVSRR, Public domain
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7,821 visitors in 2025
Years run from 2016 on the left to 2025 on the right.
Your questions on Russell Cave
What town is Russell Cave National Monument near?
Orme, TN, about 3 miles north.
When is the best time to visit Russell Cave National Monument?
October, with a high of 70°. July is the busiest month (about 1,328 visitors).
How many people visit Russell Cave National Monument each year?
7,821 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 24,649, set in 2016.
How far is Russell Cave National Monument from Nashville?
About 99 miles northwest of Nashville, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Russell Cave National Monument?
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA), about 35 miles away. The nearest big hub is Nashville (BNA), about 93 miles.
Where should I stay near Russell Cave National Monument?
Chattanooga (32 mi, 157 places to stay), Kimball (9 mi, 8 places to stay) and Stevenson (7 mi, 4 places to stay).
Ask a local in Orme
No one has shared advice yet; Orme’s Town Square takes questions.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.