Scout Trip Planner and Trip History (Revision 3) August, 2007

Caving Trips

The Russell Cave Native American Festival is an annual event held every Spring.

The cave shelter archaeological site contains the most complete record of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast.

http://www.nps.gov/ruca/

Mammoth Cave, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky (208 miles) Mammoth Cave is rated one of the top ten caves in the United States. Stretching 350 miles long and 379 feet deep, Mammoth Cave is the longest cave in the world. Exploration of Mammoth Cave dates back some 4,000 years; archaeologists found ancient Adena Indian artifacts nearly a mile inside. Stephen Bishop, a slave, used the cave to hide other slaves heading north to freedom via the Underground Railroad.7 http://www.nps.gov/maca/

Climbing Trips

This area is a small park with a small band of cliffs suitable for bouldering. The problems here are mostly easy, but some difficult lines can be found if you hunt. Some of the better boulders are hidden and some haven't been touched yet. This place is kind of in a neighborhood, so be cool. There are some cool boulders pretty close to one of the houses. Don't climb there unless you get permission!⁸

There are four climbs here with difficulty ratings from 5.7 to 5.8. The climbing area is right below the lookout. Access the area by following an unmarked trail to the left of the lookout as you are looking away from the cliff. It will bend underneath the cliff and take you to the climbing area. Top ropes can be set up or there are some trad opportunities. Helmets recommended, some loose rock.⁹

There are four climbs here with difficulty ratings from 5.5 to 5.9. These cliffs are 100 yards down the mountain and run between the picnic area and the Tavern Ruins. There are several access scrambles to the bottom.¹⁰

There are 231 climbs here with difficulty ratings from V1 to V9. This is easily the best boulder field in the Southeast, with acres and acres of high quality boulders packed right next to each other. The boulders here are bullet-hard sandstone, shaped into unusual formations by wind and especially water (the infamous Watergroove). This is the premier bouldering destination in the Deep South.¹¹

There are 151 climbs here with difficulty ratings from V1 to V6. This place is huge, both concentrated and spread out, you could almost never run out of climbable rock. If you think you're done, walk toward the lake, and across the ridgeline, you are bound to find more clean sandstone.¹²

The Walnut Wall is Chattanooga’s most unique urban outdoor climbing alternative! Established on a 100 year old limestone tower supporting the Walnut Street Bridge, the Wall is 50 feet high and has 10 top ropes leading to as many as 30 distinct climbing routes ranging in difficulty from 5.3 to 5.11 (YDS). All equipment is provided!

Day Trips and Merit Badges

Summary: The Huntsville area is abundant in the diverse businesses serving the area. Most businesses have standard tours of their facilities and are eager to help out where Scouting is concerned. These tours can be used to complete merit badge requirements. They can also be used as patrol meetings to earn credit toward the National Honor Patrol Award.
American Business merit badge

Pick your favorite bank in the area.

Astronomy merit badge

The Von Braun Astronomical Society has a nice planetarium and observatory in Monte Sano State Park. They offer weekly planetarium shows (followed by observatory use), irregular lectures, and are always busy during celestial events.

http://www.vbas.org/index.cfm
Energy merit badge and Nuclear Science merit badge

The Huntsville Waste-to-Energy Facility http://www.swdahsv.org/wtoe.html

provides tours of their facility on a regular basis to youth groups. While Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant http://www.tva.gov/sites/brownsferry.htm won’t allow adolescents into their facility for safety concerns and heavily restricts access since 911, they do have an educational trailer set up on the perimeter to give plant presentations.
Environmental science

The BFI Recycling Center gives a good overview of recycling followed by a tour of their aromatic facility.

Gardening merit badge, Plant Science MB, and Landscape Architecture MB

The Huntsville Botanical Gardens has the largest seasonal butterfly house in the nation. This is a fun tour for those who have never seen one. They have given guided tours of this house to scouts in the past. They also have trails displaying a large array of plant species and landscape design.

http://www.hsvbg.org/

Metalwork merit badge

There are around 16 metal fabricators in the Huntsville area. This is a fascinating tour for those who have never seen one.

Pioneering merit badge

Grooverville has been used on past outings to build rope bridges.

Pulp and Paper merit badge

Willamette in Madison makes corrugate sheet stock from paper rolls. They have an interesting tour.

Radio merit badge

Pick your favorite radio station in the area.

Reptile and Amphibian Study merit badge

The Wildlife Center http://www.awrc.org/ located in Oak mountain Park and the Birmingham Zoo http://www.birminghamzoo.com/ are excellent resource for these merit badges.
Orienteering merit badge

The Vulcan Orienteering Club is a good resource for maps of some permanent orienteering courses at Oak Mountain and around Alabama including one in Monte Sano State Park.

http://home.earthlink.net/~ciza/voc.html
Space Exploration merit badge

Tours of NASA’s http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/home/index.html many facilities are available. The Space and Rocket Center www.spacecamp.com/ has great educational programs. Boeing’s http://www.boeing.com/ rocket manufacturing facility in Decatur could be interesting.

Weather merit badge

WHNT has been very receptive in the past to after hours scout tours.

http://www.whnt.com/

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