Russell Cave (left) and the Russell Cave Shelter (right) at Russell Cave National Monument

There is not much to a visit to the Russell Cave Shelter, which is an easy, five-minute walk from the Russell Cave National Monument Visitor Center along a boardwalk. Once at the cave, you will see two openings. The one on the left is what most people think of when they hear the word cave—a long, dark passage into the earth—but it is not accessible to anyone without a permit, and only scientists are issued a permit. The opening on the right is the cave shelter where people lived. It does not extend very far back into the mountain and would be the perfect place to duck into during a rain storm, which is why people once lived in it. Visitors, however, must stay on the boardwalk.

Contrary to information on the National Park Service’s Russell Cave National Monument web site, daily Ranger-guided tours of the cave are no longer given as a matter of course. You can ask for a guided tour, and if staff is available, your wish will be granted, but the National Park Service has actually done the smarter thing by simply stationing a Ranger at the cave to give short lectures and to answer any questions. However, they are not on duty at all times, particularly during lunch, so be sure to ask if anyone is there before heading to the cave. If not, I suggest waiting until a Ranger is on duty because on your own all you will end up doing is staring at the cave shelter for a minute or two before heading back to the Visitor Center. If you must venture out to the cave by yourself, be sure to first read through the exhibits in the Visitor Center museum and watch the park film. There are also information panels at the cave entrance that describe the different anthropological time periods that spanned human habitation of the cave.