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Welcome to
Mammoth Cave – the longest cave in the world and
one of the first tourist attractions in America (second only
to Niagara Falls). The cave boasts more than 390 miles of
explored and mapped passageways, though geologists estimate
there could be more than 600 miles in all. Mammoth Cave
National Park achieved official park status from Congress on
July 1, 1941, was designated a World Heritage Site in 1981,
and became an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990.
Since then, millions of visitors have journeyed to
south-central Kentucky to experience the grandeur of this
awe-inspiring sight.
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From the beginning, underground explorers
doubted that they would ever find the end of
Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave. Mammoth Cave is the
longest known cave in the world – the Jewell
Cave in South Dakota at 151 miles comes in a
distant second – and exploration continues
today. |
In Mammoth’s
vast subterranean world, there are giant vertical shafts,
from towering 192-foot-high Mammoth Dome to the
105-foot-deep Bottomless Pit. Some passages and rooms are
decorated with sparkling white gypsum crystals, while others
are filled with the colorful, sculpted shapes of
stalactites, stalagmites. Underground rivers, including
Echo River and the River Styx, flow through Mammoth’s
deepest chambers. And in the cave’s absolute blackness
dwell rare and unusual animals, including eyeless fish and
crayfish, eight species of bats, and blind beetles.
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While most visitors to Mammoth Cave National
Park come to view its subterranean wonders, its
surface beauty should not be overlooked. Within
a thriving second-growth hardwood forest, you’ll
find extraordinary and unusual ecosystems in the
bowl-shaped sinkholes, hemlock groves, and deep
karst valleys scattered throughout the park. |
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You will
also encounter Big Woods – a 300-acre old-growth forest –
with massive trees that are more than 100 feet tall. Keep
your eyes out for common woodland creatures like deer,
raccoon, opossum, gray squirrel, rabbit, woodchuck, muskrat,
beaver, red fox, coyote, owls and wild turkey. Whether
common or endangered, like the Indiana bat, gray bat, and
seven species of mussels, please remember that all animals
and plants within the park are protected; watch them,
photograph them, but do not disturb.
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Take a canoe trip on the Green River for a
close-up view of dramatic bluffs, majestic
trees, curious wildlife, and river cane that
ancient explorers used as torches to explore the
cave. The river, dotted with sandbars, islands
and subsurface springs, supports one of the most
biologically diverse ecosystems in North
America. Among the creatures that call it home
include over 50 species of freshwater mussels
and two species of cave fish. |
Along with
its stunning natural splendor, the Mammoth Cave area boasts
a rich and colorful human history that began 4,000 years
ago. It’s a fascinating story that features prehistoric
gypsum miners, an underground tuberculosis hospital, a 1920s
caver named Floyd Collins, and home place tales of the
families and communities present here prior to the creation
of America’s 26th national park. |
