Barb took a look at what we could do leaving Nashville making our way home and found a GEM of a spot! This Park houses the largest underground cave structure on earth. Intermittent exploration has been going on for over 4,000 years, the full extent of this water formed labyrinth are unknown. Mammoth Cave’s over 420 miles of mapped tunnels making it over twice as long as any known cave. Geologists believe there are another 600 miles to discover yet. Prehistoric peoples explored 10 or more miles of Mammoth Cave 4,000 years ago. Archeological evidence shows that these early cavers collected crystals and other salts in the cave. Cave exploration ceased 2,000 years ago, not to resume until the cave was rediscovered in 1798.
The vast cave system holds one of the world’s most diverse cave ecosystems. About 130 forms of life can be found in Mammoth Cave. Life in the cave is not separate from the rest of the park’s natural communities. It is an extension of the larger biological whole whose diversity and abundance are preserved here.
It was warm so we did the self guided tour as we had to leave the animals in the RV and couldn’t be gone long. Here are the two of us going into one of many entrances to the cave system.
Inside the cave structure the caverns were huge. There are many tours you can take where you have to cave dive or spelunking is required to get through the passageways. We were NOT in those caves.
One interesting spot in this part of the cave was a war memorial. Not a clear shot, but you get the gist.
Above ground the park itself is stunning and there are 33 miles of Green River you can kayak and over 60 miles of hiking trails throughout.
This is definitely on the list to come back to. Stay a few days and really explore the caves and the park.
These photos are stunning! What a great park!