Mammoth Cave National Park, a U.S. National Park situated in Edmonson County of Central Kentucky became a World Heritage Site on October 27, 1981 and an international Biosphere Reserve on September 26, 1990. Its mammoth Cave is considered as the world’s longest cave system known. It covers an area of 52,830 acres. It originated in the thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata leading to a stable formation. Its layers gradually got divided into units according to their geological status with the upper layer relatively harder which restricts the water to flow. A massive sinkhole was formed called the “Cedar Sink” at the bottom of the park’s southern region. It’s the entrance of a small appearing and the same ends at the other side of the river. It houses the endangered Kentucky cave albino shrimp. Major attractions of the park include Grand Avenue, Frozen Niagara, Fat Man’s Misery and the popular Echo River Tour offered by the National Park service. Remains of Native America are also found here. It is believed that it was first discovered by either of the Houchin Brothers (John Houchin and Francis Houchin) in 1797. It consists of muddy crawls, dusty tunnels and mummies which are buried under the grounds of the park. It was primarily owned by Valentine Simon and it was sold to John Croghan of Louisville in 1839. An African-American slave named Stephen Bishop, a guide to the cave around the period of 1840-1850 made a detailed map of the cave for the first time. Many writers of the 19th century such as Robert Montgomery, Bavard Taylor, Alexander Clark Built etc. wrote about this magnificent cave. It is close to the Flint Ridge Cave System by the use of a passage discovered by the Cave Research Foundation (CRF) exploration and mapping teams in the 1960s. It can be reached by steamboats. It inhabits a large species of bats and two genera of eyeless cave fish and crickets. It was considered the longest cave from the year 1954 till 1972 because it covered all the lands within its outer boundary except the two privately owned tracts. The cave was named “Mammoth” in order to signify its large width and passage length. Ancient human remains and artifacts of the cave are protected and preserved by several federal and state laws.
Photos Of Mammoth Cave National Park
