Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park preserves the world‘s longest known cave system – an underground world of more than 367 explored miles—as well as a part of the Green River valley and hilly landscape of south central Kentucky. Cave tours have been offered since 1816, although in its early days, the cave was privately owned, not being authorized as a national park until 1926 (and not fully established under National Park Service management until 1941). Mammoth Cave‘s history, however, is much older than that. The first humans to enter Mammoth Cave passed under its imposing arch about 4,000 years ago. Here visitors can explore diverse and delicate landscapes and ecosystems, both above and below ground, as well as a history rich in Native American, African-American, and Kentucky heritage.
