 |
| Mammoth Cave is a hidden treasure trove of natural beauty. Image Credit: Image courtesy National Parks Service |
The hill country of Kentucky's Green River Valley certainly has its charms, but beneath its gentle woodlands there is an underworld. More than 390 miles (628 kilometers) worth of caves worm through the rocky depths, making Mammoth Cave the largest known cave system in the world.
For more than 10 million years, waters from the Green River have cut through the soft limestone, riddling it with all manner of cave formations. A visitor may pass through a lengthy passageway and into a vast cathedral. Vertical shafts descend into darkness while stalagmites, stalactites and bizarre crystal formations speak to the immensity of geologic time.
Yet Mammoth Cave is not just a place of minerals, stones and tourists. It also boasts an impressive ecosystem of cave flora and fauna, encompassing more than 130 documented species.
Mammoth Cave is a hidden treasure trove of natural beauty.
Read More