Mammoth Caves of Kentucky

We started this adventure with a few of our friends. Gerrit & Beth brought their 5th Wheel and Tracy and Mary came down from Louisville. Mammoth Caves, located in Kentucky, have the longest known explored miles (420) in the world. According to our guide, there is more to discover.

How did it form? The area is made up of limestone below sandstone. The Green River runs thru the area which over millions of years has cut thru the Kentucky foothills. The water table ran thru the limestone carving out caverns. As the river cut thru the landscape, the water table lowered to form more internal water ways and create more caves. The top part of the Kentucky foothills is made of sandstone (when the earth only had one large land mass, Pangaea, Kentucky was under water forming sandstone) which is impermeable causing the roof of the cave as the limestone was eaten away. You will see from the pictures below. As the tour guide described it, the sandstone is the asphalt shingles and limestone is drywall.

Sandstone above their heads

Just inside the main entrance

The Green River is actually green from green soapstone along the banks. If you look closely behind us there is a small ferry to cross the river.

There where a few tight spots as we took the historic 2 hour tour as the title below states "FAT MAN MISERY".

One of the most interesting tidbits of information was the use of Mammoth Cave dirt to make gunpowder that was used in the war of 1812. Bat Guano (nitrates) was processed from the calcium nitrate dirt to make potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Gunpowder is Sulfur, Charcoal, and Potassium Nitrate. Pictures below are from 1800's digging of this valuable commodity.