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Mammoth Cave National Park (6)
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Green River
The Green River is the main waterway in the park, through which it meanders and winds, but it is also the drain into which all of the water which moves through the caves, creating the passages and formations, flows. The caves are located beneath the ground on the rocky cliffs above the river on the south bank.
There was steamboat traffic on the Green River prior to 1931. At one time there were plans being made to dam the river, but these were never realized. Such a plan could be very destructive to the caves, since it would back the river up into cave passages, permanently flooding lower levels. In fact, many cave passages may be temporarily flooded during a heavy rain as more water seeps into the caves from the surface. Seasonal floods actually renew the sources of food for inhabitants and visitors to the cave.
There is an auto ferry which crosses the Green River not far from the main visitor area in the park. The ferry connects the North Entrance Road with Green River Ferry Road. At one time boat traffic on the Green River served as an important source of transportation in the area.
The River Styx, which carries water from within the cave to the Green River, can be seen below as it runs through the forest. Along the Green River, trees commonly found in the forest include sugar and red maple, sycamore, black gum, beech, birch, and willow.
Although it is called the Green River, the color brown is a little more characteristic of its appearance. The Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River.
The Green River features a variety of fish, including catfish, bass, bluegill, and trout. The river also features freshwater mussels which provide nourishment for many animals and were also used by the Indians who inhabited the area.
Animals
The wilderness of south central Kentucky used to be inhabited by a number of sizeable mammals, including bear and bison, but these large animals are long gone. Within the caves themselves there are some 200 species of one type or another, typically very small animals. Outside the caves, some animals do remain, including the squirrel shown below. The park features both gray and fox squirrels.
Among the most numerous animals present currently in the park is the racoon. These can be seen in some numbers after dark.
The raccoons often forage around the areas frequented by visitors.
The racoons can be found in a number of national parks, and are always a pleasure to observe.
Buildings
Above ground there are a number of buildings in the park, many located in the main tourist congregation area adjacent to the Historical Entrance. One of these buildings is the hotel, shown below. There is a long tradition of this type of guest services at Mammoth Caves. Franklin Gorin built the first hotel after he acquired the property in 1828. This hotel lasted for a great many years but burned down in 1916. A replacement hotel was built in 1925, and it provided accommodations until it was finally razed in 1979.
The visitor center is located in the main tourist area of the park, near the hotel and Historical Entrance to the cave.
The Mammoth Cave Baptist Church was established in 1827. It is one of 3 churches which are found within the current borders of the park.
One of the other two churches found within the confines of the park is the Joppa Church, built in the same general style as the Baptist Church shown above.
References
Information about Mammoth Caves Park has been drawn from personal experience, maps, interpretive material, brochures, and other data available in the park itself, and a number of other sources, including:
- Brucker, Roger W., & Watson, Richard A. The Longest Cave. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1976.
- Eugene, Toni. Mammoth Caves National Park. In Our Inviting Eastern Parklands, From Acadia to the Everglades. Washington, D.C.: National Geogaphic Society, 1994.
- Goode, Cecil. E. World Wonder Saved: How Mammoth Cave Became a Naional Park. Mammoth Cave, KY: Mammoth Cave National Park Association, 1986.
- Lyons, Jay Medley. Mammoth Cave: The Story Behind the Scenery. Las Vegas, NV: KC Publications, 1991.
- The Sierra Club Guide to the National Parks of the East and Middle West. New York: Stewart, Tabori, and Chang, 1996.
- National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks of the United States. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1997.
- Sides, Stanley D. Guide to the Surface Trails of Mammothj Cave National Park. St. Louis, MO:Cave Books, 1995.
- Wagoner, John J. & Cutliff, Lewis D. Mammoth Cave. Flagstaff, AZ: Interpretive Publications, 1985.
- First Page for Mammoth Cave National Park -
- All photographs ©Patrick Holleran, Shannon Technologies, 1994-2010
- Commercial use of the images contained in this document without express written consent is strictly prohibited.
- Comments and other remarks can be sent via e-mail to parkvision@shannontech.com