How It All Began
Millions of years ago the beautiful bluegrass landscape of Kentucky was covered by a shallow sea. Deposits of tiny marine animals and plants on the sea floor formed thick layers of limestone. When exposed to weather, these layers of limestone became the world’s best “cave forming” rock.  Rainwater, mixed with carbon dioxide in the air and soil, formed a mild acid which slowly worked its way into cracks in the limestone and began to dissolve passages.  Flowing underground to the region’s main stream, the Green River, this acidic groundwater has dissolved immense chambers and over 500 miles of cave passages.  South-central Kentucky is the home of the longest caves in the world, and geologists believe at least another 500 miles remain to be discovered.  Come and experience the thrill of discovery and the mystery of Kentucky’s caves and karst lands.

What Is Karst?
Karst is a term which describes cave country.  Karst areas are places where dissolved openings in the underlying bedrock allow a substantial amount of groundwater to move for long distances with relatively little filtration.  Karst features include, caves, sinkholes, springs, and underground rivers.  In karst areas, water enters the ground through natural "sinks".  If you are driving through Kentucky watch for bowl shaped depressions in the land that look like meteor craters.  The presence of these “sinkholes" tell you that you are in cave country.

Once water sinks underground it flows through natural caverns and eventually comes back to the surface through springs. Eight of Kentucky’s ten largest springs are in south-central Kentucky.

Protecting Kentucky’s Caves & Karstlands
Most people don’t realize that caves are important ecosystems which harbor a variety of rare and endangered species.  Cave systems also contain significant archeological artifacts, fragile mineral formations, and easily contaminated water supplies.  Kentucky’s caves are susceptible to vandalism, looting by artifact hunters, and just plain carelessness when exploring.  The water and animal life in Kentucky’s caves can easily be impacted by sewage, illegal dumping in sinkholes, uncontrolled soil erosion, chemical spills, and agricultural run off.  The conservation of Kentucky’s caves and groundwater depends on making sure that the people who live and work in “cave country” know how to take care of the fragile natural resources beneath their feet.  By taking good care of land and keeping waste materials out of sinkholes, the people living in karst areas can help ensure that vital water supplies remain clean and healthy. The show caves of Kentucky all share this one common goal- the conservation of Kentucky’s beautiful and irreplaceable cave and karst resources.