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Mammoth Cave National Park is a World Heritage Site in Kentucky, USA. It is the location of the longest cave system in the world. It covers an area of 52,835 acres (21,382 ha), primarily in Edmonson County, Kentucky, but protrudes eastwards into Hart County and Barren County. With over 367 miles (591 km) of passageways, it is well over twice longer than the second longest cave system, the Jewel Cave of South Dakota, which has 150 miles (240 km) of known passageways.
Mammoth Cave was formed by water of the Green River, which creates sinkholes through which the water enters. Despite its name, there are no fossils of woolly mammoth at Mammoth Cave. The name refers to its staggering size rather than the extinct pachiderm.
The first Europeans to have seen Mammoth Cave is believed to be either John Houchin or his brother Francis, in 1797, while hunting a bear. Scientists have discovered that Mammoth Cave had support human habitation going back six thousand years, with the discovery of prehistoric Native American remains there and in nearby caves. The remains are in the form of mummies intentionally buried there, suggesting pre-Columbian funerary practices.
Mammoth Cave National Park was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 5th session of the World Heritage Committee in Sydney, Australia, on 26 - 30 October, 1981
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
Author: Daniel Schwen (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
World Heritage Site Inscription Details
Location: N 37 11 14 W 86 6 11 Barren, Edmonson and Hart Counties, Kentucky, USAInscription Year: 1981
Type: Natural
Inscription Criteria: VII, VIII, X
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