Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S National Park in the heart of Kentucky. Encompassing over 400 miles of surveyed passageways; it is considered the longest cave system in the world.

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The official name of this site is called the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System. This under ground world was established as a National Park on July 1, 1941, a World Heritage site on October 27, 1981 and an International Biosphere Reserve on September 26, 1990.

Evidence has pointed towards human interaction with Mammoth Cave spanning 6,000 years. Native American remains and mummies have also been discovered within its walls. Even now certain sections of the cave are prohibited to explorers as archaeological teams still seek to expand their research.

The first Europeans to discover Mammoth Cave were two brothers, John & Francis Huchin in 1797 while out hunting a wounded bear. I credit both brothers in this discovery – however much debate has surrounded which one actually stumbled upon this great site.

Mammoth Cave is a remarkably stable site that developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped entirely by a layer of sandstone. New expansions to the original cave site granted this site is title for worlds longest cave – Proctor and Morrison Cave were discovered in 1979 pushing its reach further south. In 1983, Roppel Cave was surveyed adding serveral miles east to the labyrinth of cave systems. The most recent discovery occurred on March 19, 2005 which added another 3 miles.

Explorers should definitely visit this unique site, but if your more of an outdoorsy type I recommend visiting Freeman Lake Park, located in Elizabethtown, KY.