Going Underground

Diamond Caverns

There is one word that best describes our time in Kentucky - gray! Whether we were underground exploring the local caves or riding out the cloudy, damp days it was a solid two weeks of gray tones. But in spite of the weather, our time there was both comfortable and very informative.

Our stay was at the Singing Hills RV Park & Campground, located approx. 2.5 miles West of I-65 in Cave City and can best be described as basic. The grounds are a converted 40 acre farm that still contains a large 1900's farmhouse (now an antique/craft store) and a weathered wood barn. There are ample pull-through sites and a small pond. Other small farms surrounding the property contained a small herd of Angus cattle and a flock of chickens with roosters that crowed loudly each morning. The sites were muddy during rains and the buildings a bit dated, yet extremely clean. It's not a place for people seeking alot of activity, but for all it lacks in extras it was constantly filled to capacity and convenient to shopping areas and numerous cave systems. The owners, Beth and Eldon, were two of the nicest people we have ever met and have done an admirable job in making constant improvements to the property since they purchased it two years ago. A word of thanks to our gracious hosts for their genuine hospitality.

A unique aspect of staying in the area is knowing that you are standing, parked or driving above the world's largest cave system. Millions of years ago the bluegrass landscape of Kentucky was covered by a shallow sea. Deposits of tiny marine animals and plants eventually formed thick layers of limestone that were later dissolved by water to form vast underground passages. To date, over 500 miles of cave passages have been mapped and geologists believe another 500 miles remain to be discovered.

Our first journey underground was at the Mammoth Cave National Park. Although best known for the caves, the park is over 3,000 acres in size and beautifully lush with forests, plants, rivers, hiking trails, a lodge and wildlife. On our drive to the Welcome Center we had to stop for a large flock of wild turkeys crossing the road and saw numerous deer. The area was authorized as a national park in 1926 and fully established in 1941. At that time just 40 miles of cave passageways had been mapped. Today, over 365 miles of passageways have been explored and the park experiences up to 3,000 visitors per day during peak periods.

The park offers a variety of cave tours that provide access to over ten miles of the system and range from 45 minutes to three hours in length. We chose to take the Violet City Lantern Tour. Designed to recreate the experiences of cave visitors during the 1800's, participants are given oil lanterns to carry on a three hour, very strenuous three mile hike through large passageways and chambers.

Because the system is a dry canyon, there are no massive stalagmites or stalactites that people normally associate with caves. Instead, what visitors experience is a journey through time in an overwhelmingly immense, gray atmosphere defined by boulder-lined paths that house a fascinating history. With the oil lanterns being our only source of light, the experience felt truly adventurous. Along the way two knowledgeable guides explained the use of the caves by early native Americans, a commercial saltpeter leaching factory established for the making of gunpowder during the War of 1812, an ill-fated tuberculosis hospital and the transition of the system from private ownership to a national park. Due to the consistently dry atmosphere, artifacts from all of the above influences are in amazingly good shape. We would highly recommend this tour, but with one warning - it is not for the faint of heart. There are sections of the trail that are very steep, slippery and require climbs up oversize rock stairs; it's a workout!

Later in the week we visited Diamond Caverns, the fourth oldest, private show cave in the country that has provided tours for over 145 years. Being a wet system only 1/2 mile in length, it was a much different and less strenuous experience than Mammoth Caves.

As shown in the pictures above, the cave is presented by a state-of-the-art lighting system that highlights numerous stalagmites, stalactites and calcite crystal formations along passage walls. It is a beautiful atmosphere with sparkling calcite formations resembling diamonds overhead and cut-away displays of mineral deposits. Our young, but informative guide did a good job of explaining the unique aspects of the system as well as sharing interesting stories of the cave wars undertaken by private owners during the turn of the century. It's well worth the visit if you are ever in the area.

We are currently in the Knoxville, TN area enjoying a colorful, fall atmosphere. Will update you later on our experiences here.

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer

Photos by Deb