References
Mammoth Stats and Facts
- Mammoth Cave is the world's longest cave system - 348 miles long!
- Mammoth Cave is Kentucky's Number One tourist attraction - close to 2.5 million visitors per year.
- It took 250 million years for Mammoth Cave to develop.
- The cave system is habitat for blind beetles, ghostly spiders, eyeless fish and crayfish.
- During the War of 1812 the cave was mined for saltpeter (potassium nitrate), which is used in the production of gunpowder. By war's end, the miners had produced an estimated 400,000 pounds of saltpeter.
- The cave has a constant underground temperature of 54-60 degrees Fahrenheit.
- There are 30 known entrances to Mammoth Cave. Only one-fourth are natural.
- Mammoth Cave was the first show cave in America.
- Stephen L. Bishop was the first "official" cave tour guide in America.
Caver's Tips
When exploring caves remember:
- Never go alone.
- Take at least 3 sources of light per person (flashlight, carbide lamp, candle, etc.) Also take extra batteries and matches.
- Realize that caves are very fragile and that much damage can be done, even accidentally.
- Go with someone who is familiar with caves.
- Make sure people know where you are.
- Get the cave's owner permission before visiting the cave.
- Do not go into caves when it is raining or when it might rain. Caves can flood in a short time.
- Take nothing but pictures; leave nothing but footprints; kill nothing but time.
Books on Mammoth Cave
The Longest Cave
Roger Brucker, New York: Knopf, 1976
Underground Worlds
Donald Dale Jackson, Time-Life, 1982
Mammoth Cave: The Story Behind the Scenery
Joy Medley Lyons, Las Vegas: KC Publications, 1991
Gun Powder From Mammoth Cave: The Saga of Saltpeter Mining Before and During the War of 1812
Duane, DePaipe, Cave Pearl Press, 1985
America's Neighborhood Bats
Merlin D. Tuttle, Texas: University of Texas press, 1988
Karst Hydrology: Concepts From the Mammoth Cave Area
New York: Van Norstrand Reinhold, 1989
Mummies of Mammoth Cave
Harold Meloy, Shelbyville, Ind.: Micron, 1971
Books for kids
Mammoth Cave
Kids Love it! - Danny Close, 1981
Mammoth Cave National Park
Ruth Radlaver, Chicago Press, 1978