Mammoth Cave National Park - Mysteries and Legends

Join Steve as he looks at some of the mysteries and legends of Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Written by Nicole Stockton.

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Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Hello, friends, see Sockton herewith you. Welcome to our latest episode.
In the beautiful landscape of Kentucky's rollinghills and dense forests, there exists
a location of fascination and marvel.Mammoth Cave is a natural wonder that has
captivated people for centuries. The caveis a maze of intricate tunnels and grand

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chambers that seem to bring the earthto live. As you journey deeper into
the cave, you'll feel transported toanother realm. The air grows colder,
and the outside world sounds pade intothe darkness. It's a place that makes
you feel humble and fills you witha sense of admiration and enchantment. In
this video, we'll explore Mammoth Cave'sextensive history and some alleged paranormal encounters.

(00:46):
Join me, let's walk and seenow. Researchers have dated Mammoth Caves rock
beds of the Mississippian period, approximatelythree hundred and twenty to three hundred six
sixty million years ago. However,the passages of Mammoth Cave did not start
forming until about ten or fifteen millionyears ago during the Miocene epoch. When

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streams and rivers falling over the surfaceallowed water to sink in and enter the
rock beds through small cracks. Atthis time, the region was covered by
a shallow sea, the sediment wasdeposited on the seafloor. Over time,
the sediment was compressed and hardened intolimestone. The area under went up left
around two and a half million yearsago, exposing the limestone to the surface.

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Rain Water, slightly acidic due tocarbon dioxide in the atmosphere, began
to dissolve the limestone, creating tinycracks and fissures in the rock. Over
time, these small cracks and fissuresgrew into more extensive passages as water flowed
through the limestone, creating even moresignificant passages as they grew. This process
is known as carsification. The cavesystem has many breathtaking geological formations, including

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stalactites and stalagmites. These formations arecreated over time as minerals like calcium carbonate
accumulate from the water dripping from thecave's ceiling. The distinctive shapes of the
cave are a testament to nature's incrediblepower and beauty. Some formations are so
massive that they dwarf you, whileothers are small and fragile. As you

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delve deeper into the cave, you'llencounter many vast chambers. The rotunda is
particularly impressive, with an enormous ceilingthat seems to stretch on forever. Another
noteworthy area is Gothic Avenue, wheretall and narrow passageways branch into darkness,
resembling the spokes of a wheel.Yet another impressive site is the Frozen Niagara

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formation, which looks like a frozenwaterfall. Delicate white strands cascade down the
walls, creating a breathtaking sight.Yet another stunning formation is Crystal Lake,
a shallow pool of turquoise water thatreflects this informations like a mirror. Visiting
Mammoth Cave National Park and Mammoth Caveitself offers a unique opportunity to explore a

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hidden world filled with rare and fascinatinglife forms, some exclusive to this location.
Since the cave's entrances are few andfar between, the animals that live
inside have been cut off from therest of the world for thousands of years.
You'll spot bats hanging from the ceiling, tightly folding their wings around their
bodies. As they rest in theunderground rivers. Blind cavefish swim with their

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white bodies almost glowing in the darkness. While the cave's fragile ecosystem requires visitors
to take special precautions to avoid damagingthe delicate environment, the chance to witness
these amazing creatures in their natural habitatis an experience that is sure to leave
a lasting impression. Mammoth Cave isalso Kentucky's only national park. The surrounding

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forest contains one of the most diversehabitats in the nation, supporting more than
one three hundred flowering species and birdspeed like bald eagles, wood warblers,
and thrushes. You can see flowersalong the hiking trails and along the sixty
miles open for horseback riding. Thepark also includes over thirty miles of the
Green and Nolan Rivers, which aregreat fishing spots and scenic kayak and canoe

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trails. Mammoth Cave is also aplace of historical and cultural significance. The
history of human presence at Mammoth Caveextends back at least six millennia. Over
the years, some Native Americans havebeen unearthed from Mammoth Cave and other nearby
caves, with several discoveries made duringthe nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Most of

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the remains found appear to have beendeliberately buried. Apart from the discovered remains
in the section of Mammoth Cave accessiblevia the historic entrance, various artifacts such
as cane torches, drawings, gourdfragments, and woven grass moccasin slippers have
been found in the Salts Cave sectionlocated at Flint Ridge. These discoveries provide

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evidence of Native Americans use of thecave in the past, but there's no
indications of any usage after the Archaicperiod. This baffles experts and scientists as
to why this is so, andit remains one of the most significant mysteries
of Mammoth Cave. Legend has itthat Mammoth Cave was discovered in seventeen ninety
seven either John Houchin or his brotherFrancis Hauchin. The story goes that while

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hunting, Hauchin chased a wounded bearto the cave's opening near the Green River.
Some accounts credit John Decatur, JohnnyDick Houchin, John Houchin's son with
a discovery, but this seems unlikelyas he would have only been ten years
old in seventeen ninety seven and unlikelyto be out hunting bear at such a
young age. It's more plausible thatJohn's father was to discover from that family

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branch. However, the most likelycandidate for the discovery of Mammoth Cave is
Francis Frank Houchin, as his landwas much closer to the cave entrance than
that of his brother John. Inseventeen ninety eight, the land where the
historic entrance was located came under theownership of Valentine Simmons, and ownership changed
hands many times over the next severalyears. Simmons proceeded to extract saltpeter from

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the cave. In seventeen ninety nine, Simmons sold two hundred acres and two
caves to John Flat. The largercave came to be known as Flat's Cave.
Flat then sold the property to JohnMcLean and his two brothers. In
eighteen oh eight. The McLean brotherssold Flat's Cave to Fleming Gatewood and Charles
Wilkins in eighteen ten. The firstpublished use of the name Mammoth Cave was

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used in a Richmond, Virginia newspaper. During the War of eighteen twelve,
the saltpeter reserves in the cave becamecrucial to the American military due to the
British blockade of US ports. Asa result, the price of saltpeter arose
domestically, making the production of nitratesfrom caves like Mammoth Cave highly profitable.

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Enslaved men mined vast amounts of saltpeterand sent it together unpowder factories in the
East to supply American military war efforts. After the war ended and the demand
for saltpeter declined, the mining operationsceased. The cave became a minor tourist
attraction, focusing on a nearby discoveryof a Native American mummy. In August

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of eighteen twelve, Gatewood sold hisinterest in Mammoth Cave to Hyman Gratz of
Philadelphia for ten thousand dollars. AfterCharles Wilkins passed away. Later in eighteen
thirty eight, Franklin Goren and AAHarvey bought Mammoth Cave and sixteen hundred acres
Hymon Gratz and his brother Simon Gornthen enlarged and improved the Mammoth Cave in

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with Archibald Miller Junior as the manager. Gorn owned enslaved persons and used them
as tour guides. One of Goren'senslaved persons, Stephen Bishop, officially known
as the Sable Genius, contributed tounderstanding the cave and is now recognized as
one of its most renowned historical figures. Had visitors through the eighteen forties and

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eighteen fifties and played a crucial rolein mapping the cave and naming its features.
His contributions of the human knowledge ofMammoth Cave are extraordinary. Gorn sold
the cave in sixteen hundred and tenacres to doctor John Krogan in eighteen thirty
nine. During that time, themedical understanding and treatments for tuberculosis, also

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known as the White plague were minimal. This disease was one of the primary
causes of death during the nineteenth andearly twentieth centuries. Doctor Crogan saw potential
in the cave as a possible sanitariumfor treating this disease. Doctor Crogan found
that visitors and miners had previously reportedfeeling better. After exploring the cave horace,

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Carter Hovey even mentioned that the freshair in the cave could helps sustain
a person on a long hike withoutcausing fatigue. Moreover, doctor Krogan noticed
that the cave's environment prevented the decaveof timber and animal carcasses. He hoped
to use this environment to treat tuberculosispatients and established a hospital within the cave
for experimental treatment. During the winterof eighteen forty two, doctor Krogan invited

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sixteen of its tuberculosis patients to residein the cave. Hospital. To accommodate
the patients, enslaved individuals constructed severalbuildings consisted of two stone cabins and eight
basic wooden structures. These structured measuredtwelve to eighteen feet and had tongue and
groove flooring along with canvas roofs.Due to their isolation from natural light,

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the patients residing underground in the cavehad to adapt their daily routines to coincide
with those of the outside world.At first, the patients appeared to exhibit
improvement while living in the cave,prompting doctor Krogan to strategize the construction of
a hotel to cater to the anticipatedrising visitors seeking therapeutic treatment. As winter

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continued, it became apparent that thepatient's symptoms worsened due to the damp and
dark conditions. Large oil lanterns anda constant fire used to light the cave,
Smoke and ash to fill the chambers, further damaging already weakened lungs.
Cedar trees and bushes brought into lightin the atmosphere quickly withered. While some
cooking was completed within the cave,other meals were prepared off site by enslaved

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individuals and brought into the cave.A server named Alfred noted quote, I
used to stand on that rock andblow the horn to call them to dinner.
There were fifteen of them, andthey looked more like a company of
skeletons than anything else. End quote. While doctor Crogan conducted his medical experiment,
the cave system was improved and publictours continued. Misters occasionally came across

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patients in hospital gowns walking along thepassages, or heard echoing costs in the
distance without realizing what was occurring.In a letter, patient HP Anderson wrote
quote, there are many things tobe done to render this place entirely pleasant
and to give its virtues a fairtest, where pioneers, under all the

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disadvantages of such after generations, willreap benefits of our experiments. End as
complaints and request to leave arose.Anderson was the only individual to return to
the service, while doctor Crogan convincedthe remaining patients to stay. As the
weeks wore on, five patients diedinside the cave, their bodies laid out

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on what is now known as corpseRock. Doctor Crogan despondently returned to the
service with the remaining survivors. Theexperiment was not repeated, and the wood
frame huts were dismantled, while thetwo stone cottages remained along Broadway within the
Mammoth Cave Historic District. The experimentlasted no more than five months from Ontum

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eighteen forty two to early eighteen fortythree. While the cool cave settings conformed
to the treatment standards of the times, the unventilated, damp environment actually worsened
the disease. Like his patients,Doctor Crogan ultimately passed up tuberculosis in eighteen
forty nine. In eighteen fifty nineand Nashville Railroad established their main line that

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linked the two cities. During thatperiod, Colonel Lark and J. Proctor
owned the Mammoth Cave Estate and controlledthe stagecoach route from Glasgow Junction also known
as Park City, to the MammothCave estate. The stage coach route was
the primary mode of transportation for touristsvisiting the Mammoth Caves until eighteen eighty six,

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when Procter founded the Mammoth Cave Railroadthat takes us up to the Kentucky
Cave War Sarah. Smaller cave ownersin the unproductive Caves region saw the tourist
traffic at Mammoth Cave and decided tocompete for visitors. This led to the
Kentucky Cave Wars, which were unethicaltactics that diverted the visitors from Mammoth Cave

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to their private show caves. Touristswere misled by signs and capers from other
show caves who convinced them that MammothCave was closed or inaccessible. In nineteen
oh six, a lock and damwere built at brownsw Kentucky, enabling steamboat
access to Mammoth Cave. Max Campera technical college graduate from Germany, arrived
in nineteen oh nine and collaborated withed Bishop to survey the cave and its

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service area, leading to several discoveriesand new entrances. The Krogan family hid
the topographical details on Camper's map.The cave cartography section, however, is
still recognized as an accurate representation ofthe cave. It was only during the
modern exploration period in the nineteen sixtiesthat the passages were mapped more precisely.

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Camper left the Mammoth Cave area andwas not heard from again. It was
not until the early twenty first centurythat a group of German tourists uncovered Camper's
fate. After extensive research, theydiscovered that Camper had died during World War
One in the Battle of the Sommein nineteen sixteen. In nineteen twelve,
renowned French cave explorer Edouard Alfred Martelused altitudes obtained from anaeroid barometer readings to

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draw longitudinal sections of the cave aspart of his attempt to understand the sequence
of its formation. He also notedthe correlation between the levels of Echo and
Green River. A complete hydrologic studywas not possible due to a dam,
but Martel described the hydrogeologic features ofMammoth Cave and speculated it was linked to
other caves. This hypothesis would beproven correct sixty years later. In the

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nineteen twenties, George Morrison utilized explosiveto create additional interests to Mammoth Cave on
land not owned by the Crogan estate. The Crogans had been exhibiting sections of
the cave that were not on theirproperty. As a survey data from Camphor,
Bishop and others was not accessible tothe public. As a result,
legal disputes arose and multiple instances tothe cave were established. American cave explorer

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Floyd Collins explored the flint Ridge cavesystem for a decade. His most notable
discovery was Crystal Cave, and healso explored Salt's Cave. Collins hoped to
find another entrance to Mammoth Cave orpossibly an unknown cave along the road to
Mammoth Cave, and draw more visitorsto drive profits. He made an agreement

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with three farmers who owned land nearthe main highway. They would form a
business partnership if he found a caveand share the responsibilities of operating the tourist
attraction. Within three weeks, workingon his own, Collins explored and expanded
a hole that would later be calledSand Cave by the news media. Tragically,

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Collins died in nineteen twenty five whileexploring Sand Cave after he became trapped
and could not free himself after atwenty seven pound rock dislodged onto his leg
in a narrow crawlway. Despite rescueefforts, he eventually died of thurst and
starvation. The attempts to save Collinsgained widespread media attention, leading prominent individuals

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in Kentucky to advocate for the creationof Mammoth Cave National Park. This movement
eventually succeeded, and the national parkwas established on July first, nineteen fourteen.
Lloyd's body was displayed at various locationsfor tourism purposes before being buried in
the Mammoth Cave Baptist Church cemetery.Throughout the mid nineteenth century, African American

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cave guides played a crucial role inthe history of Mammoth Cave, even when
slavery was still legal in the UnitedStates. This was because Mammoth cave was
well known tourist attraction, and thusenslavers would often hire their enslaved persons to
work as guides in the cave.Following the Civil War and the abolition of
slavery, African Americans who had previouslybeen enslaved still worked as guides in the

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cave, often working in tandem withCaucasian guides. Despite the discrimination and segregation
in other aspects of society, thecave community held African American guides like Stephen
Bishop in high regard due to theirexpertise in navigating the cave's complex passages.
They had a distinctive guiding style,incorporating both storytelling and folklore from their ancestors.

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The National Park Service, which overseesMammoth Cave and its surrounding park,
celebrates in respects the legacy of AfricanAmerican guides. Can tect tours that highlight
the contributions of these guides, andthe cave features interpretive displays that honor their
history and heritage. In recent years, Mammoth Cave has been recognized as a
valuable resource for scientific research, particularlyin geology, hydrology, and biology.

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Researchers have studied the Cave's unique ecosystemand variety of rare and endemic species,
and the park's surface features such asrivers and forest. Mammoth Cave National Park
aims to conserve, safeguard, explain, and analyze the globally renowned biological and
geological characteristics and processes linked to thelongest cave system known to humankind. The

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park also seeks to preserve its variedforested carse, terrain, degreed in Nolan
rivers, and considerable evidence of humanhistory. Additionally, it strives to offer
and support public pleasure, leisure,and learning experiences. Now, let's discuss
some of the strange paranormal events thatreported to have happened in Mammoth Cave.

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Before Mammoth Bath Cave was established asNational Park in nineteen forty one, paranormal
stories were already embedded in the region'shistory. Mammoth Cave is considered one of
the quote most haunted natural wonders inthe world end quote, with over one
hundred and fifty documented paranormal events.In nineteen oh five, legendary cosmic horror
author H. P. Lovecraft wroteone of his earliest stories using Mammoth Cave

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as the setting in the beast.In the cave, the tourist separates himself
from the group and finds himself stalkedby a vicious albino creature. A shadowy
realm of ghostly happenings in avery talesadds mystery to the caves enigmatic allure.
The site may have held spiritual orsupernatural significance for the area's Native Americans.
In the last two hundred and twentyyears, burials and the remains of desiccated

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bodies have been identified in the caves. The funerary objects associated with the burials
indicate careful attention and respect for thedead. The tools and clothing found on
the remains proved that prehistoric people's wereexperienced in cave exploration. Today, the
park has consulted with tribal partners sothat the deceased have a safe and secure
resting place in locations away from thecave tours. Credible individuals, including rangers,

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guides, scientists, all claim tohave witnessed paranormal incidents in the cave.
Guides Colleen O'Connor Olson, and CharlesHanyon have documented many airy tales in
their book Scary Stories of Mammoth cave. Some visitors have reported hearing screams and
strange noises echoing through the winding passageways, while others claim to have seen unexplained

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to apparitions. In addition to ghostlyencounters, there have been reports of unexplained
sounds of footsteps, chilling drops intemperature, and the appearance of inexplicable lights
within the cave system, all contributingto Mammoth Cave's airy and unsettling ambiance.
Legend has it that the cave ishome to avengeful spirit responsible for a murder
in the cave's depths. The ghost, not only as Melissa, was a

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young woman deeply in love with hertutor, when her feelings were not reciprocated,
exacted terrible revenge by leaving him strandedin the cave without light, and
he was never seen again. Melissareportedly confessed to the crime before her death,
and her vengeful spirit is said toroam the cave still searching for her
lost love. Some cave guides havereported hearing a woman's voice calling out from
the labyrinthine passageways of the cave,along with screams and other eerie sounds.

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One of the most well known ghostsassociated with Mammoth Cave is that of the
previously mentioned Floyd Collins, the mostcelebrated cave explorer in modern times, who
met his fate in Sand Cave.Reports of collins ghosts have been made both
in the cave system and at hisgravesite. Additionally, the Mammoth Cave Baptist
Church, which is now part ofthe National Park, has been the site

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of alleged paranormal activity, with sightingsof mysterious lights in the windows. Some
cave guides even alleged that Collins hashelped prevent others from succumbing to his same
fate by catching people when they trewup and start to fall. During a
routine's tour, Charles Hanyon and aforementionedcave guide reported that the group's lad cameras,
and flashlights all stopped inexplicably working ina chamber. However, the equipment

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started working again once they left thearea. During another tour, a visitor
asked Hanyon about a figure standing ona rock that guides usually climbed to throw
a torch and illuminate the room.While they were in the Big Chief chamber
with another guide. Hanyon thought itwas his fellow guide, but he was
surprised to find him standing at theback of the cave. Later, Hanyan

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would see the figure himself, notingthat it was wearing a hat that was
specifically worn by old tour guides.Hanyon mentioned that several other sightings of a
figure on the same rock had beenreported. In twenty fourteen, a big
foot hunter and a group of girlscouts claimed to witness the large creature leaping
on to a raised walkway while hearingits distinct sounds. The group quickly retreated

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out of fear for their safety.Recently, another legend counter with bigfoot at
the park grabbed national headlines. Intwenty nineteen, while camping at the park,
two students from Western Kentucky University wereinformed by a man that his campsite
was destroyed by something. The manfired a gun into the woods, claiming
he was protecting himself from a chargingbigfoot. Despite this, the students did

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not observe anything in the direction ofthe man's shots and departed the park immediately.
The following series of encounters are presentedin Cave Guides Colleen O'Connor Olson and
Charles Hanyons aforementioned book Scary Stories ofMammoth Cave, paraphrased here. Guide Larry
Purcell was walking from his tour grouptoward a light switch when he encountered an

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African American family of four dressed inblack and white that he did not recall
seeing on the tour. Larry wasjust a few feet from them, and
when he turned on the lights,the family was nowhere to be found.
Larry stated quote, they were asreal to me as any other person standing
six feet away in the twilight.I've visited the cave many other times,
recreating that trip using lanterns, torches, flashlights, and carbine lamps. I've

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not been able to recreate even thefaintest resemblance of that family. You decide
who I saw, end quote gaveguide Joy Lyons shared her encounter in an
area of the cave known as theChurch. She says, quote, all
of a sudden, I felt avery strong, firm push to my right
shoulder. It was like a shove, a playful shove. It was hard

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enough that I stepped forward and saidcut it out, because I thought it
was David, A fellow to herguide about the time I said cut it
out, read another to her.Guide lit his lantern and I could see
David, very obviously silhouetted to theright of the group. It walked up
in the darkness and was standing bythat group. I wouldn't say I panicked,
but I was definitely upset. Icommitted the big sin of turning on

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my flashlight and flashed it everywhere.There was no one behind me, no
one on the dirt piles, noone on the hill. This all happened
in a couple of seconds. Therewas no time for anyone to have gone
very far. I still pondered itto this day. It was a very
real thing I experienced. Another NationalPark guide, Carrie Woods, had a

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similar encounter as Joey Lyons. Accordingto Carrie, we were the first tour
to enter the cave at the MethodistChurch. While I was at the light
switch, I heard footsteps coming towardme from booth Samphi theater. I tried
to ignore it, but it keptgetting closer. Then I got shoved on
my right shoulder. As I lookedback, no one was there, at
least no one I could see.Additionally, tour guide Jamie Gray had a

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similar experience as to the others,She says, I was a by the
light switch and little brat. Iwas standing in the darkness waiting to hear
the key phrase to hit the lightsback on, but all of a sudden,
the hand reached and grabbed my leftforearm. I immediately turned the light
on, and no one was anywherearound. Unexplained sounds disrupted Caver Michael Nardacci

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and his research partner Oh. Theywere on a lunch break. They had
accompanied two palaeontologists and a photographer intoMarion Avenue, a cave passage near the
Snowball dining room stopped for visitors onthe Grand Avenue tour. Michael and his
companion separated from the scientists to dohistorical research. When the pair returned,
Michael recounted this story. I justfinished a can of fruit cocktail and a

(25:14):
heath bar and was washing it downwith a gulp from my canteen, when
suddenly, from just around the bendin the passage ahead of us, came
heart stopping sounds. Bang, bang, What the hell was that? We
said in tandem. This noise wasnot produced by a couple of rocks suddenly
falling from the ceiling. We knowthis because in the numbing. A few
minutes after hearing the sounds, weexperimented with different shapes and sizes of rocks

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dropped from varying heights onto packed sedimentor bedrock. The sounds we heard were
bangs, concentrated, powerful, suggestiveof purpose, and perhaps a fury.
For several years after the event,whenever we could meet at Cave Research Foundation
expeditions, one of us would invariablygreet the other by saying, I didn't
hear anything that day, did you? And the other would echo Nope,

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not a thing. Although some parkrangers dismiss these stories of folklore, many
visitors believe that something eerie and otherworldlylurks in the depths of Mammoth Cave.
For those brave enough to explore itsdark recesses, the cave provides a thrilling
adventure and the potential to encounter thesupernatural. Whether you believe in the paranormal

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or not, there is no denyingthat a trip to Mammoth Cave will leave
you with a sense of wonderment andawe at the mysteries beneath the surface of
this extraordinary natural wonder No before yougo, here's some things to know before
visiting Mammoth Cave National Park. MammothCave National Park offers various cave tours catering
to different interest abilities in age groups. While some cave tours are relatively easy

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and suitable for all ages and fitnesslevels, others require more physical exertion and
are not recommended for visitors with mobilityissues or health concerns. It's important to
note that all cave tours in MammothCave need visitors to wear sturdy shoes and
bring a light jacket. As thetemperature inside the cave is a constant fifty
four degrees fahrenheit. Visitors should alsobe prepared to walk, climb stairs,

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and navigate uneven terrain. Ensuring visitorsafety is the top priority of Mammoth Cave
National Park. Here are some ofthe safety rules and guidelines that visitors should
follow according to part personnel. Numberone, stay undesignated trails. Visitors should
stay undesignated trails and follow all postedsigns and markers. Venturing off trail can

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be dangerous and may harm the cave'sdelicate ecosystem. Number two wear appropriate footwear.
The cave floor can be slippery anduneven, so Visitors should wear sturdy,
comfortable shoes with good traction. Numberthree, bring appropriate clothing. As
stated, the cave's temperature is aconstant fifty four degrees fahrenheit twelve degrees celsius,

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so visitors should bring a light jacketor sweater. Number four. Follow
lighting guidelines. Visitors should not touchor tamper with any lighting fixtures, which
can damage the cave and create safetyhazards. Number five. Avoid touching rock
formations. Visitors should not touch orclimb on any cave formations such as stalactites

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or stalagmites. These formations are delicateand can take thousands of years to form.
Number six, Do not litter.Visitors should pack out all trash and
dispose of it in designated receptacles.Number seven Follow range or instructions. Visitors
should follow any park ranger or staffinstructions to the tee, including safety and

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evacuation procedures. By following these safetyrules and guidelines, visitors can enjoy the
beauty and wonder of Mammoth Cave NationalPark while minimizing the risk of injury or
harm to themselves for the cave's delicateecosystem. In conclusion, Mammoth Cave is
an extraordinary natural wonder with immense cultural, scientific, and ecological importance. The

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cave system boasts geological formations, arare ecosystem, and an extensive history,
making it a valuable site for researchers, tourists, and conservationists. Mammoth Cave
allows visitors to witness the awe inspiringbeauty of nature and perhaps a ghost or
two, while gaining insights into thecomplex relationships between geology, biology, and

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human heritage. Consistent preservation efforts ensurethat future generations will cherish this remarkable subterranean
realm. Well, friends, thereyou have it. I've been to Mammoth
Cave myself. I highly recommend it. If you're in the area, let
me know what you think of this. If you've been there especially, I
look forward to your comments. Butplease keep it friendly and respectful until we

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meet again. Be good to yourselvesand each other. As for me,
I'm Steve Stockton and I'll see youa little further on down the trail.
Be sure and tell your animals Isaid hi.