Carter Caves State Resort Park

About Carter Caves State Resort Park

On July 31, 1946, the citizens of Carter and surrounding counties gave 945 acres to the Commonwealth of Kentucky as a state park, and additional land was acquired, totaling about 2,000 acres. This section houses some of the state's most impressive caves and has the largest cave system in the United States with more than 1,500 caves in total.

The Carter Cascade Cave System is located north of downtown Carter County and consists of more than 20 caves. Carter's Cascade Caves is the most famous cave in eastern Kentucky and the largest cave system in the state of Kentucky.

Four of the caves are open for guided tours, but access is limited and the others are undeveloped.

Four caves, four of which are open to the public, and four are for private visitors only.

There are an estimated 40,000 Indiana bats, called Myotis, that hibernate there in winter, and the bats are protected by the Kentucky Parks System. The cave has special features that reflect geological forces, such as a wall and a waterfall. The Bat Cave is the largest cave in the park, but it is only open in summer and only for private visitors.

The main passage into the cave follows the course of the cave branch and is over a mile long, and the ceiling passages vary in height from 35 feet downstream from the entrance to claustrophobic 4 feet. Known as Backache Avenue, the low passageways stretch over 700 feet and offer a variety of views.

The Saltpeter Cave is a dry cave, but there are small pools along its entire length, and during heavy rainfall the passages can be flooded with water currents. If the passage is wet, it will be wet throughout the day, with the exception of a brief period of drought in the evening.

Many years ago water flowed through this cave, but today no streams flow through the passages.

The cave has a small basin in the middle of the cave and a large basin at the end, and there is a stream that flows through it.

The cave takes its name from the old nitrite factory at the entrance, which contributed to the production of black powder during the war of 1812. The nitrates were extracted from the ground in the cave to make gunpowder, and the Kentucky Caverns still have several saltwater fish from that war.

On the wall next to the entrance hangs the legend of Simon Kenton (1783), and Kentons, an early Kentucky pioneer, explored the area in the late 18th century.

The cave is shown to visitors on a guided tour and is so called because it consists of two intersecting caves, which emerge from the letter "X" and the "narrow, high passage" that leads through it.

The X Cave is full of beautiful and strange shapes: stalactites and stalagmites can be found directly through the passage into the cave, and water sculptures on the walls of the caves. Pillars and curtains of flowing stones, formed over the centuries as water seeped into the earth and stone, adorn parts of this cave.

The huge Talaktite is the largest stalactite formation in the cave and has a diameter of about two meters and is about 1.30 meters high. This formation and several of the stalactites have a circumference of about 1,500 meters and are about 2.5 meters in size.

This formation is unique in that its curtain produces a different sound when it hits a piece of wood and bears the name of a musical instrument. Another curiosity is the pipe organ, which with a diameter of about 2.5 meters and a length of 1500 meters is the largest in the cave.

The cave consists of a series of parallel passages and has been open to visitors since 1925. In 1959, privately owned and operated by the government, Cascade Cave became part of the State of Washington State Resort Park, a state park in Washington state.

The entrance to the Cascade Cave is located on the side of one of the many sinkholes in the area, and the cave is filled with various kinds of stalactite formations. A highlight of this cave is the "blacksmith's room," named after the alleged use of forgers.

Cascade Cave also has a beautiful 30 foot long underground waterfall, and there is an eel lake, so-called because of the large reservoir. Other interesting points of the Cascade Cave are the hanging gardens, the ice-covered mountains, a waterfall and the lake and the waterfall.

Carter Caves State Park has several natural bridges, and the Smokey Bridge is the largest natural bridge in Kentucky. The Carter Cave Natural Bridge is one of the most beautiful and beautiful bridges in the state of Kentucky and a great addition to the park.

Carter Caves was founded in 1946 as a national park and funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources. The state spent $600,000 to create one of the most beautiful parks in the Commonwealth.

Improvements to the park included the construction of Carter Caves State Resort Park Lodge and the construction of a visitor center. The state also spent $900,000 to make the caves the first of their kind in the United States, and added park attractions. Enjoy the seclusion of this beautiful two bedroom vacation rental at Carter Caves State Resort Park in Carter County, Kentucky.

Ten of the 11 cottages have two bathrooms and nine have wood-burning fireplaces, and each of them has two bedrooms and a bathroom. The newly built structure offers a covered terrace that offers picturesque views of the wooded hills within the park.

Crockery, cooking utensils and bed linen are provided daily with fresh linen, fresh water and fresh fruit and vegetables for the garden.

Each campsite has water and electricity and has 89 campsites, including tent sites, cabins, camper pitches, picnic areas and other amenities. Click here to read our Accommodation Policy for more information about camping in Carter Caves State Resort Park.

Carter Caves offers 8 transit tents, which are specially designed for horse owners. All facilities have electricity, water and sewage connections and all facilities are closed on weekends, except for some special events such as horse riding and equestrian events.

Riders can look forward to varied hiking trails that are accessible from the horse camp, and each village has its own paths for riding and equestrian events. Motorhomes have all the amenities of a campsite, including a bathhouse, laundry room and playground.

This beautiful stone cottage offers 28 rooms with all amenities, and each room has its own balcony and private terrace overlooking the surrounding forest.

A limited number of lodge rooms will be available for pets and they will be available for pets for a limited period during the summer months from June to October.

There is a large swimming pool and a sheltered pool, which are located about 800 m from the lodge, and there is an outdoor pool with pool house and picnic area. Take a guided canoe tour to experience the beauty of the rugged, unspoiled terrain, or head to the beach.

Anglers compete for white bass, bluefish, catfish and toads, as well as bluefish, red trout, white and blackbirds. Fishing licenses are available at the reception and are required for both residents and non-residents. Season participants must register at the Welcome Center, but no problem, ask for a free parking space where you can view the equipment for free.

Discover the aforementioned scenic beauty of Carter Caves on 26 miles of wooded nature trails.

Hiking trails range from easy to difficult, and there is a newly developed cave branch trail. Guests can also bring and ride mountain bikes along the trails that are accessible from the main parking lot of the park.

Cash machines are allowed in the park, as well as at least one day a week in the parking lot of Carter Caves State Resort Park.

Winter is just around the corner, spring is alive with warblers and waterfowl, and winter is the perfect time to camp at Carter Caves State Resort Park.

In summer, the breeding areas are white and red deer, red-tailed redtails, black-legged, blue-parulas, red and blue-bird-falcons as well as white and white-poultry-stags. There are some interesting birds in the park, with the Carter Caves State Resort Park bird watching area a great breeding ground for many bird species. Some of the excellent bird-watching opportunities in the parks are particularly noteworthy, such as the Great Blue Egret and the American Red-tailed Falcon.