National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service: U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
 
 
Support the National Park Service
Mammoth Cave National ParkEastern Redbud - Cercis canadensis
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
Mammoth Cave National Park
Nature & Science
 
Nature and Science
The "Natural Entrance" of Mammoth Cave
Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 to protect the unparalleled underground labyrinth of caves, the rolling hilly country above, and the Green River valley. Since then, ongoing study and exploration have shown the park to be far more complex than ever imagined, hosting a broad diversity of species living in specialized and interconnected ecosystems. The park's challenge is to balance these remarkable and sometimes fragile living networks with the public's enjoyment of them. The key to that balance is knowledge, and the park's new environmental monitoring programs will provide that understanding.
Opossum
Animals
Discover the diversity of living creatures that make Mammoth Cave National Park their home.
more...
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Plants
More kinds of plants than you can shake a stick at.
more...
Groundwater testing
Environmental Factors
Learn how the park manages environmental challenges.
more...
Riverbank - © Raymond Klass
Natural Features & Ecosystems
Nature's remarkable inner workings.
more...
Grease-oil lamp  

Did You Know?
The grease-oil lamp was used to illuminate Mammoth Cave for more than a century. Designed after New England whale-oil lanterns, these lamps used cooking grease to light the way.

Disclaimer Accessibility Privacy Policy FOIA Notices USA.gov

Last Updated: October 12, 2006 at 12:08 EST