Abraham
Lincoln was born in what is now Larue
County, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809. A monument, at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace
National Historic Site, houses a symbolic 19th century cabin, similar
to the one in which President Lincoln was born.
Nearby in Hodgenville, is the Lincoln
Museum, featuring wax figures that depict his
life.
Beginning in February 2008 and continuing until
February 2010, our nation will celebrate the Abraham Lincoln
Bicentennial. Preparations, in Kentucky and across the U.S. have
begun.
Big South Fork National
River and Recreation Area
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National Park Service Photo
Erosion and time have carved this chimney rock out of the
native sandstone of the Cumberland Plateau in the Big South Fork
National River and Recreation Area.
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The national
park making up the Big South Fork National River and Recreation
Area, is built around the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and
its tributaries, which pass through approximately 90 miles of some of
the most scenic and primitive landscapes in the Commonwealth of
Kentucky. |
National Park Service
Photo
Angel Falls Rapids is a Class III or IV rapids
located below the Leatherwood Ford Area in the Big South Fork
National River and Recreation Area.
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Visitors can ride the Big South Fork Scenic Railway
into the park.
You can also camp inside the park at the Bear Creek
Horse Camp with access to 130 plus miles of trails for horseback
riders.
Other available activities at the park include:
canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting, kayaking, mountain biking, and
whitewater rafting.
For more information, visit the National Park
Service's web site.
Cumberland Gap National
Historic Park
Cumberland Gap, called "American's First Gateway to
the West", is a passageway through the Appalachian Mountains that was long
utilized by herds of migratory buffalo, Native Americans and early
pioneers from the east. Located around the area where the borders of
Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia meet, be sure to see the spectacular
view from Pinnacle Overlook. (A panoramic photographic view from
Pinnacle Overlook is available here.)
Ranger-guided programs and interactive activites are
available year round at the Cumberland Gap National Historic
Park.
For more information, visit the web site of the National Park
Service.
Mammoth Cave National
Park
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National Park Service Photo
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The geology of Kentucky
makes the state conducive to karst landscapes. In geologic terms, karst is a limestone landscape characterized by
sinkholes, sinking springs, underground water flow and caves. The
best known karst landscape in the world is found in Kentucky around
Mammoth Cave.
Mammoth Cave is the "longest known
cave system in the world", with almost 400 miles of caverns, mapped
and explored. In 1941, 52,830 acres (214 square km), around the cave
was established as the Mammoth Cave National Park. Approximately 90%
of this acreage lies in Edmonson County, Kentucky with the remainder extending eastward into Barren and Hart counties.
The cave system is centered around the Green River and its
tributary, the Nolin River and is home to the world's most diverse cave ecosystem. Some animal species found there are specialized cave dwellers and are found no
where else. The Cave is home to the Kentucky cave shrimp, a
sightless albino shrimp on the endangered species list.
Mammoth Cave was designated as a World Heritage
Site in 1981, by the United Nations, and as an International
Biosphere Reserve in 1990. |
Mammoth Cave National Park is
open every day of the year except Christmas Day and millions of visitors
from all over the world continue to enjoy this unique national
treasure.
For more information on Mammoth Cave
National Park, visit the National Park Service's web
site.
Trail of Tears National
Historic Trail
Commemorative Park, Hopkinsville,
KY
This park pays homage to the thousands of
Cherokee people who were forced west by the U.S. Army. For more
information visit www.trailoftears.org, or the National Park
Service.
National Parks - Puzzles and Games
