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Kentucky's National Parks and Historic Sites

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site

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.

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

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.

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.

Visitors can ride the Big South Fork Scenic Railway into the park.

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.)

For more information, visit the web site of the National Park Service.

Mammoth Cave National Park

National Park Service Photo

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