The main entrance of Mammoth Caves National park is quite unassuming, and quite beautiful. I remember walking through verdant greenery, replete with melodious chirps of passerines and the soothing sound of gurgling waters. Time slowed down here, and despite the heat, the mellow atmosphere and the lush vegetation went a long way in cooling me down.
But beneath all this unassuming forest in central Kentucky lies hidden the largest cave system in this country, and I was making my way to the maw of Mother Earth, ready to descend down into her heart through sinuous caves, gargantuan caverns and some incredible geology. As I approached the entrance, all I observed was this hole in the earth, with a dark and damp staircase snaking its way down.
A sudden draft of cold air from the inside was a soothing relief to my overheating body, but it gave me a moment to pause and take in this surroundings, both with my eyes, and with my camera.
Mammoth Caves National Park
KY USA
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