Mammoth Cave more mammoth as 8 miles added to cave system

mammoth-cave-09-15
mammoth-cave-09-15

The world’s longest cave system has added 8 miles (13 kilometers) to its length, officials said.

The additional mileage was mapped and documented by the Cave Research Foundation, Mammoth Cave National Park said Saturday in a statement. It brings the total length of the cave system in south-central Kentucky to 420 miles (676 kilometers), officials said.

The announcement highlighted the park’s recognition of National Day of Service and its longtime partnership with the nonprofit foundation. Volunteers with the foundation have worked with the park for decades to map and document Mammoth Cave.

“The Cave Research Foundation is fundamentally the reason that Mammoth Cave is recognized as the world’s longest cave,” said Rick Toomey, the park’s cave resource management specialist.

(Photo of Mammoth Cave courtesy of the National Park Service)

The Associated Press