Mammoth Cave's name isn't lying, the cave system really is mammoth, and it just got longer.

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Kentucky is Home to the Longest Cave in the World

Did you know that Mammoth Cave is the longest cave in the world? And it just got longer, as they've found six more miles of new passages. It really is wild when you think about it, we've known about Mammoth Cave for years, and cave researchers are constantly learning more about this cave system and finding new passageways within it.

Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

Six New Miles of Passages Discovered

A recent post to Mammoth Cave National Park's Facebook page shared exciting news about the new passages being discovered. Currently, the cave system is 426 miles long! If you laid the entire cave system out end to end it would stretch from Evansville and almost make it to Detroit Michigan (that's a whole lot of cave to explore)!

Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

Here is what Mammoth Cave National Park had to say about the new discovery on September 9th:

Talk about an awesome anniversary present!
On today's date in 1972 an expedition trip confirmed that Mammoth Cave is the longest cave in the world. Today, exactly 50 years later, we'd like to announce that Mammoth Cave is officially six miles longer! The new additions bring the total length of the cave to 426 miles!
“The additional 6 miles of cave is spread out in various sections throughout the cave system and were mapped and documented through hours of survey work completed by our partner, the Cave Research Foundation (CRF),” said Superintendent Barclay Trimble.

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See Mammoth Cave for Yourself

It's pretty cool to have the world's longest cave so close to home! Mammoth Cave National Park is only about a 2-hour drive from the Tri-State so it's the perfect distance for a one-day getaway or you could go for the whole weekend. Plus there's so much you can do there, like hiking, camping, kayaking, horseback riding, and of course touring Mammoth Cave.

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If you want to take a look inside Mammoth Cave (and who wouldn't?!) they have several tour options. They have an accessible friendly tour that uses an elevator and no stairs, so everyone can have the chance to explore Mammoth Cave. You can also pick from a variety of tours based on what you want to see inside the cave system. Most tours look to run between 2-2.5 hours, and they all have varying degrees of difficulty so you can find the tour that's right for your party. If you want to book a tour, you can see all the Mammoth Cave touring options, here.

See Incredible Photos from Inside Kentucky's Mammoth Cave

The world's longest cave system is located in Kentucky, and it is absolutely worth the short drive from the Tri-State to take a tour and see these incredible sights. Here are some photos taken by Photo by Kevin L. Bruner during a trip to Mammoth Cave.