The Jungle-Like Area Of Kentucky That You Have To Experience For Yourself
By Andrea Limke|Published January 23, 2019
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
With a diverse landscape like Kentucky’s, you can often feel as if you’ve traveled the world, just by following a hiking trail. We offer mountainous terrain, rocky gorges, boardwalks, swamps, lakefront views, and so much more. And while the Bluegrass State is far from the tropics, there are times of the year that it looks and feels like a tropical forest has taken over some of the hiking trails. There’s one particular jungle-like area of Kentucky that you must experience for yourself, and it offers a little of everything.
Located within Mammoth Cave National Park, you'll find a spot above ground that's worthy of a visit — the Cedar Sink Trail. This 1.8-mile out and back hike has its own trailhead, and the area is filled with unique features that often feel like another place on earth.
Rated as moderate, the trail takes you on an adventure in a park that is best known for its adventures beneath the ground. However, if you visit the park, you should definitely make time to explore the incredible land outside of the cave.
The trail begins with a typical walk through the woods, but as you start to descend toward the main feature, you'll realize it's truly one-of-a-kind. Especially in the summer, the vegetation is thick and plentiful, and the natural beauty begins to feel more like a jungle than a forest in Kentucky.
The highlight of the area is the sinkhole, which gives you a glimpse of water that then runs back underground. The water levels vary throughout the year, but when it's up as in the photo below, it feels as if Indiana Jones may paddle by at any moment.
Even when the water is lower, it's still an interesting and beautiful place to explore. As you're down in the valley of the forest, be sure to look around and take it all in — the water, rock formations, plant life, and wonder of it all.
As this is an area around Mammoth Cave, expect to see many rocky cliffs and overhangs. They remind you that you're hiking above the world's longest cave system.
As with all trails, exercise caution, and it's not advised to go off of the trail and into the caves. But don't worry — there's plenty to see and experience right along this winding path.
The trail does include quite a few stairs to get you in and out of the gorge and sinkhole area, but they are more than doable and the trail is well maintained. When you do choose to pay it a visit, prepare yourself for a little less than 2 miles of adventure, and allow your imagination to take you wherever it leads — even if that's a jungle far away from Kentucky.
The Cedar Sink Trail and the area above Mammoth Cave are certainly unique, and the jungle-like atmosphere it sometimes has makes it that much more special. Have you hiked this trail when it felt like a wild jungle? Can you sense the atmosphere from these photos? Let us know in the comments!
For more information on this trail and the others within Mammoth Cave National Park, visit here.
And for more of the hikes in Kentucky that you won’t want to miss, check out our previous article here.
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