The National Corvette Museum and the World Headquarters for Fruit of the Loom are two of the main attractions of Bowling Green, Kentucky. There is another attraction, not as well known, but equally, if not more, interesting.
Lost River Cave is an underground river far beneath the happy cars and clean underwear that graces this town. In fact, the history of this lost river is very long and colorful. Trish and I wanted to see this up close, so I bought us a boat tour of the cave. It is the only underground boat tour in Kentucky.
Upon arriving, Trish and I immediately realized what a summer oasis this must have been to visitors of any era. The cool air rising from the Karst landscape and the caves below is a kind of natural air conditioning for the entire Lost River Valley. We had a while to wait for our boat, so we took a walk on a couple of the many trails which wind through the wooded valley. It was during this pleasant stroll that we found a blue hole. A blue hole, simply put, is a small section of the river that is exposed above ground, flowing from one cave complex to another.
It is no wonder this enchanting area has been a haven for people since the time of the Paleo-Indians some ten thousand years ago. The stable cave environment served as both a refreshing retreat from hot summers and a shelter from the cold of winter for the early Native-Americans. Besides a temporary home, they also used the caves for storage, ceremonies, and burial of the dead.
Other people found this to be a pleasant retreat as well. Both Confederate and Union troops occupied the area at different times during the Civil War. The Confederates came first, wanting to gain a foothold on the neutral state of Kentucky, and even had hopes of making Bowling Green its capitol. Later, Union troops moved in. In both cases, troops found this place to be a curious and refreshing escape from the ugliness of war. Unfortunately, there are documented stories of disappearing soldiers from both sides.
On the way to the boat we came across another blue hole. This one has a dark history. During the Confederate occupation a wagon fell down the hill and into the hole. All that was found by rescuers was the drivers hat floating downstream. Nothing else was ever found of the wagon, horses and soldiers. The hole earned the reputation of “a bottomless man-eating hole.” Likewise, when the Union Army was encamped here, another tragedy occurred. In an attempt to refute the Confederate claim, three union soldiers held a swimming contest in which they were to swim to the bottom to see which one could surface first with a stone. The three jumped in and were never seen again.
It has since been discovered that the hole is only sixteen feet deep, but also has a very strong undercurrent, comparable to an ocean undertow, leading researchers to conclude the men were swept near the bottom and carried into the caves. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that technology provided a means to investigate the bottom of this dangerous blue hole. A nearly intact wagon wheel from the Civil War era was found, but no human remains.
Trish and I reached the behemoth mouth of the cave. Here we engaged in a flurry of photography, for it was evident there had been much activity here over the centuries. Indeed, there has been a series of different types of mills here from 1792 until 1915. All of them have burned or were swept away in floods. A hole drilled through the roof of the cave can be seen and even some rusted remains of the shaft that came through as the later mills were operated from above. Also sitting in the middle of the entrance is a 1933 stone block powerhouse with two rusted motors still intact.
But perhaps the most noticeable and bizarre feature at the gloomy opening is the large stage off to the left. Yes, I said stage! In 1934 a club was opened here. “The Cavern Nite club” hosted entertainers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Shore and the NBC Orchestra. It was perhaps the coolest night club around. In fact, in 1939, Billboard Magazine named it, “the only air- conditioned night club in the U.S.” However, by the late 1950’s man-made air conditioning and the advent of Rock ‘N Roll took a toll on the popularity of the club, and it was abandoned by 1962. This began the saddest chapter known in the cave’s history.
For the next couple of decades the entrance became a dumping ground from the road above. Car parts, appliances and human trash of all sort littered the water and surrounding Karst. Luckily, in 1990, the “Friends of Lost River” was formed; a non-profit organization which began cleaning up the area and allowing the natural habitat to flourish once again. This group partnered with Western Kentucky University for joint ownership, and it was opened to the public in 1997. Soon after boat tours became available.
Speaking of boats, we finally boarded and began drifting into the cave. Near the beginning there is a low overhang. Here we literally had to duck and cover for about twenty feet before entering the first cavern. Besides the beauty of the interior, the first thing to become apparent was my camera would not work inside, with or without the flash! Good thing I had Trish with her pair of phone camera’s. Fortunately, one of the three worked, and she was able to get some shots of the formations and inner cave.
In the darkness within, there are lights positioned in certain areas to highlight a feature. In addition, the boat captain is happy to shine a spotlight here and there while discussing the geological makeup of the cave.
Millions of years of formation through crust movements, ice ages and erosion have left us with quite a beautiful display. The surrounding limestone of the valley contains calcite which tends to turn the water into an azure at the blue holes outside and a more greenish color in the cave. There is evidence that large segments have broken and fallen from the ceiling over the centuries. The ceiling also has a habit of dripping large plops of water (at least I hope it was water) onto the boat and passengers.
There are bats, of course, throughout the complex, but they are not the only blind wildlife about. There are many forms of Troglobites that thrive in the cave environments, including Stygobites beneath the water, which are basically white or translucent fish with no eyes. These critters live off vibration to find food, for example, when an insect lands on the water.
We meandered along. The underground portion of the river extends for several miles, but we went only about a quarter mile in. There is a good reason for this. The calm cave waters after this distance takes a turn and descends into a series of drops and rocks which would prove most unpleasant for us and the structural integrity of the boat. On the way back to the cave entrance the boat hugged the opposite sides of the caverns for observation of more geological formations. Upon close inspection you may also be able to find inscriptions made of candle burn or charcoal from cave explorers of the 1800’s.
All in all, Lost River Cave is an incredible experience! Millions of years of natural history, coupled with the brief and sometimes tragic human history, make for an educational bonanza. Better yet, exploration of the cave is not limited to the Indiana Jones type. Children and adults of all ages are accommodated, and the boat captain is present to help you step aboard.
If traversing waterways through caves is not on your bucket list, there is also zip-lining, geocaching, a butterfly habitat and miles of nature trails in the Lost River Cave Valley. There are plenty of reasons to come and explore here once the fast cars and new underwear start to get old.
I would like to part with a Lost River Cave legend. Supposedly in 1868 Jesse James and his gang hid out in the cave after robbing a bank in nearby Russellville. One of his men had been shot and needed a doctor. James himself ventured into Bowling Green, found a doctor and brought him back to the cave. The doctor was able to save the man’s life, at which time Jesse James swore him to secrecy. The doctor arrived home late and eventually gave into the interrogation of his wife, telling her what had happened, and, of course, not to tell anyone. Well, of course, she told her friends and the story spread to the Sheriff, who, with a posse, went to the cave to flush out the famous outlaw, and, of course, James and the gang were already robbing a bank in another town.
Nobody seems to know for certain if there is any truth to the tale. I urge you to go and decide for yourself. Take Nashville Road from Hwy 31 West, three miles north from Bowling Green.