Maybe you have done a cavern tour before but have you ever explored one in a boat underground? Lost River Cave sits just on the edge of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Shopping centers and businesses are growing up all around it. But, the 68-acre park is a great escape and a good way to spend a few hours.
The cave tour itself is rather short at less than 30 minutes. If you have a bad back you may want to skip it. The entrance to the cave is very low. If you are claustrophobic you are going to be freaking out a little. At 6’5” tall, I had to hunker down in the bottom of the boat to keep from scraping my back. The electric powered skiffs soon pass into a great opening where you can breath a little easier. The inside isn’t much to look at due to regular floods wiping out any real rock formations. It’s different and you can tell all your friends that you took a boat underground!
The trails up to the cave are beautiful and the leftovers from The Cavern Nite Club are interesting. The Cavern Nite Club operated at the entrance to the cave from 1933 until the late 50s. From the website:
The spirit of long ago dances and romances lives on in the legends and stories told along the Historic Riverwalk. Visitors are encouraged to explore the site heralded by Billboard Magazine in the 1930s as one of the only air-conditioned night clubs in the country. Folks can still view the “Cavern Nite Club’s” original bar as well as the bandstand that showcased great acts like Dinah Shore and the NBC Orchestra!
Be sure to take some time to explore the Blue Hole Trail. You will find lots of life in the three sinkhole ponds that are scattered on the trails. The crawfish we saw were the size of small lobsters!
The Lost River Cave park is expanding. It now includes a butterfly house which you can visit in season. They are also adding a meadow were you will be able to watch the plentiful songbirds play. I would have to say we enjoyed walking the grounds more than the boat ride but a visit is definitely worth the trip.
