Carter Caves State Park in Olive Hill, Kentucky, is home to 40 caves and six natural bridges, and is one of the state’s 49 state parks. The staff has taken unique angles in programming in recent years to maximize ways people can experience the park. They now offer yoga and escape rooms in the caves, “cave-in” movie nights, paddleboard yoga on the park’s water features, and much more.
The staff hosts many of the events in the largest and most visited cave, Cascade Cave. It has a large ‘room’ called “Square Dance Hall” (so-named for square dances that were started there in the 1920s), which is perfect for screening movies. One of their most popular screenings this summer was The Goonies, with nearly 500 attendees. The hall is also used as a recording studio for musicians, a wedding venue and a classroom for Morehead State University.
At two miles long, Bat Cave is the longest cave in the park. Bat Cave, along with Saltpetre Cave, named after a compound found in caves used to make gunpowder, do not have handrails, stairs or lighting. Because the caves are not as accessible as the other caves, they are used for “wild cave tours” – most of which is completed by crawling.
“New folks that stumble across the park soon realize they have found an amazing outdoor playground. The park is so rich in resources that it draws people for many reasons from crawling through caves to photographing spring wildflowers and everything in between,” said Coy Ainsley, Park Adventure Officer.
The 2,000-acre park is also home to the state’s third busiest campground, offering a pool, mini-golf, horse stables and trails, mountain biking and hiking trails, and a slew of activities planned by the staff. Some of the activities, which are catered to both children and adults, have included rock climbing, rappelling, slack lining, moonlight hikes, karaoke and dances. The park also offers a lodge with 28 rooms and a restaurant serving Kentucky Proud meals. The lodge was recently converted to run off of geothermal energy.
With the caves being 40-55 degrees year-round, activities don’t stop in the winter. In fact, one of their biggest events is the annual Winter Adventure Weekend. Hundreds of people flock to the county every winter for not only cave tours, but more than 200 other activities the park offers that weekend, from winter survival to ice climbing.
According to Lisa Conley, President of the Olive Hill Chamber of Commerce, the park does a great job in collaborating with the City to encourage people to visit other businesses and attractions in the area.
The City and Chamber are in the process of renovating the old railroad depot in downtown Olive Hill into a welcome center. Currently, visitors can only get information from City Hall or by traveling to the Carter Caves welcome center, which is a long drive away from downtown. They hope to open the center in Spring 2020, and expect to share with more people the unique opportunities at Carter Caves and in Carter County.
“If you are looking for a place to relax, unplug and get away from the hustle and bustle in life or if you are ready to happen upon an adventure of paddling down Tygart Creek, squeezing through a small cave passage or rappelling for the first time, Carter Caves is the place to be,” Ainsley said.
Developing unique opportunities, like those at Carter Caves, helps more people experience the natural beauty in Eastern Kentucky. This work is helping to build an outdoor economy, one element of Appalachia’s New Day.
About: This is story #44 in the Appalachia’s New Day campaign, a new storytelling effort launched in June 2019 by MACED for Eastern Kentucky communities. We can work with you to help identify, shape and amplify stories about businesses, programs and initiatives in your community that are helping build a new economy. Read more stories here. Contact us or sign up here if you would like more details.
