Lost River Cave
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Lost River Cave is an attraction in Kentucky, at a modelled elevation of 166 m. The WKU Hilltop stands 521 m to the north-northeast, 2.7 miles off. The nearest named place is Lost River Cave Entrance, a attraction 0.1 miles away. US 68 Scenic Byway passes 1.0 miles off. 113 named places lie within 25 miles, 35 of them named summits.
The story
Lost River Cave is a seven-mile cave system located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Lost River originates outside of the cave and flows into it. The cave contains one of the largest natural entrances in the Eastern U.S. Boat tours are available year-round, but closed for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The river was once listed by Ripley's Believe it or Not as the "Shortest, deepest river in the world" because the blue hole is over 437 feet deep, while the river itself is only 400 feet long. In fact, the blue hole is only 15 feet deep, but is linked to a further underground river. The 72-acre cave property is jointly owned by Western Kentucky University and the non-profit Friends of Lost River Cave.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q6684214, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
- 1.0 mi off the US 68 Scenic Byway
- 239.3 mi off the River Road Scenic Byway, National
- 5.8 mi off the Duncan Hines Scenic Road
- 25.3 mi off the Cordell Hull Highway
Overlooks nearby
- Furlong Cemetery · 25 mi
- Doyel Valley Overlook · 26 mi
- Sunset Point · 26 mi
- Dixon Cave · 26 mi
113 named places within 25 miles
- Lost River Cave& Valley: 0.3 mi
- H. P. Thomas Bark Park: 0.7 mi
- Chuck Crume Nature Park: 1.5 mi
- Preston S Miller Park: 2.0 mi
- Ogden Park: 2.4 mi
- The WKU Hilltop: 2.7 mi
- Reservoir Hill: 3.3 mi
- Briggs Hill: 4.2 mi
- Cedar Bluff: 7.4 mi
- Billy Goat Hill: 9.9 mi
- Kentucky Museum: 2.7 mi
- Aviation Heritage Park: 3.1 mi
- Downing Museum: 3.7 mi
- The Historic Railpark and Train Museum: 3.8 mi
- Riverview at Hobson Grove: 4.1 mi
- Lost River Cave Entrance: 0.1 mi
- Blue Hole 3: 0.2 mi
- Butterfly House: 0.3 mi
- Blue Hole 2: 0.4 mi
- Blue Hole: 0.5 mi
- Guthrie Tower: 2.3 mi
- Confederate Monument: 4.0 mi
- "Sue Mundy's" Grave - Historical Marker: 16.6 mi
- Confederate-Union Veterans Monument: 22.1 mi
- Confederate Monument: 24.0 mi
- Stumps Bluff: 11.2 mi
- Marcum Bluff: 13.7 mi
- Cedar Sink: 22.3 mi
- Tango Statue: 2.2 mi
- Brass Dancer: 2.7 mi
- Franklin Welcome Center: 22.0 mi
- Robertson County Welcome Center: 22.7 mi
- Baker Arboretum: 3.7 mi
- Drakes Creek: 3.7 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Lost River Cave. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The WKU Hilltop | NNE 27° | 521 m | 2.7 mi |
| Pilot Knob | ENE 71° | 285 m | 17.6 mi |
| Pilot Knob | SW 231° | 282 m | 14.3 mi |
| Shipley Knob | NNE 22° | 257 m | 20.1 mi |
| Buzzard Knob | WSW 244° | 256 m | 20.7 mi |
| Crumps Knob | NE 41° | 256 m | 22.1 mi |
| Brooks Knob | NE 42° | 254 m | 22.3 mi |
| Bald Knob | ENE 65° | 253 m | 24.2 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:50 | 18:24 | 18:58 |
| June solstice | 05:27 | 19:31 | 20:09 |
| September equinox | 06:34 | 18:10 | 18:44 |
| December solstice | 06:56 | 15:53 | 16:33 |
Local time (America/Chicago).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 37 | 41 | 49 | 59 | 68 | 76 | 80 | 79 | 71 | 60 | 48 | 41 |
| Precip in | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Bowling Green Warren CO AP, 3 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element way/958799424
Day trips start here
- Bowling Green · 3 mi
- Caves and Lakes · 8 mi
- Auburn · 15 mi
- Franklin · 17 mi
- Morgantown · 22 mi
- Russellville · 24 mi
Take the scenic way to Lost River Cave.
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