10 Best Natural Wonders in Kentucky

The Yahoo Arch is a dramatic natural wonder in the Daniel Boone National Forest and a popular destination for outdoor adventurers in Kentucky. The arch measures 17 ft high and 70 ft wide, and you can also find a smaller arch nearby.

The Yahoo Arch Trail takes you on a hike to reach the remote location together with many other sights nearby, such as waterfalls and other rock formations. At the end of the trail, you’ll be close to the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail, so you’ll have more hiking opportunities.

The Big South Fork National River Park and Recreation Area near the Cumberland River, locally known as Big South Fork, offers plenty of outdoor fun. These include natural bridges, a spectacular river gorge, and hoodoos, which is a type of erect rock column that forms in capstone areas.

Big South Fork also serves as a preservation and interpretation site for the Blue Heron, a former coal-mining town on the banks of the river where you can go on a historic mining tour with photos and exhibits as well as audio guides.

The Mammoth Onyx Cave is the best place to go if you want an exotic natural site for a little adventure in Kentucky. The cave is still active and forming rock formations when it rains, but you can take a tour to explore the spectacular stalactites and stalagmites that have been around for centuries.

Along with wandering the subterranean tunnels, you can also see cave cauliflower and cave popcorn during your visit. These geological formations are named for their appearance, which is formed by the process of the river eroding the limestone and gypsum in the caves.

The Creelsboro Natural Arch is a natural landmark and a Native American cultural site downstream from the Wolf Creek Dam in Kentucky. Made of limestone and formed over 300 million years, it’s one of the largest natural bridges in the world.

You can visit the site by taking a rugged hiking trail that travels to the historic bridge and along the Cumberland River. Nearby, you’ll find historic stores and restaurants, such as the Creelsboro Historic Country Store & Restaurant, a farm-to-table restaurant with a gift shop.

The Daniel Boone National Forest is a great place for outdoor fun and adventure as it is rugged and features many waterways and waterfalls. Spanning over 700,000 acres, the forest has several smaller parks within its boundaries.

Within the forest are the Cumberland Falls, Buckhorn Lake, and the Natural Bridge, as well as multiple recreation areas for hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and boating. You’ll also find protected wilderness areas near the Red River Gorge and a hunting area for pioneer weapons, such as muzzleloaders and bows.

Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is a 7-mile cave system with the Lost River running through it. One of the most unique aspects of the Lost River Cave is that it was once a nightclub called the Cavern Nite Club. Inside, you can still see the remnants of this establishment’s old staircases and chandeliers.

When you visit the cave, you can take a guided walking tour of the river and its famous Blue Hole water pool. You can also explore the cave’s entrance to learn about the natural and human history of the cave system. Many visitors also enjoy booking a boat tour inside the cave’s water system.

Diamond Caverns is a popular world heritage site and an international biosphere reserve near the Mammoth Cave National Park. You can tour the caves to see the drapery deposits and the beautiful coloration of the calcite that formed the chambers.

Thousands of rock formations, such as stalactites and stalagmites, are found throughout the cave. After the tour, you can stop in the gift shop to pick up gifts and mementos to remember your experience in one of Kentucky’s most beautiful natural features.

Cumberland Falls is a massive waterfall in the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. The natural feature on the Cumberland River is one of the rare places in the world where you can see a moonbow.

Also known as a white rainbow or lunar rainbow, a moonbow is a rainbow that’s created from the light of a full moon. Cumberland Falls’ moonbows usually appear for 1 to 2 days, on clear nights, at the beginning or end of the full moon. You can hike in the park at night, unlike at many parks, to catch a glimpse of this elusive phenomenon.

Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system in the world and an exciting experience on your trip to Kentucky. You can experience this exotic site within the Mammoth Cave National Park through tours by paraffin lamps or on electric-lit routes.

On the tour, you’ll experience the notable cave features, such as Grand Avenue, and you can take a boat tour on the underground river. Several off-the-beaten-track tours are available to go into the less-developed parts of the cave, including crawl spaces.