KENTUCKY, USA — Kentucky's mining system is legendary. From mining coal to limestone, eastern Kentucky is synonymous with the underground mining industry. Kentucky has provided the world with coal for generations and usually when those mines play out, that is it. They are sealed and left as memories.
Not all of the mines have that fate though. In fact, Kentucky's Red River Gorge is a place that draws thousands of people every year to get a thrilling opportunity to experience a historic mine system, now called The Gorge Underground.
Stepping into the mine entrance, you feel like you’ve stepped to another planet, navigating through the cool, damp air, and hearing the sound of dripping water everywhere. We boarded a kayak and went for the ride of a lifetime, with LED lights on our boats, making our way through a fascinating ecosystem.
Local guides are experts in the geology and history of the mine system, the area and the creatures that call it home. From a scientific perspective, they relate the delicate balance of the underground ecosystem and the efforts being made to preserve it.
Tours are suitable for all levels of fitness, but any age can marvel at the reality of life working in this mine years ago. Jacob McCoy was our kayak guide.
"This mine first opened in the 1860s. It looked a lot different than what it does today. The first map we found of this place had the mine as a 10x10 tunnel. For 100 years, this place actually sat that same size until the 1960s, and that's when the Mill Creek Stone company took over. Now, they had a lot of money and a lot of equipment at that time, so they were able to blast this place into size it is today, roughly a 45x45 tunnel and about 15 acres of mine space here. Now, their main reason for doing that was actually part of Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. His main goal is to bring infrastructure here to eastern Kentucky, and the way he thought he could best do that was by making eastern Kentucky more accessible, or simply just a quicker way here," McCoy said. "Now, I know from Indianapolis, you guys probably had to take that Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway down here. Right? So all the limestone that came out of this mine went to the original building of that Parkway…all the way up until 1985 using the limestone out of this mine. But one day in 1980, they were mining in the back, and they accidentally hit a natural water table within the rock. And that's basically a lake within the rock. Now when they hit, it slowly started pouring in here, and they were able to pump that water out and continue operating. But over the next five years, that just became a little bit too expensive. In 1985, they ended up going bankrupt and had to leave."
Chuck's Big Adventure in Kentucky: Red River Gorge Underground
A lot has changed since then. With ownership changes and a solid investment of capital, the underground tour business was formed, and it has been very successful. The trip is full of visual and sensory stimulation, despite the dark nature of the mine. You get chilled and damp but with a real vision of what it was like to work here over 150 years ago.
"It is about 50 degrees in here. It will get a little bit colder once we get towards the back part of the mine because you may notice that light that's over there in the distance — that is actually another company's dock here inside the mine. And we've actually got some warm air pushing in here. But once we get to the back, we're a little bit unaffected by the outside," McCoy said. "We're actually gonna see probably 20 to 30 rainbow trout here. Their sizes do vary a little bit, but the biggest fish we've ever pulled out of here was about 36 inches long."
The beautiful rainbow trout are not native to the mine. They were imported here for the benefit of the guests. Several are more than two feet long, and they are fed and well taken care of by the staff.
The tours are designed for any kind of physical condition. There are upright paddleboards and kayaks for those in good shape. There are also boats in the underground that can accommodate folks who want to get a view of the water, the rock, the fish and the history without any real effort. The owners want the trip to be memorable and safe for guests.
"It's very memorable because when those miners were in here, they were able to make this place structurally sound. These columns, these pillars, they're actually separated at perfect differences between each other to be able to keep this ceiling above us. They want to keep these columns about 45 feet apart to stay structurally sound," McCoy said. "Now, we do have to get this mine inspected once each season because, you know, you're from Indiana, the season changes. The weather changes a lot as well, and temperatures vary. Some days, it can be 70. Some days, it can be colder. So as that temperature drops and the season changes, we get those mine inspectors to come in here, just to make sure the entire mine is still safe."
The Red River Gorge is one of Kentucky's "crown jewels." Rock formations, water, hiking and climbing make this a nationwide destination, but what is under the ground may be just as impressive. We loved visiting the Gorge Underground and think this is a must-visit for anyone looking for fun at the Gorge.
Red River Skylift
Seeing the Gorge from below is a bucket-list experience, but viewing the massive beauty from the Red River Skylift is simply breathtaking.
Since 1967, guests have made the one mile-roundtrip ride over the Gorge with access to the nearby Natural Bridge. The facility is part of the state-run Natural Bridge State Resort Park and gives visitors the opportunity to experience some of the unmatched beauty of the region. The ride is slow and is about a mile long total, but it's that casual pace that allows you to soak up the charm of this area — especially in autumn when colors pop out under your feet.
Chuck's Big Adventure in Kentucky: Red River Skylift
At the top of the ride, you can take a 1,200-foot path over 900 tons of sandstone to see one of the most photographed sites in the state, the 30 foot wide Natural Bridge. Lookout Point offers a gorgeous place for viewing or photographs. It is one of eastern Kentucky's most photographed areas and is a popular destination for proposals and yes, even weddings.
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