(soothing music)
- I'm Tim Pinion.
I'm the Program Leader for Science and Resources Management,
here at Mammoth Cave National Park.
The Green and Nolin Rivers are important,
here at Mammoth Cave National Park.
Mammoth Cave is globally renowned
as the world's largest cave system,
currently mapped at over 420 miles.
And the Green River is the driving force
behind the creation of those caves.
As the tributaries flowed for eons to meet the Green River,
they went underground
and carved out the cave system as we know it.
In addition to that, the Green River is one
of the most biologically diverse in the country.
The Green River has over 150 fish species,
over 70 freshwater mussels.
12 of those mussel species
are federally listed as in danger or threatened,
which really underscores
the important habitat provided here.
- I'm Rachelle Wright.
I'm with Cave Country Trails.
I've been their Project Director for about three years now.
The Green and Nolin Rivers Blueway
has been the first National Water Trail designated
in the state of Kentucky.
We're super excited to invite people to come
and paddle the beautiful miles of river that we have here.
The rivers provide so many healthy,
recreational opportunities for all of us,
for visitors and locals alike.
Paddling is one of the best ways to experience the rivers.
Of course, people can just visit the launches.
We see people do that every day.
They come and hike around.
There's trails around the launch areas
and in the communities around the Blueway.
- My name is Jeff Bruce and I'm an avid adventurer here
on the Green River and Nolin River Blueways.
Having this National Park area here
is just absolutely wonderful.
And when we come down here,
one of the big things we do is canoe.
And we usually do an overnight,
maybe two nights, maybe three nights.
We'll hit the whole Blueway, all the way down,
camp on the islands as we're doing it.
It's peaceful.
It's beautiful.
It's a chance to raise a new generation in the outdoors
and let them appreciate what we have
right in our own backyards.
In all the places I've kayaked,
this is the place we always come back to.
It's just amazing
how much outdoor adventure you can have right here.
- The rivers provide for all of us
a type of familiar unknown.
Like, we know it because we've been here before.
But we also never know exactly what you're gonna find,
what you're gonna see, what animals you might encounter,
what tree might have fallen across what creek.
Those experiences, for especially the locals,
connect us because we just get it.
This is kind of like our backyard.
It's kinda like our neighborhood.
(guitar softly strums)
(birds singing)