Department of Parks
Adventurous Cavers Invited to Scary Movie, Extreme Cave Trip at Carter Caves

OLIVE HILL, Ky. -- Carter Caves State Resort Park is offering two unique ways to get into the cave experience. First the park will show a scary movie on a big screen in Cascade Cave on Saturday June 21, 2008.  Then the park will host a Bat Cave Extreme Trip Saturday July 12, 2008.  Here are details about these events: 
 
Pre-sales of the $4 tickets for the movie will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 21 at the lodge, welcome center and campground. Leftover tickets will be sold at the cave gate. Show times are 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Movie-goers can find out the title of the film by calling the park at 606-286-4411.

The Bat Cave Extreme Trip will start at 9:30 a.m. July 12, 2008 and last for five hours. The meeting place is the Carter Caves Welcome Center. Capacity is 12 persons, and there are still 11 spots left for the trip. Pre-registration is required, and the fee is $20 per person.

This is an extreme cave excursion into the largest cave at the park. Participants must be at least 15 years old to go on the trip. The trip will include stooping, bending, climbing and lots of crawling through the dark muddy passages of Bat Cave. You will get wet and muddy. You will encounter passages that require hand and knee crawls and belly crawls. Do not attempt this trip if you are claustrophobic, have a bad back, knees, or if you are not in good health.

The park will provide participants a Helmet, Headlamp and Kneepads. Participants must bring their own backup flashlight with new batteries, long pants and shirt, sturdy boots that cover the ankle, at least two bottles of water, a pack lunch (that is cave friendly and will not smash in your pack while crawling) and a pack to carry equipment.  Optional equipment cavers can bring includes elbow pads, a camera (needs to be in a protective case), and a change of cloths for after the trip.

Carter Caves State Resort Park is located at 344 Caveland Drive in Olive Hill, Ky. The park has a lodge with restaurant, cottages and campground. Besides cave tours, activities include hiking, swimming, boating and fishing. For more information, call 606-286-441 ext. 2543.

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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 53 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov.