Kentucky

April, 2021

Confederate earthworks, Columbus-Belmont State Park

In Kentucky, we first stayed near Mammoth Cave National Park. We had one day of non-stop rain, which gave us time to just be lazy. But the next day we did some hiking at Mammoth Cave. I do not like tight, enclosed spaces, and anyway, the only tour currently offered was a self-guided one that had mixed reviews. Craig didn’t want to go without me, so we skipped the cave tour.

View of the Mississippi River, Columbus-Belmont State Park

Our last stop in Kentucky was Columbus-Belmont State Park, which overlooks the Mississippi River. I had never heard of this park before, which is off the beaten path on some narrow county roads. It was well worth the stop, and we wish we could have stayed longer. There was a great view of the Mississippi River from the campground, and the park had some interesting Civil War history. The Confederates dug earthworks that we could walk through. During the war, the site was strategically important for control of the Mississippi River. The Union took it over in 1862. The huge chain and anchor was stretched across the Mississippi by the South to block Union boats. Unfortunately we didn’t get to visit the museum, because it was closed on the days we happened to be there.