You are here

Recalling The Slaves Who Guided Tours At Mammoth Cave

Share
Sketch of Stephen Bishop, Mammoth Cave National Park/NPS

Stephen Bishop was a slave brought to guide tours of Mammoth Cave.He went on to become famous for the discoveries he made in the cave/NPS

One of the first guides for visitors to Mammoth Cave, long before it was a national park, was Stephen Bishop. At the time he was introduced to guiding tours, he was just a teen-ager. He also was a slave.

During the 1800s, enslaved African Americans guided tourist excursions through the dark, silent passages of Mammoth Cave. Their role in society was that of slaves, but in their daily lives they were leaders. Bishop, for instance, was credited with discovering many miles of passageway in the serpentine cave. 

In recognition of Black History Month, on each Saturday in February park staff will convey the legacy of enslaved guides at Mammoth Cave through walks, talks, video clips, and student art exhibited in the visitor center. The Black History Month activities are free and open to the public; reservations are not needed.

Saturday ranger walks will depart from the visitor center at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.. The 1¼-hour accessible walks will follow the Heritage Trail, overlooking Mammoth Cave’s Historic Entrance, and will terminate at the Old Guide’s Cemetery, the final resting place of famed Stephen Bishop.

* February 6. Park guide Cory Fish will present In the Footsteps of Slavery. The scar of slavery can still be felt along the ridgelines overlooking Mammoth Cave. Ranger-led walk along our ¾-mile Heritage Trail, exploring the large role enslaved African Americans played in Mammoth Cave’s rich history.

* February 13, 20 & 27. Join park guide Jerry Bransford for The Enslaved Leaders of Mammoth Cave, as he dons period costume to lead a walk along the Heritage Trail. Bransford will explain the rich heritage, contributions and legacy of these guides at Mammoth Cave during the 1800s.

Two video clips that feature stories of the enslaved Mammoth Cave guides will play in the visitor center exhibit area the entire month of February, courtesy of WKU-PBS and KET.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.