Bat Cave and Cascade Caverns State Nature Preserves are two nature preserves totaling 146 acre (0.59084156 km²) located within the boundaries of Carter Caves State Resort Park

Carter Caves State Resort Park

Carter Caves State Resort Park is located in Carter County, Kentucky, United States, along Tygarts Creek. It is formed by Carter Caves, and nearby Cascade Caves, which were added to the park in 1959. On December 16, 1981, of the park were designated as nature preserves...

 in Carter County, Kentucky

Carter County, Kentucky

Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1838 and was named for William Grayson Carter, a state senator at the time of its creation. The county seat is named for his uncle, Robert Grayson. As of 2000, the population was 26,889. Its county seat is Grayson,...

. Bat Cave was dedicated into the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission

Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission

The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission is an agency of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the United States dedicated to the protection of Kentucky's natural heritage...

 system on Dec 16 1981 for the protection of the Indiana bat

Indiana bat

The Indiana bat is a medium-sized mouse-eared bat native to North America. It lives primarily in eastern and midwestern states and in parts of the south of the United States. The Indiana bat is gray, black, or chestnut in colour and is 1.2–2 inches and weighs about 1/4 an ounce...

 (Myotis sodalis) with wintering numbers estimated at 28, 000. The Cascade Caverns preserve was dedicated on Dec 16 1981 to protect two rare plant species, the Mountain maple

Mountain Maple

Acer spicatum is a species of maple native to northeastern North America from Saskatchewan to Newfoundland, and south to Pennsylvania. It also grows at high elevations in the southern Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia....

 (Acer spicatum) and the Canadian yew

Taxus

Taxus is a genus of yews, small coniferous trees or shrubs in the yew family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of 1-40 m, with trunk diameters of up to 4 m...

 (Taxus canadensis

Taxus canadensis

Taxus canadensis is a conifer native to central and eastern North America, thriving in swampy woods, ravines, riverbanks and on lake shores. Locally called simply "Yew", this species is also referred to as American Yew or Ground-hemlock.Most of its range is well north of the Ohio River...

).