Mammoth Cave National Park
Hello Explorer! So you’re ready to plan your trip to Mammoth Cave National Park. You have made an excellent choice. The Mammoth Cave system is the longest known cave system in the world with over 400 miles of documented caves and still more that remain unexplored.
There is so much to see above and below ground so let’s get started planning your adventure!
​
Cave Tours
There is plenty to see and do at Mammoth Cave National Park. I suggestion you start planning your visit by booking a cave tour. After your tour(s) is booked you can fill in the rest of the days with other activities.
There really isn’t a bad tour at the park but to get exactly what you want (at the time you want) you should book ahead using the National Park reservations site Recreation.gov. The site will provide full descriptions of each tour along with the physical expectations required– miles, number of stairs, elevation changes etc. However, even after reading all these descriptions you might still be confused as to which tour is “the best tour” and/or the “best fit” for you. To clear things up I asked a Mammoth Cave Ranger for his recommenations? Our Ranger suggested doing a combination of two tours (assuming you have no physical limitations):
-
The River Styx Tour
-
Grand Avenue Tour
His theory was that the River Styx Tour takes you through the main cave entrance near the visitor center and into the deepest part of the cave system, it also covers 75% of everything you see on the basic (and most often purchased) historical tour. His second recommendation was to also take, The Grand Avenue Tour, which takes you into the cave system via a different entrance and allows you explore both the Niagara Falls area and the famous gypsum cave, "the pretty caves". Obviously I have not taken all the Mammoth cave tours like he probably has but I thought I would share these words of wisdom from an expert.
​
As the Mammoth Cave National Park is on the drive between my home and my daughter (who lives nearby in Bowling Green, Kentucky), I have been racking up some cave tour experience. Although I think any tour in the park is worth the time, I was not as impressed with the Cleveland Avenue tour or the Wondering Woods tour.
​
-
Cleveland Avenue consisted of a single, long, but still impressive cave. I missed the layers and levels I saw on the Historic tour and/or the River Styx tour.
-
The Wondering Woods tour is located in a separate section of the park and is not actually connected to the larger Mammoth cave system. A bus takes you 15-20 minutes across the park, where you walk less than a 1/2 mile to a cave entrance. The cave you enter has a very different feel from the main sections of Mammoth Cave and is only about 100 yards long. There are many beautiful cave formations (flowstones, etc.), but it does not have the normal "Mammoth" cave experience, which might be disappointing to some.
When to book a tour?
Summers in Kentucky can get pretty toasty but it’s always nice and cool in the caves (make sure to bring a jacket). I suggest that you book based on the time of year you're visiting. If it’s the heart of summer do some hiking or take that scenic drive in the morning and tour the caves in the afternoon when it heats up. In the fall, spring or winter switch it around to take advantage of a warmer afternoon and tour in the morning.
Activities
Hiking
​
Most of the day hiking trails in the park are located right around the visitor center. As you will likely already be in this area for your cave tour, it is worth your time to explore the “land above the caves”. If your taking the River Styx tour, make sure to hike down to the confluence of the River Styx with the Green River. Also it can be fun to hike over the Green River Ferry crossing and watch the ferry shuttle cars across the river (we saw a lot of deer along the river on this hike). Another great hike, a short drive from the visitor center, is the Cedar Sink Trail. Here you can really see how the water is funneled to the underground rivers via some very large sink holes.
Canoeing and Kayaking
​
We had a great time paddling down the Green River. It was Reggie’s (the dog in the photo below) first time in a canoe and we all had a blast floating down the river. Rivers can change based on recent weather but for our trip the water was pretty calm and we had just enough current to make the six mile trip doable for two inexperienced paddlers and a very excited one year old pup.
Other activities
​
There are some riding stables nearby and other “vacationy” activities in the area, i.e. mini golf etc. One of the locals referred to the area outside the park as a smaller (and slightly run down) Gatlinburg. Sadly I thought the description fairly accurate. We passed by the mini golf which looked pretty basic but it you wanted or needed to entertain the kiddo’s it looked fun and in good condition. Further out from the park there are some additional attractions/activities. In Bowling Green Kentucky, 45 minutes to the south, there is a Corvette Museum and a touch further south another Cave tour, Lost River, where you float down an underground river.
Where to stay
The National park offers a lodge and a few cabins. As with most national parks all the reviews of these faculties report them as clean and well maintained but not luxury. If you are looking for a little more comfort or need to cash in some reward points there are plenty of chain hotels in Cave City just 15 minutes outside the park.
There is also a very nice campground at the National Park, which is where we stayed. In general, the campsites are nice sized and level. All the sites appeared to include a picnic table and fire ring. During our stay the bathrooms were clean and well maintained. There was a camp store with all the necessities, firewood, and a shower house. We stayed in campsite #105 which we thought was prefect! We had a bit of a green space on one side, a nice paved drive, lots of trees and we were close to (but not on top of) the restrooms. While walking the dog about the campgrounds we also thought site #67 looked nice and wanted to try that site on our next visit. Another bonus to the campgrounds is there proximitys to the hiking trails and Visitor Center (where the cave tours originate).
What to Eat Locally
We are not "foodies" so rather than recommend where to eat at each local we like to recommend some local things to try. In the Mammoth cave area you should try the locally sourced and produced ice cream from Chaney’s Dairy Barn. It's delicious! Some of the flavors are even named after local schools or mascots. Also give the local drink Ale81 or Ale 8 a taste, it is mostly know for it’s ginger ale, but there are many flavors. You can find both of these items at the Mammoth Cave Café adjacent to the visitor center. There is also a full restaurant at the lodge.
Extra’s -For the Dogs
Mammoth Cave National Park is one of the few Dog friendly National Parks. Dogs are allowed in most areas and on the hiking trails. There is also a dog kennel onsite for your fur baby while you visit the caves. The kennels are first come first serve near the Mammoth Cave lodge. Most of the kennels were in the shade and all had small roofed shaded areas. The lodge requires shot records, and provided a lock to secure the kennel. Bowls for food and water need to be provided by the renter. The cost was minimal at only a few dollars per hour when we visited.
Hello!
My name is Tricia and I
have been fortunate to travel to amazing destinations with my husband Jamie. If you are enjoying our travel content and would like to send us a thank you (and perhaps buy us a coffee or glass of wine on our next trip) I invite you to join our Patreon. Happy Exploring!!