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Mammoth Cave National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to the world’s longest cave system. Over 400 miles of cave have been discovered so far. With several choices for exploring both beneath and above the ground, it’s a great place to spend a day or more.
The park is located in Kentucky with Bowling Green as the nearest large city. If you’re in Louisville or Nashville, you can easily do a day trip.
We spent one full day at Mammoth Cave. We were able to take one cave tour and spend some time exploring the park roads. Next time, we plan to do another cave tour and do more hiking.
Cave Tours
There is no entrance fee for Mammoth Cave National Park, but you must pay for cave tours. It’s highly recommended to book your cave tour in advance, which can be done online here. The park is open year-round, and different cave tours are offered during different seasons. We opted for the Domes and Dripstones tour.
No flash photography is allowed on cave tours, and only a bottle of water can be taken with you along with a small backpack. A light jacket is recommended because the temperatures deep inside the cave is 54°F (12°C). You should also wear good shoes and be careful walking because the cave surface can be slippery at times.
After each cave tour, all visitors are required to walk on bio-security mats. This is for the purpose of slowing the spread of white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that affects bats.
Visitor Center
There’s one visitor center at Mammoth Cave National Park. It’s located in the center of the park. There are interpretive displays about the park and cave system. You can pick up tickets for cave tours there and all tours leave from the visitor center area.
Lodge
The Lodge at Mammoth Cave is located near the visitor center. It’s open year-round and operates a restaurant and concessions. We stayed at a motel on the outskirts of Bowling Green, but had a chance to walk through the lodge and grab a bite to eat.
Camping
There are three campgrounds at Mammoth Cave and 13 backcountry campgrounds. Mammoth Cave Campground is the largest and can be reserved in advance. It has 105 sites and is located near the visitor center. Maple Springs Group Campground is on the north side of the park and is geared towards large groups. Houchin Ferry Campground has 12 primitive sites near the Green River.
Activities
Besides cave tours, biking, horseback riding, canoeing, boating, kayaking, and fishing are possible. There are also almost 84 miles of trails to explore. More information can be found at the visitor center.
Safety
The most important thing is to remember to check for ticks if you’ve been out hiking. Also, be careful driving because deer live in the area. Finally, swimming in the Green River is allowed but not recommended.
