Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the world’s largest known cave system that spans about 420 miles. But, did you know that between all the tours, visitors are only likely to see maybe 13-14 miles of the cave? Even rangers who have been with Mammoth Cave for years have only seen maybe 30-40 miles! On your visit to the cave, travel through time underground.
But, How many days should I spend at Mammoth Cave National Park? You can easily check off Mammoth Cave in one day. With one day, you could take a tour of the cave and still enjoy the hiking trails. Although, two or more days would allow you to spend more time exploring and relaxing. We drove down on a Thursday and spent two full days at the park and our Sunday morning at one of the nearby attractions. If you are really interested in the geology and beauty the cave has to offer, we definitely suggest spending two days here.
Where to stay?
If are looking to stay near the park, then you should definitely check out the Grand Victorian Inn. The 1885 circa hotel was such a vibe and unique experience that cannot be found just anywhere. The hosts restored the hotel to its former glory with furniture that brings you back in time (with the comforts of the 21st century still). The best part of our stay was the complimentary full breakfast served every morning!
Cave Tours
With over 10 different tours offered, it can be overwhelming to figure out which one is the best. Below we have included an overview of the tours we took and the tours we hope to do in the future! We went in the spring (mid-March), which did limit us to certain tours. The Historic and Domes & Dripstones Tours are the most popular and choosing these two tours allowed us to explore the cave from both sides.
Historic Tour
Time: 2 hours
Distance: 2 miles
Stairs: 540
This tour is one of the most popular tours offered. During your walk, you will visit several historic areas that made the cave so famous and learn about the people who came before. You will visit huge rooms that gave Mammoth Cave its name, as well as tighter passageways like Fat Man’s Misery. One of the more interesting things about this section of the cave was the geology. Due to the sandstone that sits above, the rocks are quite dry so the cave does not always resemble what you might think you would find down below.
Domes & Dripstones Tour
Time: 2 hours
Distance: 0.75 miles
Stairs: 500
On this tour, you will take a short bus ride to the “new entrance”, which sits inside a sinkhole. You will immediately make your way down about 220 feet of steel staircases. You will be walking through dripping caverns, tight squeezes, and numerous twists & turns. Although it is exciting to venture deeper and deeper into the cave, take your time - look up, look down, look side to side. There will be several stops along the way to learn about the geology of the cave. Finally, at the end of the tour, you will see the amazing dripstone section, known as Frozen Niagara.
What tours would we go on next?
Grand Avenue Tour is the longest tour offered at a whopping 4 hours long. The tour explores the geologic diversity offered at Mammoth Cave (which includes the entirety of the Domes & Dripstones tour). You will go through canyons, small passageways, and tunnels sparkling with gypsum. If you are wishing for a hike inside the cave, then this tour would be a good option!
River Styx Cave Tour follows along the historic tour route but brings you to the underground water table. Through this tour, you will focus on the geologic history and formation of Mammoth Cave. If you have a strong passion for geology, you may opt for this tour instead of the historic tour.
Violet City Lantern Tour is a truly historic way to experience the cave. This tour travels only by lantern light… just like in the 1800s! How cool is that??? The tour enters through the historic entrance and winds through the history of Mammoth Cave. This tour is longer, about 3 hours. If you wish for a shorter trek, check out a similar evening tour, Star Chamber Lantern Tour.
Trail Map
Hiking Trails
Beyond the underground world to explore, there are numerous hiking trails aboveground to enjoy. Near the Historic Entrance, you will find the River Styx Spring Trailhead. Take a short hike down the hill where you will find the River Styx Spring. We found some benches and just sat to listen to nature. We probably sat there for over 10 minutes just, sitting. If you are up for a longer hike, you can go down towards the Green River and continue on the Green River Bluffs Trail. You can take the entire trail around to the picnic area, it is a little over a mile… or you can veer off and make a loop with the Dixon Cave Trail. This trail has an overlook at the top and then goes back to the ‘new entrance’. On your walk back to the visitor center, you can take the short path of steps up towards the hotel to walk the Heritage Trail. Stroll through the trees to Old Guide’s Cemetery. This cemetery is the burial place for Stephen Bishop, one of Mammoth Cave’s earliest guides. If you walk further, you will also find Sunset Point, a popular overlook. This trail is less than a mile long, so you may wish to hike it before a cave tour.
On the other side of the park, you can find Echo River Springs Trail. Part of this trail has an accessible boardwalk and continues onto a flat forest trail. The trail leads back to River Styx, but we chose to take a right-hand turn to continue on the River Valley Trail and then loop back to the parking lot by continuing our path on Sinkhole Trail. This made for a longer hike, but since we already saw River Styx it was well worth it. While here, you can also hop on the Green River Ferry to see the other side of the park. We drove across the ferry to really just say “hey, we did that”. One last stop before heading out, we took a short stroll along the boardwalk at Sloan’s Crossing Pond.
Kentucky Down Under Zoo
To end our trip, we visited the Kentucky Down Under Zoo. The zoo was just about 15 minutes away from our bed & breakfast, so it was perfect! We even found a Groupon to sweeten the deal. On top of that, if your legs are tired from exploring Mammoth Cave, you can rent a golf cart to take you around the zoo! We decided “why not?” and opted for the golf cart rental. We got to the zoo about an hour after they opened and by the end figured that was best with feeding the animals. Most of the animals were hungry when we first got there but seemed to stop interacting after a few hours of the zoo being open. Feeding the lorries was the most interesting. I am still not sure how I feel about them being on my head. Clayton didn’t seem to mind so much. The kangaroos were the best. How often can you say you fed a kangaroo?? In the outback, we even fed an emu. Before we left, we were able to see Blossom, Booker, and Bell (the border collies) herd sheep in a demonstration. If you have more time at the zoo, be sure to go on the free tour of Mammoth Onyx Cave. We did not get to enjoy the tour, but the lines were long and full of excited people!
