mammoth cave visitor center guided tour pavilion b

Mammoth Cave Visitor Center

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Mammoth Cave Visitor Center - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Mammoth Cave Visitor Center

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

MAMMOTH CAVE VISITOR CENTER: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• (0.07 mi) The Lodge at Mammoth Cave
• (0.09 mi) Mammoth Cave National Park Lodge
• (0.11 mi) Cozy Nolin Lakefront Cabin at Mammoth Cave
• (5.40 mi) Serenity Hill Bed and Breakfast
• (7.95 mi) Hampton Inn Cave City
• (8.01 mi) El Mazatlan
• (7.82 mi) Bucky Bees BBQ
• (7.95 mi) Cracker Barrell Old Country Store
• (7.96 mi) The Dog Pound
• (7.94 mi) Cave City Creamery

Discovery Self-Guided

Mammoth Cave National Park Tours

Please note that tour is NOT always offered. This tour is typically offered Memorial Day to Labor Day. Please call the visitor center at 270-758-2180 on the day of your visit to check its availability. Many people visiting Mammoth Cave ask, “May we visit the cave without a guided tour?” The answer is yes! This self-guided tour requires a ticket, and proceeds into the Historic Entrance. Focusing on early history and prehistory of the cave, this section of cave houses many great artifacts. This tour is ideal for people wanting to move at their own pace or are looking for a cave experience without much time commitment. This tour is the self-guided version of the guided Mammoth Passage Tour. 

Tour will be offered daily between 10:00 and 2:00 for the months of June and July only. These are unlimited tickets only sold the day of.

Select a date to see a list of times

Need to Know

All tours begin at the Visitor Center. When tickets are sold, the time on the tickets will be the last time you can enter the cave. This tour has designated multiple hours that you can enter the cave, between the time you bought the ticket and the last time being the one displayed on your ticket. Please do not wait until the last minute to use the ticket.

No advanced reservations accepted for the Discovery Self-Guided. Offered as visitation warrants. Call the Park at 270-758-2180 the day of your visit to check availability.

Includes a steep outdoor hillside trail to and from the cave’s Historic Entrance.

Mammoth Cave National Park is located in the central time zone and observes daylight savings time.

Do not rely exclusively on your mobile GPS, Google Maps, or similar automated navigation systems to get to the park Visitor Center in time for your cave tour. Routes can be misleading and incorrect. Directions from the North: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 53 (Cave City Exit). Turn right onto KY-70. Follow 70/255 as it becomes the Mammoth Cave Parkway in the park. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center. Directions from the South: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 48 (Park City Exit). Turn left onto KY-255 and follow 255 as it becomes the Park City Road into the park. Follow Park City Road until it joins the Mammoth Cave Parkway; turn left. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center.

Children 5 and under do not require a reservation or ticket. Youth under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older on all tours. Interagency Senior and Interagency Access ticket pricing applies to Interagency Senior and Interagency Access Pass holders only. The Interagency Annual Pass is NOT accepted for tours or camping.

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The complete guide to Mammoth Cave National Park

Apr 15, 2021 • 11 min read

A view of the Green River from a bluff in Mammoth Cave National Park framed by redbud trees

The rolling hills of central Kentucky look solid enough where the well-worn foothills of the Appalachian Mountains slide into the flatter, fertile farm land of the Mississippian Plateau. But laced underneath that pretty landscape of telescoping green slopes is a vast network of caves, sink holes, and underground creeks that stand in stark contrast to the sunny spreads of spring wildflowers like trillium, dwarf iris, trout lily, and phlox above ground. And one of those caverns is Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system anywhere in the world. 

Humans have been exploring Kentucky's hidden depths for over five thousand years. Down here in the dark, there is evidence of the first intrepid visitors to what is now known as Mammoth Cave, who carried burning reed torches into winding, unmapped passageways. Now scientists have determined Mammoth Cave extends for over 400 miles. It winds down in numerous layers carved over millions of years by trickles and torrents of water making their way to join the wide Green River.

These days, you don't need torches to see the upper reaches of Mammoth Cave, now softly lit by electricity, punctuated by park rangers ready to explain the cavern's many features, and the sometimes unusual ways the cave has been used since the arrival of European settlers in the 1700s.

Editor's note: During  COVID-19 , please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government health advice. Events may be subject to change.

Mammoth Cave history

Legend has it that a bear hunt is what lead the first non-Indigenous person to the entrance of Mammoth Cave, which sits at the end of a long-eroded creek bed that now mostly runs dry. The water that ordinarily would flow here instead works its way down into the cave through tiny cracks in the earth and the sandstone below it, carving the tunnels below from limestone deposits created millions of years ago, when the Appalachian Mountains were new and jutted into a shallow inland sea that covered much of the southeast. Eventually, a sinkhole collapsed at the thin intersection of the creek bed and the cave mouth, revealing Mammoth to whoever passed by.

While it's unclear if it was the hunter chasing the bear or the other way round (or if the incident even happened) what is confirmed is that Mammoth Cave was first seen not as a natural wonder, but a manufacturing resource by the man who purchased the land in time for the war of 1812. Dozens of enslaved people were tasked with hauling tons of dirt into huge vats in the cave, where natural lime could leach from the stone walls and eventually be used in the manufacture of saltpeter needed by the young United States' military to make gunpowder.

After the war was over the cave changed hands again and the new owner saw an opportunity to capitalize on affluent travelers' growing interest in outdoor recreation. Enslaved guide Stephen Bishop was the first to create a contemporary map of large swaths of the cave, and the names he gave many of the cave's features are still in use today. Bishop worked with Materson Bransford, Nick Bransford, and Alfred Croghan to lead early tourists past the old earthworks and other unusual businesses that had cropped up in Mammoth Cave, including a mushroom farm and a failed tuberculosis clinic.

The Bransfords and their descendants carried on the guiding trade long after they, Bishop and Croghan were emancipated and well into the 1930s. However, when Mammoth Cave was turned into a national park in the 1940s, the four-generation tradition of Bransfords working in the cave came to a close. The family guides were replaced by park rangers until 2004, when Jerry Bransford joined the NPS staff as the fifth generation of his family to lead tours in Mammoth.

Visiting Mammoth Cave National Park

Unlike many other national parks, you don't need to pay admission or flash your America the Beautiful pass to enter the park or enjoy its trails. The only fees you'll need to pay are if you're camping, staying in the lodge, want to reserve a picnic shelter, or to tour the cave itself. It's wise to book your cave tour at the same time you're making any other reservations in the park, as tours often sell out – especially on weekends, and especially while tour offerings and capacity are limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The nearest airports are in Nashville, Tennessee (about two hours away) and Lousiville, Kentucky (about an hour and a half away). Bowling Green, Kentucky is about half an hour away – a college town with restaurants, bars, a new brewery , and the vibrant, historically Black Shakerag neighborhood. Scattered nearby throughout central Kentucky are several of the state's famous bourbon distilleries. Just eight miles from Mammoth Cave is Cave City, whose quaint mid-century main street is lined with antique shops. Stop for a beer at The Dive, an atmospheric watering hole full of long-time locals. 

Peak season at Mammoth Cave matches the summers in central Kentucky, which tend to be warm and humid, with highs in the 70s and 80s. Fall and spring are mild and cool, and winters see temperatures hovering in the 30s and 40s. Temperatures inside Mammoth Cave itself, though, are consistently around 54 degrees no matter the time of year or weather. Even when it's raining outside (spring is the wettest month in central Kentucky), Mammoth Cave will be dry, however – at least the part open to visitors.

Activities near Mammoth Cave 

When the COVID-19 pandemic isn't raging, there's usually several cave tours on offer that go to different areas of the cave and showcase different features, from The Rotunda to a formation known as Frozen Niagara. Most of the tours go a quarter of a mile to two miles into the cave, and some involve staircases or some challenging climbs. There are also special holiday-themed events that have been offered in years past, including caroling around Christmastime. Many of the tours depart from one of two outdoor pavilions close to the visitor center before entering Mammoth through the Historic Entrance.

Currently, the Historic Extended tour is what's on offer with limited capacity. This self-guided experience gives you the opportunity to go at your own pace and ask park rangers stationed at notable points along the tour route any questions you might have. Notable features included are the Rotunda, the Methodist Church where actual church services were once held, the historic salt peter mining site, Booth’s Amphitheatre (where the brother of the infamous John Wilkes Booth would recipe passages from Shakespeare), and an eerie formation known as the Giant’s Coffin. 

Tickets for cave tours can be purchased at the Visitor Center or reserved online and cost $25. 

There are a number of hiking trails at Mammoth Cave, but those concentrated around the Visitor Center, campgrounds, and picnic pavilions are well-connected, moderately challenging, and can easily be tackled over the course of a weekend – or even combined into various loops for a day hike. 

Some like the Cedar Sink Trail, Echo River Spring Trail, and River Styx Trail give you a chance to learn more about the unique geography and hydrology of Mammoth Cave. They lead to spots where water either enters or exits the cave system. Water might enter through a sink (think a big natural drain) like the one surrounding the Historic Entrance, or the Cedar Sink on the side of the ridge under which Mammoth is carved. Water also exits the cave on its way to the Green River through several springs where water bubbles out from under rocks or from beneath ponds not far from the main shore.

The Dixon Cave Trail Loop climbs to a separate cave system that used to be connected to Mammoth Cave, but was cut off by a rock collapse similar to that which made Mammoth's entrance accessible. There's a wooden platform built to give hikers a good vantage point of the sink surrounding Dixon Cave's entrance, but you cannot enter the cave. That's to protect Dixon's resident bats, who are at risk from white nose syndrome – a disease that isn't harmful to humans, but can be carried by their shoes and clothing and is a severe threat to bat colonies worldwide.

The Green River Bluffs trail connects to several of these shorter jaunts and offers splendid views of the titular river from high on the bluffs down to the bottom of the ridge where paddle wheel steamboats used to dock at the turn of the last century. One of the easiest loops to create with the Green River Bluffs trail is by connecting to the Heritage Trail for a 2.5 mile hike. The Heritage Trail leads to the historic cemetery where Stephen Bishop is buried, along with several other former cave guides, community members, and the tuberculosis patients treated in Mammoth Cave.

The Echo River Spring Trail has been recently renovated to be more accessible for visitors with disabilities. A portion of the trail has been redesigned as a level, composite boardwalk loop around the Echo River with interpretive features that have tactile elements as well as braille and audio captions. It's part of a longer two mile trail that connects to the Green River Bluffs and Mammoth Sink Hole trails. The new, more accessible section also connects to a recently renovated trailhead that will include a put-in for canoes and kayaks. This trailhead will also be serviced by the Green River Ferry, which has transported vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists from the south to north shores since 1934. 

Back in the late 19th century, when the Kentucky Caves wars were just starting to heat up and land-owners were competing to see who could tap into the success of Mammoth Cave as a tourist attraction, a railroad was built to bring travelers into the area. It was in service for almost fifty years before the age of the automobile took over and ferry service began at sites like Green River. Today, nine miles of that old rail bed has been turned into a Railroad Trail, an easy to moderate cycling and hiking route that winds through the park.

Staying at Mammoth Cave

There are two primary campgrounds at Mammoth Cave – the main campground and the Maple Springs campground, which caters more to groups, equestrian campers, and those heading into the backcountry. Both feature bathrooms with flush toilets and dumpsters on site. There is also more primitive, tent-only, but still car-accessible camping at Houchin Ferry Campground 15 miles from the visitor center. Backcountry sites are scattered throughout the park, and include some remote island sites only reachable by boat.

You aren't required to have a bear canister in Mammoth Cave National Park, and there aren't bear boxes on site due to low risk. That said, you are advised to keep food in your vehicle overnight to prevent interference from other wildlife. The campsites can accommodate both RV and tent campers, as well as hammock campers thanks to the abundant tree canopy. Due to the threat of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle to trees in the park, campers shouldn't bring firewood with them from neighboring states, but should instead purchase at the camp store or use dead, fallen timber collected on site. 

The Caver’s Camp Store has a range of convenience food and beverage items, including takeaway like pizza, coffee, and biscuits and gravy, as well as some camping supplies and souvenirs. There's a post office on site where you can get stamps for postcards from the gift shop or pick up a package. There are also hot showers available. WiFi is available in the Visitor Center and  in the Lodge, but cellphone service is limited throughout the park.

The Mammoth Cave Lodge

The Mammoth Cave Lodge is made up of several different buildings ranging from hotel-style rooms in a 1960s modernist structure to small cottages to an ADA-accessible motor-lodge style space. There are two eateries on site, including a sit-down restaurant called the Green River Grill  and the more casual cafeteria-style Spelunkers Café & Ice Cream Parlor, which has takeaway sandwiches, chips and drinks, as well as hot items like burgers on offer. Both make extensive use of local products from Kentucky vendors on their menus.

While the Visitors Center was built in 2012 in a contemporary style that refers back to classic "parksitecture" and is powered by banks of solar panels, recent renovations to the Lodge buildings weren't started until 2017. Thus far, the updates have focused on making Mammoth Cave National Park more environmentally friendly, with outdoor LED lighting, upgrades to waste water treatment, and refreshes to the room amenities, as well as expansions of the concessionaire and gift shops. Since 2019, has been continued expansion of the lodge with new construction, too, as well as continued renovation of the existing rooms. 

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Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site

Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site 3024 Brian Ln. Kennewick, Washington 99338

3024 Brian Ln. Kennewick, Washington 99338

• (509) 627-1654

April–October 2023 take a guided tour on an active an Ice Age paleontological excavation for Mammoths at the McBones Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site! It includes a presentation about the history, discovery and findings at the site, plus there is a guided tour of the laboratory activities and displays of key specimens and the interpretive panels. The remaining time is spent out at the dig site observing the actual digging of bones and participating in the wet screening operations.

Tours generally last about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Reserve your spot for a public or group tour starting March 1st. They go very quickly!!

• Family Friendly
• Parking Available

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Alerts in effect, visitor center area and south side trails, beneath your feet.

We spend most of life exploring the beauty and wonder found on the earth’s surface, but beneath our feet, unbelievable feats of geology are at work and hundreds of years of modern human history have passed. Perhaps nowhere else in the world is this truer than at Mammoth Cave. Take a hike and find out what really lies Beneath Your Feet .

South Side Trails

Many trails found along the main park roads allow you to explore almost 11 miles of forested trails. The Cedar Sink Trail, Sand Cave Trail, Sloan's Crossing Pond Walk, Turnhole Bend Nature Trail, and the Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike and Hike Trail are great trails to get out into the park and see what lives on the surface of the park.

Suggested Visitor Center Area and South Side Hikes

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Four-legged friends are often our favorite hiking companions! Happily, Mammoth Cave National Park allows leashed pets on trails with a few guidelines to follow. Please learn more about bringing your pets to the park.

Ticks, Poison Ivy, and Snakes—oh my!

Mammoth Cave National Park is just as much a home for ticks and snakes as it is for white tail deer, turkeys, and songbirds. Poison Ivy also makes its home here and is found in most areas of the park. Learn more about ticks, poison ivy and snake safety while in the park .

Be a Steward of Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave National Park has earned the distinction of several international designations , including being listed as a International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site. You can help protect your national park by following the seven Leave No Trace principles and doing other simple things like picking up litter, discouraging others from taking keepsakes, carving their initials into trees, or bothering wildlife. Ready to embrace your call to Stewardship? Learn more ways you can Get Involved in protecting your national park.

Explore backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park. Great for day hikes and multi-day adventures alike.

Discover whats beneath your feet.

Discover the history of the communities that once existed in the park.

Last updated: July 6, 2022

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Contact info, mailing address:.

P.O. Box 7 Mammoth Cave, KY 42259-0007

270 758-2180

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AARP's Guide to Mammoth Cave National Park

Explore the natural world above and below ground at this kentucky treasure.

by Margaret Littman, AARP , Updated August 13, 2021

Mark C Stevens/Getty Images

En español | Imagine a national park so complex and, well, mammoth, that no one really knows its true size. Yes, signs mark entrances and exits, but underground, where limestone and water have carved the world's largest cave system (412 miles and still counting), no one knows how vast it is or what will be discovered next. That's the majesty of Mammoth Cave National Park (MCNP) in Central Kentucky. Every time you come back, you can learn about what has been newly discovered and what is better understood about what had been found before.

History is told from inside the underground maze of connected cave passages. Rangers and interpretive materials tell tales from Stephen Bishop, an enslaved man who explored and discovered many new passages and led public tours in the 1800s. Signatures of past visitors written on the rocky walls and ceilings (no, the park doesn't allow that anymore) show the area's long history of tourism. A former subterranean church space retains its sanctuary feel and lantern-made soot markings. Structures used as a former tuberculosis hospital remain. The vast Rotunda shows off old saltpeter mines once used for gunpowder production. The caves’ geology connects all these elements: striped limestone walls, blooming gypsum “flower” formations and small stalagmites and stalactites.

Unlike many other commercial caves, Mammoth Cave is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and respects its underground treasure. Some sections do have handrails and lighting, but nothing is hokey or garish. No flashing neon lights or colored water. On the contrary, on some tours, you can experience the caves as early explorers did — in complete darkness or by lantern. You'll learn about wildlife, such as the endangered eyeless cave shrimp, eyeless fish and cave crickets, that thrive on the lack of light and constancy of underground conditions.

Mammoth Cave was a community and a destination long before it became a national park in 1941. Locals created an association to protect the land back in 1926, but as far back as 3,000 B.C. native Americans explored the caves, taking gypsum and other minerals out for their purported medicinal properties. White colonizers discovered these caves in the late 1700s and tried over generations to profit off of them, using them as mines for saltpeter, purported healing hospitals and a geological curiosity.

Eighty percent of the 500,000 people who visit MCNP every year take cave tours, but you can partake in plenty of fun outdoor activities above ground, too. Explore lush green rolling hills, sinkholes, running rivers and scenic overlooks by biking, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking and more. Its surface areas are rarely overrun, says Molly Schroer, the park's public information officer, so you can enjoy the sounds of nature, not of crowds.

COVID-19 Update

Following a phased reopening plan, most tours are now being offered, but they are modified due to pandemic restrictions. The park strongly recommends that visitors interested in the Extended Historic Cave Tour — the classic tour — make advance reservations for timed entry slots online or by calling 877-444-6777. (There’s no guarantee that walk-up tickets will be available.) The park’s visitor center is open, with limited ranger programs. Note that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is required to wear a mask inside national park buildings and on all forms of public transportation. Check the park's website for updates .

Location: Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Total acres: 52,830

Miles/number of trails: 85 miles above ground, 412 miles underground

Main attraction: Cave tours

Cost: Free, but cave tours cost from $6-$60

Best way to see it: Walking through the caves

When to go to avoid the crowds: Spring and fall

Plan Your Trip

MCNP is easily reached by car from Nashville (89 miles south) and Louisville (86 miles north), both of which have airports served by multiple airlines. The park is also drivable from Cincinnati (186 miles north) and Indianapolis (203 miles north). You'll find the entrance just 2-1/2 miles off of Interstate 65, so plan to arrive via that route.

Be forewarned that many GPS systems give inaccurate directions to the park, sending visitors on small roads or to the closed Green River Ferry. If coming from the south on I-65, take exit 48 Park City; if coming from the north, take exit 53 Cave City. Good signage on both routes will help you stay on course.

Going underground for a tour means going down several flights of stairs and then coming back up them to exit, so mobility is an issue at MCNP. For that reason, it's important that you check tour descriptions before booking. Plus, some tours have age and size limits and some may require carrying a lantern or crawling. Others are specifically designed for children. Booking tip: When buying tickets, know that this part of Kentucky is on Central Time, as are tour times.

Regardless of the season, weather conditions typically don't impact tours since they're underground: It's usually around 54 degrees inside the caves, whether there's a heat wave or snowstorm outside. So always wear a jacket to explore them — and wear shoes with a nonskid sole to avoid slipping.

In summer, the most popular season to visit, the park offers the most cave tours, and outdoor activities such as canoeing, fishing and kayaking are at their peak in temperatures ranging from a high of 86 to a low of 62. You'll encounter smaller crowds in spring and fall, and you can usually expect pleasant weather, with highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s. Spring rains may cause some flooding that can temporarily limit river access, but foliage thrives on the precipitation. “I really love it here when the spring wildflowers are in bloom, but the entrance to the cave is pretty all year,” says Schroer.

You may have the park practically to yourself in winter, but you'll have fewer tours to choose from and much chillier weather in the 30s and 40s.

A ranger-led talks in the outdoor amphitheater is a good way to get context for the park's varied offerings. The talks cover topics ranging from history to wildflower identification and geology.

Admission to the park is free, and tours range in price from $6-$60. Even if you buy a ticket online, you'll check in at the visitor center near the cave entrance, which has museum-style exhibitions and historical information about the caves and their exploration, as well as a well-stocked gift shop, an outdoor pathway to the lodge and restaurants, ample parking and restrooms. Except in the caves, you should have reliable cellphone service.

Where to Stay and Eat

A convenient location just steps from the park's visitor center, cave tours and trails is the reason to settle into the Lodge at Mammoth Cave . It's not a typical national park-style lodge, but rather a collection of basic hotel rooms (some ADA accessible) and rustic, but comfortable cottages (some with multiple bedrooms) spread out in an inviting woodland area. The rooms all have air conditioning, TVs and Wi-Fi; some cottages have Wi-Fi, but none have TVs or air conditioning. Some cottages permit pets.

The park's three campgrounds are in leafy, shady locales. You'll find 111 campsites (some accessible) at the Mammoth Cave Campground (MCC), within walking distance of the visitor center, and just eight at the more secluded Maple Springs Group Campground, six miles north. Both of these campgrounds accommodate tents and RVs, though each has limited sites with electric and water hookups. (At Maple Springs, visitors can camp with their horses.) None of the 12 tent-only sites at the Houchin Ferry Campground , located 15 miles from the visitor center on the Green River, have hookups, but they have river views. All three have toilet facilities seasonally, and MCC has laundry and showers seasonally, plus an on-site store sells camping essentials. You can reserve sites at all three in advance at recreation.gov, with prices from $7.50 to $50 per night. Mammoth Cave also has two first-come, first-served sites.

For a more rugged camping experience, the park has 13 primitive backcountry campsites accessed only by hiking or horseback.

MCNP's two restaurants are in the lodge. The breakfast buffet at the Green River Grill will give you plenty of fuel for the day. The counter-service-only Spelunkers Café serves breakfast sandwiches and better-than-standard fare (burgers, sandwiches and some vegetarian options) at lunch, with both indoor and outdoor seating. Or just drop by the café for delicious ice cream from a popular local dairy.

The park has six picnic areas in relaxing settings. Look for the largest one, the Mammoth Cave Picnic Area, just north of visitor center parking. It has picnic tables, fire grates, charcoal grills, potable water and restrooms. You can also just find a secluded clearing in a forest.

Things to Do

Go underground. Like most visitors to MCNP, you came to venture down into its caves — and booking a cave tour is the only way to do that. Depending on the time of year, you may have more than a dozen ranger-led tours of varying durations, difficulty and area of focus to choose from.

Experience what it must have been like to discover the caves more than a century ago on the three-hour Violet City Lantern Tour . By lantern light, you'll see outcroppings of rock and walk steeps hills created by both man and nature, as well as petroglyphs more than 2,000 years old. But note: You must traverse 3 miles of steep inclines and declines on uneven dirt paths, with the limited lighting.

The two-hour Accessible Tour covers just 0.5 miles of terrain, none of it with stairs (you'll take an elevator down), but includes some of the caves’ most interesting geological elements. Look up in the large Snowball Room, named for the snowball-shaped calcium carbonate formations on the ceiling.

On the Historic Tour, you'll see displays about geology, sightless fish, saltpeter mines and other uses for the caves over time. Rangers usually lead this 2-mile tour, but it has been temporarily switched to self-guided during the pandemic. Rangers stationed inside tell stories and answer questions, though.

With 412 discovered miles underground, the tours take different routes and don't necessarily overlap, so book more than one — perhaps a tour heavy on history and one that highlights petroglyphs. Buy tickets in advance online to save time and make sure you get a spot, as they do sell out. You'll have more options in the summer, but also more people trying to get tickets at the same time. You'll have less competition in off-season, but also less availability.

Hike. The park has nearly 85 miles of interconnected and overlapping aboveground trails, most of them accessible by both hikers and those on horseback. In addition, mountain bikers can ride on three. Many trails tend to be steep, so always ask about difficulty level before hiking one.

For one of the steeper trails, set out on the Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike and Hike Trail , which follows the historic rail line. The 9-mile (one way), mostly gravel trail starts east of the Green River and winds its way past four cemeteries and a lovely pond, then into a meadow and through densely wooden forest.

On the 1-mile Cedar Sink Loop Trail, get a hint of cave topography without going underground — it leads to a sinkhole where you can see the kind of water that formed the caves. In spring, wildflowers fill the landscape and tree leaves turn red in fall. The walk itself is fairly easy, but 150 stairs lead down to the sinkhole.

The park recently regraded several trails, making them wheelchair-accessible. The mobility impaired will like the easy Echo River Springs Trail, which leaves from near the Green River Ferry. With the construction of a new bridge, the 1.1-mile trail will become a loop walk instead of an out-and-back one. Tactile exhibits and audio panels accommodate the seeing-impaired.

Many of the trails have lovely shade from the summer sun and nice overlooks. Meadows are dotted with wildflowers such as Eggert's Sunflower, a native plant that has been removed from the Endangered Species List because of its recovery in the wild. The 7 miles of trail around the visitor center, cave entrance, lodge and Old Guide's Cemetery have fewer inclines and more benches and places to rest.

The bulk of the park's trails (60 miles) are in the backcountry and perfect for horseback riding, a popular Mammoth Cave activity. Sign up for a guided trail ride at Double J Stables, just outside the park's northeast corner, and spend from one to two hours seeing the park from a saddle.

Paddle . Go canoeing or kayaking on the Green and Nolin rivers, which run through the park. Even on hot summer days, the rivers’ spring-fed water stays cool — usually between 72 and 75 degrees — making for a refreshing swim if you take a paddling break, says Suzanne Ochoa, Cave Country Canoe manager. Paddling adventures offered by Ochoa's company and Green River Canoeing vary in length, from three hours to two-day excursions, with senior discounts available.

The Green River, a wide river without rapids, has lots of islands where you can stop and rest. The narrower Nolin has fewer stopping points. When its water level is high, you can do a round-trip paddle (heading back upstream). “We have a lot of seniors, people in their 50s to their 70s, come out for that reason,” says Ochoa.

Fish . Do some casting in either river in hopes of reeling in bass, bluegill, catfish or muskie. Many Cave City and Park City shops stock bait and basic gear. You don't need a fishing license in the park, but there are catch limits.

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Gateway Towns

The small towns of Cave City (10 miles southeast of the park) and Park City (9 miles south) support park goers with fun attractions for keeping grandkids entertained, finding essentials that you forgot to pack, buying souvenirs and connecting with outfitters for outdoor excursions. In Cave City, give the kiddos a thrill at Dinosaur World, with its life-sized replicas of the large reptiles; and buy rocks, fossils and minerals at Big Mike's Rock Shop.

Two larger cities with less kitsch and more culture lie just a bit farther away.

In Bowling Green, 23 miles southwest of the park, take in Broadway-style plays and national musical acts at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, a plush amphitheater. The space also houses visual-art galleries worth seeing when you're at the center for a show. Dine alongside locals at Mariah's, a downtown favorite for more than three decades. Try the bacon-wrapped salmon or a brick-oven pizza. For some shut-eye, check into one of the city's reliable chain hotels, such as Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton.

In Glasgow, 21 miles southeast of the park, spend an entertaining evening at the Plaza Theatre, a restored 1934 music venue with eye-popping Mediterranean architecture. Originally built for vaudeville acts, it now hosts Americana, folk and other musical acts.

Historic homes, several now operating as B&Bs, dot the town. Hall Place Bed and Breakfast does everything in style and is within walking distance of downtown and its quaint preserved streets, where you can eat at locally owned barbecue, Italian and Mexican restaurants.

If you're coming from the north, stop in Louisville. Its connections to the sports world (think horse racing, baseball-bat making and boxing) and bourbon-making define what you'll want to do here. At the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory , tour the facility that has been manufacturing baseball bats since 1884. Also, sample Kentucky's famed whiskey on a distillery tour. Leave the driving to someone else on a guided tour with Mint Julep Experiences. You'll make select stops along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a collection of distilleries throughout the state. If you want to stay overnight, settle into the Brown Hotel, a city landmark since 1923, for some boxing nostalgia — the property is chock-full of artifacts from hometown boxing legend Muhammad Ali, including a set of his prize-winning gloves. At the hotel's restaurant, sink your teeth into its signature dish, the Hot Brown, an open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and cheese, a variation on Welsh rarebit. Visitor tip: To sound like a local, pronounce the city's name correctly: It's “Lou-ah-vul,” not “Louis-ville."

From the south, spend time in Nashville, catching a country-music show at the Grand Ole Opry and delving deep into the genre at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum . Or visit the Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline museums, both jam-packed with artifacts but small enough to explore and learn without being overwhelmed. Stay at the Russell, an East Nashville boutique hotel in a renovated church with jaw-dropping stained-glass windows in the lobby. Hotel profits benefit local homeless advocacy groups, so your night's stay helps others find somewhere to sleep.

PHOTO BY: Wangkun Jia/Alamy Stock Photo

You'll find underground rock formations like this one throughout the park's spectacular cave system.

PHOTO BY: Pat & Chuck Blackley/Alamy Stock Photo

Visitors need to book a cave tour to explore this subterranean world.

PHOTO BY: zrfphoto/Getty Images

The pathways include some steep hills, but the park offers an Accessible Tour that includes elevator access.

PHOTO BY: Tom Uhlman/Alamy Stock Photo

The Green River, a wide river without rapids, has lots of islands where paddlers can stop and rest.

PHOTO BY: EUGENIO ROIG/Alamy Stock Photo

Give the kiddos a thrill at Dinosaur World, with its life-sized replicas of the large reptiles, in Cave City.

PHOTO BY: Joe Tabb/Alamy Stock Photo

A sandstone arch is among the park's many aboveground sights that can be viewed along nearly 85 miles of trails.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on October 23, 2020. It's been updated to reflect recent COVID-19 developments.

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ROAD TRIPS, HIKES & MORE

Cleaveland avenue tour in mammoth cave national park.

Named in honor of Parker Cleaveland, Professor of Mineral Geology at Harvard, the Cleaveland Avenue Tour in Mammoth Cave National Park is a must-do for history buffs and geology lovers. The tour showcases some of the most extraordinary natural mineral formations in Mammoth Cave, offers visitors a glimpse into early cave exploration, and an opportunity to learn about perhaps the most fantastic section of cave in the entire park, Cleaveland's Cabinet.

Bathrooms at the end

Stairs 400 descending

Duration 2-2.5 hours

The tour kicks off with a brief 5-minute park shuttle from the visitor center to the Carmichael Entrance. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted with a lengthy staircase, consisting of 400 steps, descending roughly 300 below the surface, leading to a well-trodden dirt trail. After a brief walk, a spacious cave section unfolds, followed by another leisurely walk down a gentle slope.

Upon reaching the base of the slope, visitors will have a fantastic view of a large pile of breakdown known as Rocky Mountains. Park rangers typically pause here to provide insights into the cave's history, including the passage's discovery in 1840 by enslaved cave guide Stephen Bishop.

Following a turn in the trail, the next section of the cave emerges, resembling a low-hanging, oblong lava tube, well-lit every few hundred feet.

Just a short distance into this section of the cave, rangers will point out striking gypsum formations often resembling lilies or snowballs on the ceiling and walls, a feature consistently seen throughout Cleaveland Avenue.

The rangers will also highlight instances of cave graffiti, created by using charcoal pencils and smoke, remnants left behind by miners and cave explorers over the past two centuries.

The cave boasts an average width exceeding 50 feet, with an average ceiling height of roughly 10 feet. The park ranger featured in the photo below provides an indication of the scale visitors can anticipate.

Except for the initial descent into the cave and the spacious room near the start of the tour, the entire excursion will look very much the same. Throughout, rangers occasionally pause to highlight abandoned mining equipment from years past, discuss the numerous contributions of Stephen Bishop, and point out openings at ground level that connect to other sections of Mammoth Cave used during the Wild Cave Tour.

Shortly before the tour's conclusion, rangers point out the entrance to Cleaveland's Cabinet, a cavern spanning nearly two miles adorned with stunning gypsum and alabaster flower-shaped formations, some larger than the average human. Despite visitors being prohibited from entering one of Mammoth Cave's most otherworldly features (not even park rangers are permitted), it's said that every square foot of Cleaveland's Cabinet is filled with breathtaking formations in the shapes of roses, dahlias, tulips, carnations, and most abundantly, lilies, all in brilliant white.

In Guide Book to the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky  (Hovey, 1887), the author describes Cleaveland's Cabinet as follows:

"...a Paradise where all the flowers are fair and crystalline, and which, in the opinion of some of the guides, is the most beautiful place in the whole cave...a treasure-house of alabaster brilliants known as Cleveland's Cabinet. What words can picture forth its beauty? Imagine symmetrical arches, of 50 feet span, where the fancy is at once enlivened and bewildered by a mimicry of every flower that grows in the garden, forest, or prairie, from the modest daisy to the flaunting helianthus...as if in a dream of Elysium - not for a few hundred yards, or rods, but for one or two miles! All virgin white, except here and there a little patch of gray limestone...Midway is a great floral cross overhead, formed by the natural grouping of stone rosettes. Floral clusters, bouquets, wreaths, garlands, embellish nearly every foot of the ceiling and walls; and the very soil sparkles with trodden jewels..."

The discovery occurred in August 1841 as the renowned guide Stephen Bishop guided two men along Cleaveland Avenue. The Sunbury American, among the many newspapers nationwide, reported on the extraordinary find.

A little more than a year following the revelation of Cleaveland's Cabinet, Edwin Oscar Perrin, an Ohio lawyer and politician, explored the cave with Stephen Bishop and became enthralled with its wonders. His comments were featured in the Cleveland Herald and later circulated nationwide through republication.

A year after Perrin's expedition, the Louisville Daily Courier printed the narrative of a different cave explorer, who also expressed admiration towards the cave feature.

After a short stroll, the path reaches the Snowball Room, a former kitchen and dining hall. Here, visitors will find numerous cave signatures dating back to the mid-1800s on the walls and ceiling. A noteworthy inscription to seek out is positioned along the right wall, roughly chest high. The inscription reads, "To Nick The Guide," and pays homage to Nick Bransford. In 1838, Bransford, an enslaved man, was leased to cave owner John Croghan and subsequently trained by Stephen Bishop to serve as a tour guide. In 1863, Bransford purchased his own freedom with the tips he earned as a cave guide as well as the savings he accrued from selling eyeless cave fish to tourists. Remarkably, he served as a guide in Mammoth Cave for five decades, continuing this role even after gaining his freedom. The inscription stands as the sole documented dedication to an enslaved guide in Mammoth Cave, written by a visitor of the cave.

Another interesting piece of historical graffiti on that same wall bears the inscription, "Hoofland's Tonic, 1869, July 28, O. Mill, Richmond, VA." This particular marking points to a panacea-like medicine that purported to remedy a wide range of ailments, including jaundice, constipation, nausea, heartburn, depression, and more. The painted inscription is known as the most prominent commercial advertisement within the confines of Mammoth Cave.

Upon concluding the tour at this point, an elevator returns visitors 267 feet back to the surface. In the event that the elevator is non-operational, an occasional occurrence, the only way back to the top is retracing your steps, adding another mile and 400 stairs to the adventure.

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Historic Tour in Mammoth Cave National Park

Best Mammoth Cave Tour for Families

With so many cave tours to choose from, how do you know which one is best for your family we break it down in this article with our recommendations for the best mammoth cave tour for your family..

On the road home from Mammoth Cave National Park, our grandsons were on the phone trying to talk their mom (who stayed home) into a second trip to the caves. Yes, they had that much fun! So we wanted to share the best Mammoth Cave tour for families with you. 

But we almost messed up. There are over a dozen cave tours, and we discovered that not all are kid-friendly or even interesting to kids. Based only on the description on the NPS website, our tour selection could have resulted in a boring trip for the boys (age 10 and 12). Due to a combination of luck and extensive research, we ended up with amazing tours they loved. 

Here are our thoughts on the best and the worst tours for families in Mammoth Cave National Park.

Best Mammoth Cave Tours Based on Your Family

Let’s be realistic; what works for a 2-year-old might not be the best cave tour for your teen. So we’ve broken the tours into categories based on age and mobility to help you choose the Mammoth Cave tours that are best for your family.

Best Overall Mammoth Cave Tour for Families: Domes and Dripstones

Our recommendation is the Domes and Dripstones Tour for a family tour. It’s an interesting tour that will entertain family members of all ages. Our family is still talking about this one.

About the Domes and Dripstones Tour

There are just enough tight squeezes between the rocks that our grandsons felt like they were on a big cave adventure. And the youngest (10)  was the only one to go through some tunnels without ducking.

The Domes and Dripstones Tour also features a collection of stalactites and stalagmites that we all found interesting. The most famous is the dripstone Frozen Niagra, which is stunning. You won’t find the extensive stalactites and stalagmites in Mammoth Caves that we saw in Carlsbad Caverns National Park .

The tour guides share a lot of history along this tour with stories that all ages will enjoy. These sections of Mammoth Cave have been a tourist destination for over 100 years. They also explain the science of the natural formation of the caves in a family-friendly way.

You will get a workout on the Domes and Dripstones Tour as you climb up and down 540 steps. The good news is that the 2-hour tour moves at a meandering pace so that you can take your time on the stairs

Domes and Dripstones might not be good for families with:

• Independent toddlers who demand exploring on their own. (You know if this is your child.) The narrow passages, deep drops and hundreds of stairs require a tight rein on toddlers.
• Anyone with health issues, those 540 stairs will give you a good workout. 
• Someone with extreme claustrophobia might not enjoy it. The tight spaces are not extensive and usually open up to a larger area quickly, so most folks don’t even think about it. But they do exist and should be considered if you have concerns. 

Best Challenging Tour for Your Family: Grand Avenue Tour

The Grand Avenue Tour might be the best tour for your family if your kids are pre-teen to teen and love an adventure. On this 4-hour tour, you cover everything in the Domes and Dripstones Tour plus a lot more!

According to the NPS description : You’ll be “going through slot canyons, tubular passageways, tall canyons, and tunnels sparkled with gypsum”… and you’ll cover “a wide variety of the history and geology of Mammoth Cave”.

We did not take this extended tour because I was concerned the boys couldn’t stay engaged for 4 hours. In hindsight, that was a good call. A 2-hour tour was the limit for the 10-year-old. When evaluating if your kids could handle this 4-hour tour, remember that there is no free exploring; you must stay with and follow the ranger guide. It’s a bit like being in school for 4 hours without a recess, except maybe more interesting than learning how to conjugate verbs.

There is a minimum age of 6 for this tour because of its 4-hour length and the 1300 stairs you will climb. The park rangers have designated this a difficult hike because of all those stairs. However, the tour travels at a comfortable pace, so don’t be frightened by those stairs unless you have a health issue.

Best Easy and Short Tour: Frozen Niagara Tour

The highlight of the Domes and Dripstones Tour is the finale at the Frozen Niagara section of the cave. It’s a beautiful section discovered in 1923. The large draping flowstone appears as a frozen waterfall. This tour is the way to shortcut right to that fantastic site.

The Frozen Niagara Tour lasts a little over an hour, including the short bus ride to and from the entrance. You’ll descend into the cave with only 12 stair steps and a walking distance of ¼ mile.

Although the caving experience is minimal on the Frozen Niagara Tour, it is an easy way to see one of the most famous sites in Mammoth Cave National Park if you have an active toddler or health restrictions. 

Ready for a Second Tour? Family Friendly Cave Tours that Round Out Your Visit

We’d encourage you to take a second tour with your kids while at Mammoth Cave to experience all the park offers. And the best second tour explores the original historical sections of the cave. You have several choices, listed from easiest to most challenging:

• Easy: Discovery Self Guided Tour
• Easy to Moderate: Gothic Avenue Tour
• Moderate: Historic Tour
• Moderate with extra features: Extended Historic Tour

All of these tours focus on the history of Mammoth Cave. The most impressive part of the tour is the massive open rooms that gave the caves their name. Did you think the caves were named after the animal? Nope… they were named because the early explored sections of the cave were “Mammothly” big.

The tours explore periods when the caves were mined for saltpeter, which was used in gunpowder. Much of the mining equipment was abandoned in the cave. The guides also have abundant stories to tell about early explorers and the first tourists.

The biggest difference between these 4 tours is primarily in how far they travel into the cave system. I recommend only planning to take one tour from this group, choosing the level best suited for your family.

Best History Tour of Mammoth Cave for Families: The Historic Tour

Want to walk through the tunnels that “humans have used for thousands of years”? Then the Historic Tour is for you as you tour many of the originally opened sections of Mammoth Cave. Your guide will regal you with past stories, talking about early explorers and visitors plus the mining operations.

The 2-hour tour travels about 2 miles, first through the large open rooms that made the cave famous. And then you’ll explore deeper into the cave, including tighter spaces. Some might find the steeper inclines and the 540 steps a bit challenging on this tour. But just like our favorite Domes and Dripstones Tour above, it moves at a slow enough pace that visitors in good health should be able to keep up.

We wish we had been able to get tickets for this very popular tour instead of the Gothic Avenue Tour listed below. I think we all would have really enjoyed walking through the deeper caverns.

Best Cave Tour for History Buffs: Extended Historic Tour

For a little more historical information, grab a ticket for the extended Historic Tour, which is the same tour as above with a bonus side trip “to one of the sites of the famous 1840s Mammoth Cave experiment to treat consumption”. 

If you have a few history buffs in your family, it’s worth adding this extra 15 minutes to your tour. But our grandkids would have been happy to skip this section. Know your audience.

Best Quick Tour: Discovery Self-Guided Tour

The Self Guided Tour is only offered when the park is super busy. It’s the option for many people who didn’t realize you needed to order your tour tickets online and in advance. So on busy days, the park opens up the Self Guided Tour with same-day ticket sales only.

Although I think it’s very thoughtful that the park has this overflow option for visitors, I also think the 30-minute Self-Guided Tour is a great option for people who can’t easily participate in a two-hour tour. For that reason, I wish they offered it all the time.

The Self-Guided Tour focuses on the history of the cave. You’ll find signage throughout the trail explaining the artifacts and geology of the cave. You can move at your own pace, but most people complete the tour in less than ½ hour. Rangers are available to answer questions as you travel along the ¾-mile trail. Although rated an easy trail, keep in mind there are 125 stair steps required, and the walk back to the visitor center is a fairly steep graded walkway.

Best Easy Guided Tour: Gothic Avenue Tour

We embarked on the Gothic Avenue Tour on our second morning at Mammoth Cave National Park. The size of the rooms is astounding. The large open rooms just keep going in this section of the cave. No wonder early visitors were impressed.

The guides shared many stories about the early visitors, explaining the historical graffiti and the early mining operations in great detail. Overall it was an interesting experience.

In hindsight, I would choose the Historic or Extended Historic Tour for our family’s tour. The Gothic Avenue Tour moved too slow for two energetic boys, and they were ready to move on after the first hour. 

Gothic Avenue Tour is Good for:

• Families with small children because the walkways are wide and there are no steep drops. They can easily walk holding hands with their parents. 
• Family members who wanted to move at a slower pace. 
• People with claustrophobia might be able to handle this tour since this cave section is very open. 

Best Mammoth Cave Tours for the Adventurous Family

These 4 tours are restricted to children at least 6 years old. The tours are a bit more challenging and your kids need to be able to listen to and follow instructions for their safety. 

These tours are smaller groups and have a very limited schedule, so make sure you order your tickets as soon as possible. When we ordered our tickets, about 2 weeks prior to our visit to Mammoth Cave, all these were sold out. The information I’m sharing is from the NPS website and Facebook Page since we didn’t have an opportunity to try any of them.

All except the Great Onyx Lantern Tour cover a lot of the sections included in the historic tours so would be a great substitute for families with older children.

Great Onyx Lantern Tour

Great Onyx Cave is not believed to be connected to the Mammoth Cave system, it sits in an area of the park by itself. But because it is unique, tours are offered with only a short bus ride from the visitor’s center. You’ll tour the cave by lamplight, recreating the experience of early visitors.

According to the NPS website description : “Great Onyx Cave houses an abundance of beautiful geologic formations that sparkle in the lantern light of this tour. Visitors on this tour can see many stalactites, stalagmites, gypsum crystals, and helictites.”

River Styx Tour

The River Styx Tour is the same as the Historic Tour with a really cool side trip down to the underground water level. The tour is 2 ½ hours long, covering 2.5 miles.

River Styx flows through and under the Mammoth Cave system, eventually emptying into the Green River. Early visitors to the cave were able to tour this section in a small boat. Because human interaction was affecting the little creatures that live in the river, you can now only walk along the river on a raised platform.

Star Chamber Tour

The rangers describe the Star Chamber Tour as an experience rather than site seeing. It’s “an evening tour in Mammoth Cave by lantern light, this winding its way to historic Star Chamber.” The tour is by lantern light to get the feel of what it felt like to be an early explorer walking through the caverns.

The 2 ½ hour tour travels through some of the same areas as the Gothic Avenue and Historic Tour and is only offered in the evening. 

Violet City Lantern Tour

“A truly historic way to experience Mammoth Cave, this tour travels exclusively by lantern light.”

For a longer, 3-hour and 3-mile exploration by lantern light, the Violet City Lantern Tour is quite the experience. Although there are only 160 steps, you’ll find several steep walking grades that make this a difficult tour.

Best Mammoth Cave Tour for Families by Age

Here’s a quick recap of which tours are probably best for families of different age groups. Of course, you know your kids best so take into account their unique abilities when selecting your tour.

Best Tour for Families with Babies

Since babies are allowed on most tours if you carry them on your chest, you are then only limited by your own level of fitness. If you can carry your baby for 2 hours going up and down stairs, then the Domes and Dripstones Tour is our top choice.

It’s important to know that the only way to include a baby on a Mammoth Cave NP tour is to carry the baby in a chest harness or chest carrier. Strollers and backpack carriers are not allowed on the tours. Babies are also not allowed on the tours with a 6+ age restriction.

Check the list below for the number of steps and the difficulty level to help you choose.

Best Tour for Families with Toddlers

Families with toddlers have a unique buddle of energy to accommodate. The basic Historic Tour is a good choice. The wider walkways will allow your toddler to walk holding hands with you. The tour often stops at benches for stories which will give you a break.

Be prepared to carry your toddler for some of this tour, 2 hours of walking is a lot for many little ones.

Best Tour for Families with Grade Schoolers

The best tour for school-aged kids is the Domes and Dripstones Tour, which is also our top recommendation for families. The tour has enough variety that kids will love exploring the cave.

Best Tour for Families with Pre-Teens and Teens

Teens will also love the Domes and Dripstones Tour. However, try to add in a second tour for them from the Lanterns tours that take them into parts of Mammoth Cave that few visitors see. They will appreciate the extra side trips that make those tours unique.

List of Mammoth Cave Tours at a Glance

The tours offered at Mammoth Cave can vary based on the season and demand. This is the current list of offerings. Tours may vary seasonally.

Why You Should Trust Us When Planning your Mammoth Cave Trip

Brad and I are on a mission to explore all of the US National Parks. Mammoth Cave National Park was the 33rd park we’ve visited! Before visiting a park like Mammoth Cave, we research like crazy to ensure we are ready to explore, have fun and create great memories. Then we go and do!

This article summarizes our personal experiences in the park, additional research, and all of our pre-visit research. 

The advice you read here is exactly what we’d tell our best friends if they plan a trip to Mammoth Cave! We hope you enjoy your visit to Mammoth Cave National Park.

About Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave National Park is in rural Southern Kentucky. Rolling green hills, dotted with farms and ranches, define the landscape. The aptly named Green River cuts through the park. 

Underneath all of this serene beauty, there is a whole other world of caves. The Mammoth Cave system runs over 450 miles. That makes it the world’s longest cave. The cave is a collection of caverns and tunnels connected by passageways. Over thousands of years, underground rivers and seeping rain have eroded the limestone creating the cave.

It’s estimated that Mammoth Cave might be over 600 miles long, with new passageways yet to be discovered. To be considered part of the same cave, a passageway must exist that a human can pass through. The most recent 50-mile addition was found when water levels dropped in one of the caverns exposing an opening that led to more miles of the cave. Rangers shared that they often join together to explore more of the cave system on their day off… that’s their entertainment!

Arrive Early to Explore the Museum

The museum in the Mammoth Cave National Park visitor center is extremely well designed to engage visitors of all ages. Our youngest (10) climbed through the mock cave tunnel repeatedly while our older grandson (12) explored independently. There are many hands-on activities to engage your kids while teaching them about the science and history of the caves.

As always, we had to drag Grandpa Brad out of the museum because he loved the abundance of explainer displays and videos. Mammoth Cave’s museum is one of the best we’ve experienced during our National Park Adventures.

Junior Ranger Program

When we picked up our Junior Ranger booklets in the gift shop, the clerk gave us a tip that all the answers could be found in the museum. Of course, that encourages your kids to search through all the displays. 

I’d suggest you spend 30 minutes in the Museum before your tour to plant a few seeds of knowledge about caves with your kids. Then another 30 minutes after your tour explore and finish their Jr Ranger books.

What to Expect Inside Mammoth Cave

Temperatures.

The temperature in the caves is a constant 54 degrees so you might want to bring along a light jacket. Temperatures on the top will vary with the season from cold winters to hot summers.

Formations in the Caves

Stalactites and Stalagmites make their home in many caves. These are the formations you anticipate seeing in caves that result from water dripping over limestone. However, most of the cave is open caverns. You won’t find as many of the beautiful cave structures as you can experience in the caves of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Size of Tour Groups

Tour size varies from a couple of dozen to over 100 people. The more popular tours will have bigger groups. However, even though our Domes and Dripstones tour comprised of about 110 visitors, we surprisingly didn’t feel crowded.

Bathrooms on Mammoth Cave Tours

Bathrooms on the tours are non-existent. You’ll find beautiful bathrooms at the visitor center so go before you head out. 

Tour Guides

The tour guides are excellent. They come prepared with a variety of stories to tell to illustrate the history and geography of the caves. Our first guide was a college student and our second guide was a retired teacher. Both exhibited a passion for the caves during the tours.

There is no free exploring. You must stay on the paths following the tour guides. They will remind you to not touch the rocks. Some additional rules for your cave tours:

• Photography is encouraged although you can’t use a flash. Tripods and monopods are not allowed as they will slow up the tour. If you are a professional photographer, you can apply for a special tour, although not many are granted.
• Child backpack carriers and strollers are not allowed. Feel free to use a front pack for babies.
• Large backpacks are not allowed. They defined that as “Metal framed backpacks and backpacks that are higher than the shoulder or that are of a length that extends below the hips”
• Firearms or other weapons
• Pets (You can kennel for a small fee nearby.)

What to Bring on Your Cave Tour

• Light Jacket
• Bottle of water
• Small snacks are allowed, especially for longer hikes or if you have health concerns.
• A camera that can be used without flash
• Closed-toed shoes are best for the metal stairs and extensive walking.
• Your tickets – they will be checked as you board the buses or enter the caves.

More Information for Planning Your Family’s Mammoth Cave Tours

How to get tickets for your mammoth cave tour.

While tour tickets are available at the visitor center, it is better to purchase your tickets in advance online through Recreation.gov . During our visit, tickets for almost all tours were sold out for same-day purchase. So waiting means you may not get in.

You should order your tickets as soon as you are confident in your tour dates. Two weeks prior to our visit there were a lot of tours available, but by the week of our trip, the selection was limited.

How Many Mammoth Cave Tours Should You Plan to Take?

If you can fit it into your schedule, I’d recommend you take at least 2 tours that explore a different section of Mammoth Cave. We scheduled one each morning and then left our afternoon free to explore outside the caves. 

How to Mix and Match Your Cave Tours

There are over a dozen different cave tours. Most tours are not completely unique, many overlap with the ground covered by other tours to capture the highlights of Mammoth Cave. For example, the Gothic Avenue Tour is primarily a subset of the Historic Tour. And the Frozen Niagara Tour is a short tour of the ending point for the Domes and Dripstones Tour.

Is There an Accessible Tour of Mammoth Cave?

Currently, the accessible tour is unavailable due to elevator issues and there is no clear date on when it will be reopened. 

What’s the Best Time of Day to Take a Cave Tour?

The biggest consideration in planning your family trip into the caves is that you and your kids will be a captive audience for the length of the tour. There are no bathrooms and there is no exit mid-tour. Once you start, you have to finish along with the rest of the group.

So the best time to take your tour will be different for every family. Consider when your kids are most able to focus. For example, your 4-year-old that takes afternoon naps is probably better on a morning tour. While a 15-year-old who sleeps in during the summer months might be more engaged right after lunch.

Pets in Mammoth Cave National Park

We were excited to learn that pets are welcome on the outdoor hiking trails in Mammoth Cave National Park. Most National Parks severely restrict pet access. So we originally planned to bring Charlie along on our trip. However, temperatures soared into the high 90s the week of our road trip so we left her with a friend to enjoy the air conditioning. That dog just plain hates hot weather!

While dogs are not allowed on the cave tours, you’ll find shaded outdoor kennels available for your use at the Mammoth Cave Kennels just a short walk from the visitor’s center for a very low fee. There are some restrictions so make sure you read about pets in Mammoth Cave NP before you head out on your road trip.

Where to Stay When Visiting Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave National Park is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. You’ll want a lodging plan before you head that way. Luckily there are great options for both camping and hotels.

Hotels, Motels and More

Inside the park, you can relax at the historic Lodge at Mammoth Cave . It is located directly next to the visitor center and features a mix of modern hotel rooms as well as historic cottages nestled in a woodland setting. All are within walking distance of cave tours and park trails.

Cave City is the nearest town, only about a 15 minute drive. You’ll find a variety of more traditional motels here. You can check Cave City motel availability here.

Campgrounds in Mammoth Cave National Park and Nearby

There are 3 beautiful campgrounds in Mammoth Cave National Park. We camped in the main campground and loved the large well shaded campsite. Make sure you get camping reservations because this park can fill up fast.

Re-capping the Best Mammoth Cave Tour for Families

The best Mammoth Cave tour for families is the Domes and Dripstones tour. We recommend that you combine this tour with one of the historical tours for a fully rounded trip to Mammoth Cave National Park. We’ve also included tips to adjust your tour plans based on your unique family. I hope you have a great time!

Planning to visit all National Parks? Here’s other Trips You Might Want to Read:

• Colorado National Park Road Trip
• Utah Might 5 Road Trip
• West Texas and New Mexico National Park Road Trip

The Authors: Hey, we are Ladona and Brad, avid campers and hikers. We are crazy about getting outdoors at every possible moment and have decades of experience exploring nature. Our current goal is to visit all 63 US National Parks and just completed #42. WooHoo! Our mission is to help you plan your own adventures and create memories beyond your imagination!

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Mammoth Cave Visitor Center Loop

“ a challenging & fun loop along the green river near the park's visitor center. ”.

837' 255  m

481' 147  m, 831' 253  m, know this trail, dogs leashed, features birding · cave · fall colors · river/creek · spring · views · wildlife, family friendly with many loops, it's easy to shorten this route as your family sees fit. the mild elevation change keeps things interesting without being overly strenuous., need to know, description, flora & fauna, history & background.

Land Manager: NPS - Mammoth Cave Office

Trail Ratings

Comment Type:

Current trail conditions, conditions history, add check-in, nearby recommended routes.

Buffalo Creek - Collie Ridge - Mill Branch Trails

9.2 mi 14.8 km • 752' Up 229.36 m Up • 742' Down 226.08 m Down

Sal Hollow & Buffalo Creek Loop

10.8 mi 17.4 km • 863' Up 263.15 m Up • 885' Down 269.69 m Down

Turnhole Bend Nature Trail

0.6 mi 0.9 km • 125' Up 38.24 m Up • 125' Down 38.1 m Down

First Creek Trail

6.7 mi 10.8 km • 645' Up 196.65 m Up • 649' Down 197.93 m Down

Low Hollow Trail

2.4 mi 3.8 km • 227' Up 69.23 m Up • 211' Down 64.31 m Down

Lost River Cave Trails

1.4 mi 2.2 km • 48' Up 14.57 m Up • 46' Down 14.13 m Down

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Last updated: March 23, 2023

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P.O. Box 7 Mammoth Cave, KY 42259-0007

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