Happy Birthday Mammoth Cave National Park
As we reach the 250th Anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, I thought that it would also be a good time to celebrate the anniversaries of some of the best places in our nation. So, today lets celebrate Mammoth Cave, but discussing some of the best things to do in the park.
Exactly a century and one year ago, in February, people around the US checked their newspapers daily, and waited around their radios for updates on the rescue of a man named Floyd Collins from inside a cave. Congress even stopped sessions to hear news about the incident.
Unfortunately, time ran out for Floyd Collins. He spend nearly a month in the cave, suffering a tragic fate. But, that national attention, brought more eyes to South Central Kentucky, and that focus became a groundswell which turned into a movement to protect Mammoth Cave and the grounds above it. Just 16 years and 4 months later, Mammoth Cave National Park was established, on July 1st, 1941!
So, today Mammoth Cave is celebrating it’s 85th Birthday. And, if you are fortunate enough to find this in time, they are celebrating the birthday with several events in the park.
But, even if you cannot make it in time, I thought I’d offer my recommendation for 85 of my favorite activities in Mammoth Cave. . .
Just kidding. Instead, I’ll offer some of my absolute favorite activities in the park, and let you discover the rest on your own. So, without further adieu, here are some of my recommendations for Mammoth Cave related activities
Dogs allowed above ground (leashes please)
All of the activities below are Junior Rangers Investigative Club approved, but some might be exclusive to older members and all cave tours require parental supervision for anyone under 16. And while all of these are available as of writing, that might change.
#1 Sand Cave Trail
(15-30 mins) .2 miles, and an easy boardwalk.
Sand Cave
There are several entrance signs into Mammoth Cave. My favorite, and the one featured in The Specters of Mammoth Caveis located on Old Mammoth Cave Rd. Off I-65, you take exit 53 headed into the park. And the sign is, probably, the big draw at this stop. However, after you take your pictures, make sure to walk the short boardwalk trail to an overlook above Sand Cave. You can read more about this history of Floyd Collins, his failed rescue, and the national interest in the story, and then get a closer look at the cave from the story. Floyd is no longer there, months after he died in the cave, his brothers raised the money to recover his body. Access to the area where he was trapped is, logically, closed and locked. So now the hike is mostly a monument to the legacy of a man who helped, accidentally to found the park.
This area features prominently in The Specters of Mammoth Cave, and it was voted the most eerie part of the park by members of the J.R.I.C. and the author. (Especially at dusk.)
#2 Mammoth Cave Visitor Center
(30 min - 1 hour)
If you are taking any of the Cave Tours, you will end up stopping by the Visitor Center. However, the Visitor Center itself is well worth checking out. First, there’s the bookstore (which carries copies of The Specters of Mammoth Cave, and a lot of other books I would recommend about Mammoth Cave.) Then there’s a museum/display area with lots of of good information, worth reading. There are two different shows which go more into the history of Mammoth Cave, and discuss Caving, showing off parts of the 426+ mile-long cave which most of us will never get to see. And most importantly, I’m a sucker for 3D Geology Displays, and there are some awesome ones that really help to visualize the rocky nature of the park. 100% Bethany of the J.R.I.C. encouraged! Also, if you enter from through the main entrance, and look right, past the bookstore, you’ll see the area where the J.R.I.C. met the Specter Detectors.
(Insider Tip: Find a Ranger to request a Junior Rangers book. Complete the activities to get a Junior Rangers Badge for Mammoth Cave.)
#3 Extended Historic Tour
(2.5 hours, approximately 2 miles)
Now, before I start writing about cave tours, I should warn that they vary by season, weather, and availability. For the most up-to-date list of available tours, check the park website. They are all cool, and you can’t really go wrong with any of them. Now, lets talk about some of them.
Choosing the best cave tour at Mammoth Cave is a bit like choosing a favorite color, the more you know, the harder it is to pick just one. I’m partial to Indigo and Cyan. (But also really like the colors of green and purple the Alien in my logo are known for.) See what I mean? I can’t pick just one. But if I had to, it would be the Historic Tour. This tour takes visitors through the historic entrance, about a mile into Mammoth Cave, and stops by several of the signature sections of Mammoth Cave: The Rotunda, (A large room preserving some of the relics from the saltpeter mining days in the early 1800’s, the Methodist Church cave room- where the ceiling is blackened from the smoke of a lantern a preacher would leave burning while he gave sermons within the cave, and the Tuberculosis Ward where ceiling less buildings from a failed medical experiment remain standing. (Turns out subterranean living doesn’t help cure TB.) The guides on this tour always have something new to say, but they also give a great overview of cave geology and cave history. This tour is, what I would call, the drive-by tour inside of Mammoth Cave. If you’re stopping through for a half a day this tour would be my best recommendation.
Several chapters within the Specters of Mammoth Cave take place in sections you will see on this tour. Specters are optional.
(Honorable Mentions for Signature Cave Tour: If you are not able to do stairs, or the Historic Tour sells out, I’d recommend either The Cleveland Avenue Tour or the Accessibility Tour, While he Cleveland Avenue Tour has, probably the most steps, and is a lot more Geology focused, the Accessibility Tour allows people who are unable to navigate stairs to check out the inside of Mammoth Cave. Surprisingly, both tours cover a lot of the same cave sections. There are fewer historic artifacts on this tour, but the impressive underground rooms are just as massive. A bonus for the Accessibility Tour is that they get to checkout the Snowball Room)
#4 Hiking Trails near the Visitor Center
Map Courtesy of the National Park Service
(1 hour to ½ day) 1 mile to Lots of Miles) Lots of hills.
After you leave the Historic Entrance, whether from a tour or just heading down to check it out, the hill continues down. You can keep walking all the way down to the Green River. There are a series of trails spread around the Visitor Center which wrap and wind through the area. If you don’t want to do a lot of hiking, but don’t mind a bit more hill, I would at least recommend continuing past the Historic entrance. At the bottom of the hill, you can find the River Styx Spring, where the underground river bubbles up and out of the cave, before spilling into the Green River. Depending on the time of year and recent rain fall, it might be a vast cave opening and a trickle of water, or a river in it’s own right. Keep following the trails south, and you’ll eventually find the Echo River Spring, where the other underground river bubbles out. Nearby, you can watch the ferry shuttle cars across the Green River.
Twined within the looping pathways are Mammoth Dome Sink, the sinkhole situated above Mammoth Dome, (My favorite room, which will be mentioned later in this list,) a creepy little cottage or two - overgrown and abandoned, a few other cave entrances, and more discoveries you can make on your own. These trails are more important to the Specters of Mammoth Cave mystery than they seem. Also, they are just fun if you have time to walk. I’ve had good luck spotting woodpeckers on the trail too.
(If you don’t have time, or don’t want to hike the trails, there is a parking lot before the ferry, (on the road to the Green River Ferry) where you can stop to check out the Echo River Springs.)
#5 Violet City Lantern Tour. Or the Historic Grand Tour.
The first tours with an age limits: (6 and up.) (lots of steps, fewer handrails.)
Ok, so I lied earlier, I have two favorite tours.* And that’s partially because they include most of the Historic Tour, and so much more.
*(I really can’t choose between Indigo and Cyan as my favorite colors.)
The Violet City Lantern Tour, (3 hours and 3 miles) starts just like the Historic Tour. Then, it branches out, and goes deeper into the cave. And, you carry your light with you. Lanterns. It’s in the name. You light your own way as you explore parts of Mammoth Cave the way visitors used to more than a hundred years ago. It’s a bit harder walking than most of the tours, and a little longer. But well worth it.
A view of the River Styx or from the River Styx or Grand Historic Tour.
The Grand Historic Tour, (4 hours and 4 miles) is one of the longest tours in the cave. It covers most of the route on the Historic Tour, and then delves beyond. Check out Bottomless Pit, and go deep enough to see the underground River Styx for yourself, and even my favorite room: Mammoth Dome. (Which is also the most important room in The Specters of Mammoth Cave.)
(Insider Tip Both of these tours offer a great opportunity to explore some of the best parts of Mammoth Cave! And I’d recommend either highly over any other tour! But if they are not available. If you are still craving a lantern tour, but maybe one which isn’t that long, then the Great Onyx Lantern Tour (2.5 hours, 1 mile.) will fit the bill, and I have it on good word from the rangers, that it is one of the most pristine caves in the area. (it’s also not part of Mammoth Cave.) The J.R.I.C. only make it as far as the entrance to Great Onyx. You can go further. If you still want to see the river, and maybe some cave shrimp, but don’t want to spend 4 hours in the cave, the River Styx Tour (2.5 hours, 2.5 miles) will take you down to a lot of the awesome sights.)
#6 Hiking on the Northern Side of the Park.
(Infinite)
Cross the Green River on the Ferry, or enter the park from Edmonson County, and you will find yourself in the best hiking area of Mammoth Cave. The Northern Section of Mammoth Cave is full of hiking trails, waterfalls (if you can find them,) and all kinds of surprises. I’d highly recommend spending some time on these trails! Look out for the occasional Bald Eagle. Many of these trails are good for mountain biking too. I can’t recommend just one, since the best part of hiking is picking a trail and exploring. This map should be a good start.
(Insider Tip: The signage is ok. But I would highly recommend having a map handy, as cell service is spotty, and it’s easy to miss a turn. Make certain you navigate safely, travel with friends, and tell people where you’re headed.)
#7 Finding other ways to travel around Mammoth Cave:
Take a kayak or canoe on the Green River.* (Seasonal) Ride Horses Mountain Bike the Northern Trails, or bike along the trail which used to be tracks for the Mammoth Cave Railway. There are lots of different ways to see the park. While a car may be best, you can ride to many of the sites, and shorter hiking trails, and there are miles of gravel roads accessible only on foot or bike! If feet are too slow, biking can be a better way! ((Lots of hills!” Rudy would complain, but action is an important part of the J.R.I.C.s love of Action and Adventure!)
(Insider Tip: Always wear a helmet!)
#8 Obligatory Domes and Dripstones Recommendation
2.25 hours and .75 miles. Lots of stairs.
Honestly, some of the best cave formations in Mammoth Cave are out of reach of the visitor tours. (Well, they should all be Out of Reach, as you shouldn’t touch cave formations.) But, the absolute best formation in Mammoth Cave is the Frozen Niagara, a massive dripstone which is surrounded by lots of other vibrant cave formations, and the best, most popular way to see it is Domes and Dripstones Tour. It’s a short tour, but I guarantee that by the end you’ll be able to tell the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite, (and see quite a few of both.) This tour wraps things up up in more ways than one. (To get the pun check out The Specters of Mammoth Cave) Specter Approved!
(Insider Tip: if you want more of an adventure, and still want to see the cool formations. Check out the Grand Avenue Tour which is 4 hours long, and includes 4 miles of awesome exploration (also lots of steps) and also checks out the Frozen Niagara area.)
*If the Frozen Niagara begins to bleed leave immediately and contact me! (author Nathan W. Landrum) or the Specter Detectors via the icons at the top of this page.
Seriously, the National Park Service has had 85 years to turn the park into a series of awesome activities. And the area was popular for Cave tours a century before that. This list barely scratches the surface. I didn’t even get to mention my other favorite short trails: Sloan’s Crossing Pond, Turnhole Bend Trail. My favorite medium hikes: Cedar Sink Trail or the hike to Floyd Collins Home and the entrance (closed except during rare tours) to Crystal Cavern. Or the awesome fact that sometimes the park opens up older or rare parts of the cave to limited tours. (like the tour of Crystal Cavern.) Or the many fun things to do in the area: Dinosaur World, Hidden River Cave, The Kentucky Cave Museum, and more!
The Truth is, ever one of our National Parks is worth celebrating, and it was people recognizing their value, and protecting them which allowed them the pass that awesomeness down through the years.
So, Happy Birthday Mammoth Cave! And Readers and parents, whether you find this in the summer, or any other time of the year, I hope that it helps you decided what do the next time your in the area!