Mammoth Cave, located near Bowling Green in Kentucky, is the longest cave system in the world. It has been part of the National Park System since 1942, and since then it has been named a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve. We’ve been to Kentucky several times in the past, but up until this year we had never had the chance to visit Mammoth Cave. When the opportunity arose to take a few days to visit the 52,830 acre park, we took it. First, we stopped in Bowling Green to pick up a family friend, then drove the short 30-minute route from Bowling Green to Mammoth Cave National Park.
We went in July, so it was hot and humid at Mammoth Cave. Crowds could be seen taking refuge in the various air conditioned buildings at the park, including a hotel, restaurant, and the welcome center. Tours were almost sold out on the day we arrived, so I highly recommend buying your tickets in advance, like we did. What I don’t recommend is taking a 3 month old on the Historic Tour. Although my dad had read the description of the tour online, noting the number of stairs and that the tour lasts two hours, there were a few small details that weren’t mentioned on the website. For example, the fact that the ceiling is only 3 feet high at one point? Yeah, not baby friendly. Or that you have to climb down a ladder at one point and can’t bring baby carriers. I bravely offered to hang out at the cafe for the 2 hours that the tour ran, but in the end we decided to exchange our tickets for the self-guided tour.
The cave itself is a comfortable 54 degrees year round. There’s a big difference between the 100+ degree humidity outside the cave and the cool interior of the cave. In fact, my glasses fogged up when going between the two, which was less than ideal when going down and coming up the steps to the cave mouth. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief once we got inside the cave, though, including the baby. She had been cranky while we explored the grounds of Mammoth Cave as we waited for our tour to begin, but once we actually stepped inside the cave, she fell right asleep.
The self-guided tour is short. It’s only 3/4 mile, and lasts about 30 minutes (or more, if you’re like my dad, and want to take your time soaking up the scenery.) Although the Discovery Tour is self-guided, there are helpful Park Rangers located at various points along the trail. These Park Rangers will tell you about the history of the cave, which ranges from Native American usage in preparing bodies for burial, to saltpeter mining in the War of 1812, to its use in the 1800s as a tuberculosis hospital. (For more info on the tuberculosis hospital, be sure to check out the lantern tour. This guided tour has only 30 participants at a time and tours the area once used as a tuberculosis hospital. It’s on my bucket list!)
Looking for more than just a cave tour? Mammoth Cave National Park offers surface activities and nature walks, along with plenty of hiking trails. One of the hiking trails is pretty famous: it leads to the site of unsuccessful cave rescue attempts of the famous caver Floyd Collins in 1925. Don’t worry, there are less depressing hiking trails, too.
Want to stay at Mammoth Cave? There are hotel rooms and cabins available on the grounds, as well as 3 campgrounds! While staying at the park, try your hand at fishing or boating the nearby rivers, or bike the 9 mile bike trail. There’s something for everyone in the family at Mammoth Cave— even for babies. Tip: If you have to change your tickets, like we did, there is a $3 service fee per person.
Have you ever been to Mammoth Cave National Park?
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The moment you described how your glasses got foggy, I felt like I needed to go there. The name of the place just screams amazing and I’m sure a trip there will be very worthwhile!
Wow, I want to go there. I always wanted to explore nature, this one looks so suitable for me!
This looks like a truly amazing place to visit. The next time my family and I visit Kentucky we’ll have to keep this place in mind.
Beautiful place to visit! I bet my children would love to visit there with me one day
I’ve never been there. But now I’d like to make a visit!
What an amazing piece of our nation’s natural beauty. I have never been there, but I’m going to hit up every national park at some point in my life!
I love the idea of coming to Mammoth Cave. Another place to add to the list of locations where to take the kids!
I grew up on National Parks and I’ve raised my kids to love visiting them, too. We’ve been to 150+ different NPS parks & monuments and you’re right Mammoth Cave is among one of the best of America’s natural jewels for families!
I love caves and I adore the state of Kentucky! So jealous, I haven’t been in a cave for a while since they closed ours here due to white nose disease in the bats.
This looks like such an awesome place to visit. Bookmarking for when I am in the area!
This place looks so cool, I’ve never heard of it! I’ve never been to Kentucky before and it’s totally on my bucket list!
This is on our list for next year. We were going to do it this year but ran out of time on our vacation. All of our kids love geology and caves are a great place to learn about it.
We’ve never been there but I purchased a national park pass recently and we hope to road trip to a lot of them this year. Will add this one to the list.
I’ve never been there but it looks like the kind of hike my family would enjoy. Just maybe not in that kind of heat – wow!!
Too bad they charged you a service fee.
I’ve only driven through Kentucky. I didn’t know it had such treasures.
So cool! My brother in law lives in Kentucky, I wonder if they have ever been?
Mammoth Cave looks like so much fun! I love to have adventures like this with my family. We’ll have to check it out someday!
Oh my goodness! I love National Parks. When my kids were young we took the big (what we called it) National Park vacation. We visited/camped at at six of them and had so much fun.
This certainly looks like a great place to visit. It is nice to be able to visit treasures like this one.
I loved visiting the cave when I went in spring. I didn’t know there were hotel rooms on site. That would have been fun to stay at!
We had so much fun touring caves in TN when we were there last summer. I wish I would have stopped here on our trip. It looks like a great one to explore as well!
Are there ways for wheelchair users to experience the park and caves?
There are ways for wheelchair users to explore the park, but not the caves. All of the tours require steps going down into the cave and there are no elevators into the caves.
It looks like a beautiful place to see! If I’m ever in Kentucky I will have to check it out!
We recently took a road trip through Tenn but I didn’t know about this. We’re planning to go again and I’ll put this on my list of stops!
My son is on a mission to explore as many caves as he can and this looks right up his alley! Definitely going to put it on our must visit list!
That looks like a very nice park. I would love to visit there sometime. I think caves are so neat!
This looks like an awesome place to visit! Love the fact that there is also accommodations on the grounds so you can make it a place to stay.
This looks like a place my boys would love! Definitely adding it to my travel list!
My kids would love to go stay at Mammoth Cave. It looks like a great place to explore and be in nature.
Mammoth Cave sounds amazing. It would be so fun to explore and stay there.
I would be nervous about exploring caves but could never pass up the opportunity. I had no idea Kentucky was so green either!
I went when I was a little girl, but I’ve been wanting to go back very much. I need to put that on my short list.
I would love to explore Mammoth Cave National Park. I have never been there but I would enjoy learning about it’s history.
Looks like a beautiful National Park. I have never been to one before but would love to visit. This looks gorgeous, would love to see it myself.
I’ve never been to Mammoth Cave National Park but I bet my family would love to visit. Fishing, boating and hiking sounds like a great family adventure.
Wow! What a stunning place to explore! This is so close to our home, we should make a trip up there.
I have never been there (or to Kentucky). It sounds like it’s an interesting place to visit and I bet some areas are lovely.
Nature is so amazing. I would love to take my family to see these gorgeous caverns.
It has been years since I’ve been to that cave! What are these years I’m going to take my family out east and that is one of the places we are going to explore.
I have never been in a cave, and this makes me want to change that. I need to find a cave that’s within a day trip of us.
That looks like an amazing place to see! I love going to places like this. If I’m ever in Kentucky I will have to visit.
That is absolutely beautiful! I love this because living in Georgia, my family can take a nice little road trip and experience some amazing natural beauty.