1 Thrilling Day in Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave National Park is the longest known cave system in the entire world! This National Park is located in south-central Kentucky and is the only national park within the state of Kentucky.

The cave system has over 420 miles of surveyed caves. A trip to Mammoth Cave is a perfect gateway for anyone interested in nature and exploring!

Getting to Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave is a convenient car ride from a few cities. Below are the approximate driving distances from other popular cities. A Mammoth Cave trip could also be easily combined with any of these cities!

Nashville TN: 1.5 hour drive
Louisville KY: 1.5 hour drive
Lexington KY: 2 hour drive
Cincinnati OH: 3 hour drive
Indianapolis IN: 3 hour drive
Chattanooga TN: 3.5 hour drive
Knoxville TN: 3.5 hour drive
Dayton OH: 4 hour drive

If flying, the closest full-service international airports to the park are Louisville International Airport (80 minutes) and Nashville International Airport (90 minutes).

You will need a car to explore the National Park, so if you are flying, I would recommend renting a car.

Where to stay near Mammoth Cave National Park

We stayed at this Airbnb here. It was clean and had all the amenities we could have possibility needed for the weekend! It was the perfect size for 2 but could sleep up to 4 with the futon or an air mattress.

The Lodge at Mammoth Cave is the only lodging option inside the National Park. They offer rooms with 2 queen beds or individual cottages.

If interested in staying in a hotel, the majority of hotel options are located in Bowling Green KY, approximately 35 minutes from Mammoth Cave. Below are some hotel options in Bowling Green that look promising.

Things to know before visiting Mammoth Cave National Park

Here are my helpful tips to know before your visit!

Mammoth Cave National Park is free to enter, however you will need to reserve a paid tour to access the caves.
The National Park is located in the Central time zone. Keep this in mind when booking a tour, especially if you will be making a day trip from somewhere in the Eastern time zone.
Tours book up FAST. If possible, plan ahead and book your tours early. Do not plan on booking a day or two before.
The temperature inside the caves is consistently 54 degrees year round. Bring a light jacket no matter what season you visit during.
Mammoth Cave is located in Edmonson County, which is a dry county. This means that you cannot purchase alcohol near the park. If you plan to visit a liquor store or bar, you will need to venture to Barren County, approximately 20 minutes away.
Food options are limited, so I would recommend packing a lunch for your visit.

Things to Know: Cave Tour Information

To enter the cave, you do have to purchase a guided tour through the National Park. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here.

When we visited, there was no availability to purchase tour tickets day of. I highly recommend booking in advance to confirm you can secure your desired tour and time slot.

Tours range in length and difficulty. If you are concerned about the difficulty level of a tour, make sure to read tour details carefully. The tour details will include how many miles the tour covers and the approximate number of stairs.

All tours will include some level of physical activity including climbing stairs and some crouching. If needed, they do offer an Accessible tour which utilizes an elevator entrance and has no stairs.

Also, most tour sizes are rather large. Our tour included a group size of 100 people. If you need a slower pace, you will want to stay towards the front of the group near the ranger. If you prefer a faster walking pace, you will want to stay towards the back. The back is playing “catch up” to the front and has to walk faster.

Group size does vary by tour, so if you want a smaller group, I would recommend paying attention to the group size when booking a tour.

Any tour that begins at the Historic Entrance will not require a shuttle as this entrance is right by the Visitors Center. Some tours do require a shuttle ride if they depart from a different entrance.

We chose the Historic Cave Tour as this was our first visit and we were mainly interested in the history of the cave. Depending on your interests, they offer more science based tours, lantern-lit tours, and crawling tours. More detailed descriptions of the tours can be found here.

One Day in Mammoth Cave National Park Itinerary

Historic Cave Tour

To start your day, go on a guided cave tour. We booked the Historic Cave Tour from 10AM-12PM, which was the earliest available time slot. When we arrived at 9:30, the visitors center was already packed, but we were still able to get a parking spot easily.

The Historic Tour is recommended for first time visitors as it provides a great overview of the park’s history and is not too strenuous. The tour is 2 hours long and covers approximately 2 miles.

The tour begins at the historic entrance to the cave.

Approximately the first mile of the tour is very open, so there is no climbing or crouching. The ranger will stop to give details regarding the cave’s history which is very interesting. I won’t spoil any of those details here though!

On the tour, you will see stunning formations including the Bottomless Pit and Mammoth Dome. Pictures truly do not do the cave justice!

In the second portion of the tour, you will squeeze through “Fat Man’s Misery” and then you will have to crouch through “Tall Man’s Misery.” This was my favorite part of the tour!

This portion of the trail was the only part where crouching was required. The rest of the trail was very open and we could easily stand up straight.

The tour is a loop and ends right back at the historic entrance! I thought this tour was perfect for a first timer, because it gave a great overview of the cave and it’s history.

Go for a Hike

After your cave tour, hit one of the nearby hiking trails in the park. There are a few trails located right next to the historic cave entrance, so after your tour you can begin a hike without having to hop in your car again.

We completed some of the Green River Bluff, Echo River Springs, and Sinkhole Loop Trail. This trail is 4.3 miles long and rated moderate.

Unfortunately, when we visited the portion of the trail to the Sinkhole was closed, so we did not complete the entire loop. There are plenty of opportunities to shorten the trail so it can easily be customized depending on how far you want to hike.

The trail is fairly wide and has some moderate incline, which leads to beautiful views of the Green River. Unlike other national parks, the hiking here is nothing spectacular, but the park is still wooded and serene.

Explore the Visitor Center

Once finished hiking, make your way back to the Visitors Center to explore their interactive & informative cave displays.

Since the Visitors Center is free to enter, the displays are the perfect way to learn more about the caves. The displays include information regarding the cave history, geology, animals inside the cave, and more. Many of the displays are interactive and fun for kids as well!

Drive on the Green River Ferry

When finished exploring the National Park, there are two primary ways to exit the park. You can either drive around the park along the West or East side. Or you can cut through the park which requires a quick ferry ride.

I would recommend taking the ferry as you exit the park since it is definitely a unique and fun experience! The ferry will close if water levels are too low. Check the National Park’s website before taking this route to ensure the ferry is open.

If the ferry is closed, there will be an alert stating so. If you drive to the ferry and it is closed, there is no alternate route other than turning around.

The ferry ride is quick, but it was a memorable experience!

Visit Nolin Lake

Nolin Lake, another popular tourist spot, is located approximately 30 minutes north of the visitor center and is beautiful to visit!

We visited in March, so it was too cold for boating or swimming, but there were still some fisherman out! You can relax and enjoy the lake views or go for a hike.

We completed a portion of the Briar Creek Waterfall Trail Loop located in Nolin Lake State Park. The trail is 3.4 miles long and is mostly flat so it is not too strenuous.

There are opportunities to shorten the hike, which we took advantage of. We hiked approximately 2 miles. When we visited, the waterfall was dried up, but the views of the lake were still beautiful!

Other Ideas Near Mammoth Cave National Park

After visiting Nolin Lake, we headed back to our Airbnb for dinner and a bonfire. However, if we had more time, here are some ideas I have in mind for our next visit:

Visit the Town of Glasgow KY

Located approximately 30 minutes south of Mammoth Cave is the quaint & historic town of Glasgow KY.

Glasgow is located in a wet county, so there are a variety of bars and restaurants to explore! A few options include Yancey’s Brewery, Drink N Game, and Bully’s on Main Street.

We stayed north of Mammoth Cave, so visiting Glasgow did not make sense logistically. However, I would love to stop by for dinner and a drink on our next trip!

Go on a Ranger Led Walk

Mammoth Cave offers free ranger led programs to learn more about the park. They also have free Junior Ranger programs tailored to kids!

Take a Lantern-Lit Cave Tour

When we return next, this will be #1 on my list to do! The Violet City Lantern Tour is exclusively lit by lanterns. This gives the tour a more authentic feel of what it would have been like for those discovering the caves.

This tour was not offered when we visited, but I would make sure any future trips include this lantern tour.

Final Thoughts

Mammoth Cave is a unique and memorable National Park which should be on everyone’s bucket list to visit!

Mammoth Cave is great to visit year-round since the caves are a consistent temperature of approximately 54 degrees.

The park also includes accessible and family-friendly tours, so there is something for everyone to enjoy!

If you enjoyed this guide, check out my other guides below:

Chatting with Claire