Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave National Park

3 milliom visitors per year – 82 square miles – The largest cave on earth. Mammoth Cave, KY.

  

Inside the world's largest cave's 335 miles of charted passageways are 70-foot chambers, Indian artifacts, an underground river, and some plant and animal species that have been isolated from the outside world for more than a million years. In fact, there are five species of animals unique to the cave.

Mammoth Cave has intrigued man for thousands of years. Native Americans first came 4,000 years ago and continued to use if for about 2,000 years. Tourists started visiting after the War of 1812, and by the mid-1800s it was one of the most popular tourist sites in the country.

Two-thirds of the park is composed of distinctive karst topography – the type of land surface that forms above a cave that features sinkholes, cave entrances, and disappearing streams. There are nearly 100 sinking streams called pnors that disappear abruptly onto holes on the ground.

Trees in blossom. Photo by Elena.

Peak season tips: The cave, of course, is the main attraction. It is always best to reserve cave trips in advance.

Camping: Houchins Ferry (no trailer hook-ups) and Denison Ferry (tent sites only, no water) sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are needed for Maple Spring Group Campground sites.

Best one-day trip: A great variety of cave trips in terms of length and difficulty are available, some lasting an hour, others most of the day. After or before your cave trip, take a short hike on the ¾-mile Cedar Sink Trail to see good examples of karst topography. You may also want to take the one-hour boat trip down the Green River or a walk along the Cave Island nature walk, part of which also goes along the river.

Best experience: Various cave trips are operated throughout by the National Park Service and are offered every day in the summer and on some weekends in the spring and fall. Be warned: Caving involves stooping, bending, crawling. Helmets and lights are provided, but visitors should bring their own knee pads. Long pants and boots are required, and gloves are recommended. Make reservations no earlier than 56 days before and no later than one hour before you wish to tour the cave.