- Home
- About
- Map
- Trips
- Bringing Boat West
- Migration West
- Solo Motorcycle Ride
- Final Family XC Trip
- Colorado Rockies
- Graduates' XC Trip
- Yosemite & Nevada
- Colorado & Utah
- Best of Utah
- Southern Loop
- Pacific Northwest
- Northern Loop
- Los Angeles to NYC
- East Coast Trips
- 1 Week in Quebec
- Southeast Coast
- NH Backpacking
- Martha's Vineyard
- Canadian Maritimes
- Ocracoke Island
- Edisto Island
- First Landing '02
- Hunting Island '02
- Stowe in Winter
- Hunting Island '01
- Lake Placid
- Chesapeake
- Provincetown
- Hunting Island '00
- Acadia in Winter
- Boston Suburbs
- Niagara Falls
- First Landing '99
- Cape Hatteras
- West Coast Trips
- Colorado River Rafting
- Bishop & Death Valley
- Kauai
- Yosemite Fall
- Utah Off-Road
- Lost Coast
- Yosemite Valley
- Arizona and New Mexico
- Pescadero & Capitola
- Bishop & Death Valley
- San Diego, Anza Borrego, Joshua Tree
- Carmel
- Death Valley in Fall
- Yosemite in the Fall
- Pacific Northwest
- Utah Off-Roading
- Southern CA Deserts
- Yosemite & Covid
- Lake Powell Covid
- Eastern Sierra & Covid
- Bishop & Death Valley
- Central & SE Oregon
- Mojave Road
- Eastern Sierra
- Trinity Alps
- Tuolumne Meadows
- Lake Powell Boating
- Eastern Sierra
- Yosemite Winter
- Hawaii
- 4WD Eastern Sierra
- 4WD Death Valley +
- Southern CA Deserts
- Christmas in Tahoe
- Yosemite & Pinnacles
- Totality
- Yosemite & Sierra
- Yosemite Christmas
- Yosemite, San Diego
- Yosemite & North CA
- Seattle to Sierra
- Southwest Deserts
- Yosemite & Sierra
- Pacific Northwest
- Yosemite & South CA
- Pacific Northwest
- Northern California
- Southern Alaska
- Vancouver Island
- International Trips
- Index
- Tips
- Books
- Photos/Videos
- Search
- Contact
Mammoth Cave, KY
Saturday, July 27, 2002 - 9:00am by Lolo
500 miles and 8 hours from our last stop - 1 night stay
Travelogue
We got to Mammoth Cave late in the afternoon after a long 8 hours of driving. Rather than try to cram in a tour of the caves that evening when we were exhausted and cranky, we purchased tickets for the 2-hour Historic Tour early the next morning.
That evening, we checked into Headquarters Campground, which was a short drive from the Visitor Center and in walking distance to the Amphitheater. Needing to stretch our legs after our all-day confinement in the RV, we hopped on our bikes and headed out of the campground and down towards the river on the Green River Ferry Road. I had a hard time enjoying the thrill of the steep descent down to the river, knowing that I would soon have to repeat this hill in the other direction and listen to the complaints of my young. As expected, the ride back up really was tough--it was extremely hot and humid and the high ozone levels that day made it difficult to breathe. Needless to say, there was much whining.
After dinner, we strolled over to the Amphitheater to hear a ranger talk on the history of Mammoth Cave. We usually like to attend these ranger talks when we stay in a National Park campground. They can range from so-so to really good depending on the knowledge and enthusiasm of the ranger. This one was pretty good.
The next morning we, and about 30 other tourists, met at the Visitor Center for our scheduled Historic Tour of Mammoth Caves. As we began our climb down the steps into the natural Historic Entrance, we immediately felt the shift in climate. We left a hot, humid day behind and entered the cool 54 degree, damp, and never-changing climate of the caves. Unlike other caves, Mammoth Cave doesn't try to be glamorous with fancy lighting, paved pathways, and elevators. Rather, you feel as if you are touring the caves the same way that tourists in the 1800s did. In fact, at one point during the tour, the ranger flipped off the lights, throwing the cave into complete and utter darkness. We sat for a moment in total silence, experiencing a stillness that was eerie and absolute. Then with another flip of the switch, the stillness was broken and we were brought back to a more normal state of mind. The tour continued through a section of the cave known as Fat Man's Misery, because of its narrow, winding passageway. Eventually, we exited the cave into the bright sunlight of a beautiful Kentucky morning.
Although the caves at Carlsbad Caverns, which I describe later in this trip, are more dramatic with their beautiful formations, the kids liked Mammoth Cave for its pure naturalness and impressive size.
Description
Mammoth Cave National Park is located in central Kentucky about halfway between Louisville and Nashville. It is the world's largest known cave system with more than 350 miles of surveyed passageways, and probably as much as 600 miles more of undiscovered ones. However, only 12 miles of these are accessible to the public through ranger-guided tours.
During the War of 1812, the caves were used as a mine for saltpeter, an ingredient in the manufacture of gunpowder. After the war, the caves became a tourist attraction. Stephen Bishop and Mat and Nick Bransford, slaves of the cave's owner, became legendary as tour guides. Bishop also explored and mapped many more miles of the unknown cave.
Mammoth Park became a National Park in 1926, a World Heritage Site in 1981, and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990. It is open year round as the weather underground is about the same all year long--54 degrees and damp. The only way to explore the caves is with a ranger-led tour for which you must purchase tickets. The tours range from 2-hour non-strenuous walks to 6-hour strenuous ones where you sometimes have to crawl on your stomach.
Videos
-
Mammoth Cave National Park
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 36
- next ›
Mammoth Cave location map
Javascript is required to view this map.