Mammoth Cave National Park

We visited Mammoth Cave National Park during our trip to view the total solar eclipse in Kentucky. When Kris first mentioned traveling to see the eclipse I wasn’t quite on board. It seemed silly to drive all the way to Kentucky for it. We decided to incorporate a visit to Mammoth Cave into our plans. Since we love the National Parks, this made the trip more worthwhile.

Mammoth Cave is the world’s largest cave system. The cave has over 365 miles of surveyed passageways. However, geologists think there could be 600 more miles of passageways that haven’t been discovered yet! The cave is so enormous it extends well beyond the boundaries of the park. It truly is “mammoth.”

You can learn about how the cave was formed by stopping by the Visitor Center or taking one of the tours. There is no entry fee for the park or Visitor Center. However, the National Park Service charges a fee for tours. Our day began with the necessary stop at the main park sign for a picture. These are always some of my favorite pictures. It’s a short drive from that point to the Visitor Center. Once inside the Visitor Center it seemed obvious they were equipped to handle the large number of visitors expected due to the upcoming eclipse. There were rangers everywhere, and things seemed to be pretty well-organized. You definitely want to make sure you get to the Visitor Center early enough to pick up your tour tickets at will call and use the restroom if needed. There are no restrooms on the cave tours.

There are 130 different forms of life in Mammoth Cave. I think we saw two…lots of cave crickets and two bats. One bat flew over a ranger’s head and the other was “hanging out” near the exit of the Violet City Lantern Tour. Many of the cave creatures you’ll learn about during your visit are eyeless and lacking pigment.

The Tours

I highly recommend taking one of the tours. Descriptions of the tours can be found here. Some have age restrictions and/or footwear requirements. Since we knew for awhile that we would be going to Mammoth Cave we decided to book our tours early. I’m really glad we did! Plus, you don’t have to wait for the weather report because who cares what the weather outside is like when you’re 230′ underground.

On the drive back to Bowling Green we talked in the car about what tour we liked best. We all agree that the two tours are good for different reasons. Due to the low lighting of the Violet City Lantern tour it’s harder to get good pictures. Most of the large rooms remain totally dark until a ranger shines a flashlight to really show you the depth of the room. However, this tour offers the stories and illusions as to what is was like for those first groups of people touring the cave in the 1800s. The Domes and Dripstones Tour is a good, basic tour. I think these two done together makes for a good, well-rounded, experience in the cave.

Domes and Dripstones Tour

The first tour we did was the Domes and Dripstones Tour. This tour takes you by bus (4 miles) from one of the shelters to the entrance of the cave for that tour. This tour takes 118 people and is 2 hours long. It covers 0.75 miles and requires you to descend and climb a total of 500 stairs. The park states this tour requires moderate effort, probably because of the stairs.

The stairs were actually my favorite part. I felt like an explorer ducking to avoid hitting my head and squeezing through tight spots on the way down. This first portion takes you through a dramatic series of domes and pits on your way down 230′ to the room known as Grand Central Station. From there you walk as a large group with stops along the way. The ranger was answering visitors’ questions while the rest of the group caught up. Once the group was together she would explain more about the area we were in or the cave in general.

Near the end of the tour the ranger gives you the option to either walk down and back up stairs in order to view the dripstones or continue on the path. We chose the stairs. The tour is called Domes and Dripstones for a reason. The tour exits at the Frozen Niagara Entrance to the cave.

Violet City Lantern Tour

The second tour was the Violet City Lantern Tour. This tour has a capacity of 38 and starts with a short walk from the Visitor Center down to the Historic Entrance. It lasts three hours and covers three miles. You have to be six or older to go on the tour and need to be at least 16 years old to carry a lantern. Instead of the electric lighting like in the Domes and Dripstones tour, only the 11 kerosene lanterns lit the way. The park describes this tour as strenuous. It includes uneven terrain, steep hills, low lighting and areas without handrails. The trail starts flat, progresses to hilly and ends with a section that contains some steep inclines and descents. Although we were never out of breath, our legs were definitely burning by the end.

Highlights of this tour include the remains of a 19th century stone hut used during attempts to treat people with tuberculosis. The tour also takes you past a large, flat stone known as the Devil’s Looking Glass which includes petroglyphs. We also stopped at the spot where the mummified remains of “Lost John” were found. “Lost John” was a Native American who became trapped when he essentially dug too far underneath a large rock and became trapped. Workers in the Civilian Conservation Corp discovered his remains in the 1930s. The ranger used a flashlight so we could see the pulley system constructed to lift the rock off the remains. He was eventually returned to the cave, but only three people working for the park know where his remains are located.

Another highlight was when the two rangers took the lanterns and walked away from the group leaving us to sit on benches in total darkness. I can’t remember ever experiencing total darkness like that before. You couldn’t even see your hand an inch in front of your face. Our group was so quiet, it was eerie. The rangers were trying to show the sunset and sunrise effect of the light as Ralph Waldo Emerson saw when he toured the cave. The rangers took all of the lanterns and walked a tunnel. As they went through the tunnel…sunset. As they emerged on the other side…sunrise.

In addition, stops at the Star Chamber, Elizabeth’s Dome and Violet City made this a truly memorable experience. I’m not gonna lie. The stories told combined with the extreme low lighting made this tour a little creepy. In a weird, exciting way. This coming from someone that avoids all things scary and/or creepy. I agree with what the ranger said. Changing positions within the tour group  alters the experience due to the amount of lighting. I was really glad we went on this tour. Our three girls loved it as well.

This trail ends with a short bus ride from the cave exit to the Visitor Center. Like the other tours, you’ll need to walk across a decontamination mat. This is in place to prevent white nose syndrome which is killing bat populations across the United States.

Lunch

We had lunch at Spelunkers Cafe. The girls had fruit and cinnamon rolls (lunch of champions right there) and Kris and I had burgers. It wasn’t anything fabulous but held us over between tours. Dining options are really dependent on how much time you have.

Things to Remember:

• There are no bathrooms on the tour.
• Make your tour reservations early if possible. The Violet City Lantern Tour is not offered year-round.
• Grab Junior Ranger packets for the kids at the Visitor Center.
• The park prohibits flash photography on tours, but it’s still possible to get some good pictures.
• The park also prohibits camera tripods and monopods on the tours.
• Dress appropriately. I recommend wearing layers. I was a little bummed we didn’t do any of the above-ground hikes. Honestly, I would imagine the perfect time to visit Mammoth Cave is when the same outfit is suitable for the cave tour and the outside hikes. Since we were there in August the outside temps were close to 100 degrees. We wore pants to feel comfortable on the cave tours but were sweating like crazy on the surface. It was just too hot for those other hikes.