Before heading to Kentucky!
After the lovely return to Fresh Food and Friends that we received at the Saunders, we decided it was time to head out to our next NP! Mammoth Cave NP! Fortunately we had done our research ahead of time and discovered that it is important to reserve a cave tour spot in advance or you may not be able to go when you get there! There are quite a few different tour options, we chose the Domes and Dripstones Tour which takes about 2 hours and goes 0.75 miles through the cave. This tour starts you off going down hundreds of stairs through some vertical cave shafts (super neat to look down over 100' to the bottom as you are navigating the stairs!) and then along several horizontal cave formations with a stop in the middle in a large room, and finally finishing in the frozen niagara and drapery rooms that have some beautiful cave formations.
After the cave tour we went by the natural entrance. This was the entrance that made the cave famous, first for its mineral deposits, and later on as a tourist attraction with its vast network of caves and massive (one could even say mammoth) caverns! We weren't able to go far into the natural entrance without joining a tour group, but we were able to go down into the mouth and take some pictures. We had some supper in the parking lot, then headed out toward our next destination!
Personnel:
The staff at the visitors center were friendly and efficient, and did their tasks well, nothing out of the ordinary but definitely effective. Our tour guide was definitely knowledgeable and personable, but we felt like he was a little too casual when he came to the rules, they kinda felt more like guidelines than rules. We also felt like he didn't do very well with group management (the group was very large at 80ish people) it seemed like he wasn't really trying to include the whole group, just whoever was able to get close enough got the tour. But definitely friendly and helpful to those in the front.
Climate/weather:
Turns out that the weather can matter even if you are in a cave. We had good weather and the cave was fairly dry, but when it rains you can get quite wet on the tour we were on, and the floor can become very slippery. Also it would have been good weather for exploring the aboveground park, with cool, sunny weather perfect for a good hike.
Facilities/signage:
The visitor's center seemed very nicely done, well organized, and very well maintained. The bathrooms were clean, with soap, running water, and hand dryers, as well as hand sanitizer outside the doors. Definitely felt more modern and well kept than most we have been to (not that any have really been bad, this one was just a cut above.) The entrance sign was also good, though unremarkable, and the signage inside the park was clear and informative.
Caving experience:
The tour group was too large for a really effective experience, but the cave itself was very interesting to travel through. It was really fulfilling to take the stairs down into the depths of the cave. And the route was well chosen to show the various features that make this cave amazing. The tour we went on (Domes and Dripstones) is definitely not the only option though. There are tours ranging in difficulty from quite easy to full on spelunking courses. So plan ahead and get your reservation in early for the one that sounds best!
In addition there is plenty of surface activities to explore. We chose not to as we are most interested in the cave, but there are over 80 miles of hiking trails, biking trails, horesback riding trails, and there is canoeing/kayaking on the Green River. Plenty to do!
Driving experience:
We didn't explore too much of the driving options of the park, but the section we experienced was in the middle of a beautiful fall transition. There were some overlooks that we passed (without stopping) but again our focus was on the cave, so we didn't go out of our way to seek the driving beauty of the park. There doesn't seem to be a "classic drive" in this park like there are in some of the others, probably because it is a cave based park. But still beautiful, especially with the leaves changing.
Camping options:
There is a campground right next to the visitor's center with a little camp store right next to the visitor's center. There are also a couple other campgrounds else where in the park, as well as a hotel, some "wilderness cabins" that are near the cave entrance. Backcountry camping is allowed with a free permit.
Hammockability:
Lots of beautiful trees, so definitely a high probability of finding a suitable ocation, and it was a great temperature for it too! (This was on the surface, not in the cave, just wanted to be clear.) I feel like if you went back country camping here it would be ideal to do it from inside a hammock. Also, it appears there aren't really bear problems in the area, so you can hammock in even more peace!
Scenery:
On the surface the fall colors made a colorful contrast to the dark browns and grays of the cave. The park is full of interesting little valley nooks and crannies, all bursting with beauty. Down in the cave the scenery is amazing in its way as well, with deep shafts, mammoth rooms, and beautiful cave features.
Nearby food:
There is a small camp store right next to the visitor's center that has groceries and the hotel has food services as well. The nearest city is Cave City which is about 10 miles away.
This national park is all about the cave. We felt like the cave is worth making this a destination, planning ahead, doing multiple cave tours, because it is spectacular and there are so many cave tour options to be had. The above ground is definitely beautiful, but so is every other national park; the cave makes it worth your time to visit.
Up next, a brief detour down into the deep south to check off a few states (that's right, I'm looking at you Louisiana...) and then on to Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas!
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