mammoth cave self tour

10 Best Mammoth Cave Tours Worth Your Time

This post is all about the best Mammoth Cave tours in Mammoth Cave National Park! You’ll find an overview of the different tours, travel tips, effort level listings, and estimated times based on our personal experiences hiking Mammoth Cave National Park.

In the beginning of autumn, I went on my first Mammoth Cave tour. I sat – legs pressed tight against a bench, feet clacking the ground – under the wide awning of Shelter A, waiting for a ranger to herd me (and a hundred or so other tourists) into the belly of the longest cave in the world. We walked and walked and walked some more. We climbed up and down thin, platformed stairs. We paused and gasped as the cave curved and snarled and dropped and twisted. Mammoth Cave’s pathways are serpentine; its walls are textured. And I was enamored by it all.

I returned to Mammoth Cave National Park often after, each time with the intention of taking one guided trip (sometimes two, much to the misery of my calves) through the cave itself. On those ranger-led tours, I chatted with travelers and staff, die-hard cave lovers and new-to-the-cave-scene visitors. Tour-by-tour, I fell deeper and deeper in love with Kentucky’s karst landscape.

Now, having been on almost all the Mammoth Cave tours (with the exception of their crawling tours), I feel ready to share my favorites.

Here are Passport To Eden’s top picks for the best cave tours at Mammoth Cave National Park!

Editor’s Note: Mammoth Cave tours are seasonal and not necessarily offered year-round. Sometimes tours close for construction (one of my favorite mammoth cave tours was closed in 2023 for this very reason. The goal was to make paths to be more accessible in the future). The best place to check what tours are available right now is the National Park website ( I’ll link it here ). I also tried to include a list of phobia warnings based on my own personal experiences on each of the cave tours. If you experience any cave-triggered phobias, I highly recommend talking with one of the rangers at Mammoth Cave National Park (you can reach them at 270-758-2180) before booking a tour. They can help you decide which tour (if any) might suit you best!

Table of Contents

Historic Tour

Mammoth Cave has long been a place for the curious. Even before it became integrated into the National Park system in 1941, tours were being led down and through its hidden alleys and layered passageways. The Historic Tour is the oldest, continually operated tour at Mammoth Cave . It’s also the most popular .

Go for the atmosphere: the gaping, moss-laden Historic Entrance; the vaulted, limestone ceilings; the remnants of 19th century century saltpetre vats . Go for the route too. You’ll stroll through wide and thin areas of Mammoth Cave. You’ll pass a coffin-shaped rock that looks like it’s been plucked from the pages of an old vampire novel. You’ll duck and twist and shimmy through Fat Man’s Misery (though I’d personally call this portion of the cave Anybody’s Misery). And by the end of your tour, you’ll be left with no doubts as to how Mammoth Cave got its name.

General Info

ESTIMATED TIME: 2 Hours (Allot 2.5 hours) STAIRS: 540 EFFORT: Moderately Strenuous COST: $20.00 Per Adult PHOBIA WARNINGS: Claustrophobia, Nyctophobia, Agoraphobia

Frozen Niagara Tour

Quick, short, and low-in-effort , The Frozen Niagara tour is hands-down the easiest tour offered at Mammoth Cave National Park. Don’t be fooled by the sketchy looking entryway: this is one of the most beautiful sections of Mammoth Cave . Within a small, dark, fourth-of-a-mile stretch, you’ll see wrangled beards of limestone, spirals of stalactites, and ice-like distortions of flowstone. Your tour guide will brief you on the geology of Mammoth Cave , the story behind the Frozen Niagara entrance, and some of the keystone species you might see at Mammoth Cave National Park (this part of the cavern is usually crawling with cave crickets).

ESTIMATED TIME: 1.25 Hours (Allot 1.5 hours) STAIRS: 12 With Optional 98 Stairs To The Drapery Room EFFORT: Easy COST: $18.00 Per Adult PHOBIA WARNINGS: Arachnophobia, Nyctophobia, Agoraphobia

Cleaveland Avenue Tour

The Cleaveland Avenue Tour is one of the most underrated Mammoth Cave tours. If you’re visiting Mammoth Cave for the first time and want to get a feel for the length of Mammoth Cave without the stress of a large group size, this is the tour I’d recommend the most! Be warned: there are lots of steps up front and towards the end. But the path in-between is nice and gentle and compact . It’s a hike that’s strenuous in bursts, more tiring than difficult . And the reward is floral gypsum , white petals of calcium sulfate that choke cracks and crevices. You’ll amble and ramble and snap photos. And as you stroll through Cleaveland Avenue, your tour guide will introduce you to Mammoth Cave’s geology, topology, and history .

ESTIMATED TIME: 2 Hours STAIRS: 400 EFFORT: Moderate COST: $22.00 Per Adult PHOBIA WARNINGS: Nyctophobia, Claustrophobia, Agoraphobia

Grand Avenue Tour

The Grand Avenue Tour is intense. It’s stair after stair, incline after incline. You’ll trek through sparkling passageways and squeeze into slot canyons and amble past rich tapestries of flowstone. You’ll experience Mammoth Cave to the fullest – its highs and lows, its dimness and darkness, its emptiness and too-muchness. Grand Avenue’s variation alone it makes it one of the best mammoth cave tours, but it’s also one of the most difficult . The pace tends to be slow and unhurried ( there are even restroom breaks) to accommodate, but the length will absolutely test your legs. This tour is long. You’ll spend half-a-day in a cool, dark, seemingly endless underground . At times, the landscape will feel (and look) hellish. But if you love caves and enjoy Stairmaster challenges, you’ll feel right at home in this tour.

ESTIMATED TIME: 4 Hours (Allot 4.5) STAIRS: 1313 EFFORT: Strenuous COST: $35.00 Per Adult PHOBIA WARNINGS: Claustrophobia, Acrophobia, Arachnophobia, Nyctophobia, Agoraphobia

Violet City Lantern Tour

Whilst at Mammoth Cave National Park, I tried asking as many park rangers as I could find what their favorite tour was. The overwhelming response? The Violet City Lantern Tour . This is one the most dramatic Mammoth Cave tours. Here’s what I love about it: Violet City swoops you back in time to an era of early exploration , an era where your eyes depended on the soft, intimate glow of lantern-light . So as you hold up your lantern to Mammoth Cave’s water-cut nooks and crannies, you’ll tap into the past. But you’ll also focus on the little details – the here-and-now, the what-was and what-could-be.

ESTIMATED TIME: 3 Hours STAIRS: 160 EFFORT: Moderate COST: $25.00 Per Adult PHOBIA WARNINGS: Claustrophobia, Acrophobia, Nyctophobia, Agoraphobia

Gothic Avenue Tour

One of my favorite Mammoth Cave tours was the Gothic Avenue Tour (which to me felt a lot like The Historic Tour without the severe claustrophobia moments). The Gothic Avenue tour is dark and moody . It’s theatrical in its form and shape. Spheres of light are cast onto historic graffiti burned into Mammoth Cave’s walls. Monuments (old Jenga-ed stacks of rocks) are strewn along the edge of the trails. You’ll see broody stalactites and stalagmites droop down below blackened shadows. You’ll crescent moon around a dramatic ring of formations (known as The Bridal Altar), which devilishly drips down to hard, compact ground. The atmosphere of Gothic Avenue is gloomy and eerie. Go in October if you can (this is the perfect tour to take during spooky season).

ESTIMATED TIME: 2 Hours STAIRS: 160 EFFORT: Easy COST: $19.00 Per adult PHOBIA WARNINGS: Nyctophobia, Agoraphobia

River Styx Tour

I was told by a park ranger that the River Styx Tour is often touted as one of the most underwhelming tours at Mammoth Cave. “It’s because people expect to go down to the water,” he said. And while you do see water on the River Styx tour , you see it from above . You catch a small glimpse of it (just a glimpse). Know that this is less of a river tour, and mostly a mashup of many other Mammoth Cave tours . The River Styx trek (which is slick and muddy and wet in some areas) covers the entire Historic Route (truth be told, I was not looking forward to walking through Fat Man’s Misery again). It also injects some elements of the Violet City Lantern Tour and the Mammoth Passage Tour.

ESTIMATED TIME: 2.5 Hours (Allot 3) STAIRS: 600 EFFORT: Moderately strenuous COST: $22.00 Per adult PHOBIA WARNINGS: Claustrophobia, Nyctophobia, Acrophobia, Agoraphobia

Domes & Dripstones Tour

Like Frozen Niagara, Domes & Dripstones walks you through some of the prettiest sections of Mammoth Cave. It’s a lot more strenuous than Frozen Niagara though (according to the ranger who led our tour, this is the hike he’s seen the most people end up in need of medical evacuation – eeeep ). And after negotiating the steps past the entrance, I could see why. On the Domes & Dripstones tour, you knock out 280 stairs in the initial descent . The steps get smaller and smaller as you go farther and farther down. At the choke points, my feet were barely covered by the stairs. But wow, oh wow, once the stairs taper off, you’ll see one of the most beautiful sides to Mammoth Cave. This portion of Mammoth Cave isn’t dry and clean-cut. It’s moist and layered and filled with formations .

Side Note: I definitely felt like I gained the most knowledge from this tour. There were two ranger-led “Ask Me Anything” moments where our group got an opportunity to sit down on a handful of benches (arranged classroom-style right in the cave) and shoot questions. Y’all, I learned so much from the open-ended style of these portions, so if you’re looking to grasp more of the history and geology of Mammoth Cave, I highly recommend this tour!

ESTIMATED TIME: 2 Hours (Allot 2.5) STAIRS: 500 EFFORT: Strenuous COST: $21.00 Per Adult PHOBIA WARNINGS: Claustrophobia, Nyctophobia, Acrophobia, Agoraphobia

Self-Guided Tour

For a quick in-then-out jaunt into Mammoth Cave, opt for the self-guided tour . You still need a ticket (first come, first served), but once you’ve strode down past the Historic Entrance, you can walk around and read the placards at your own pace . This is a popular option for those planning a last-minute stopover at Mammoth Cave.

The self-guided tour showcases a large , wide open, level snapshot of Mammoth Cave, making it more accessible to people who might experience claustrophobia, acrophobia, and agoraphobia. There is a guided version of this tour too ( The Mammoth Passage Tour ), but if you get a chance, try booking one of the other Mammoth Cave tours on this list instead (for a more in-depth Mammoth Cave experience)!

ESTIMATED TIME: 20-30 Minutes STAIRS: 130 COST: $8.00 Per Adult EFFORT: Easy

Wild Cave Tour

While I do not intend on going on any of the crawling tours at Mammoth Cave (I looked at one of the holes you have to squeeze whilst on another tour and no, just no), I do still want to mention one crawling tour in this guide. Here’s why: everyone I spoke to who has done the Wild Cave Tour in the past has absolutely loved it. Apparently, you crawl on your hands and knees and push your body through small gaps in the ground. You don’t just get to see Mammoth Cave, you get to feel it. The Wild Cave tour offers a tactile way to experience Mammoth Cave. It’s supposed to be fun and challenging and adventurous .

ESTIMATED TIME: 4 Hours EFFORT: Very Strenuous PHOBIA WARNINGS: Claustrophobia, Nyctophobia, ACROPHOBIA, Agoraphobia COST: $46.00 Per adult

Did you find this guide to the best Mammoth Cave tours helpful? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below! As always, I love hearing from you.

Pack With Me (WHAT I BROUGHT TO MAMMOTH CAVE)

• 🥾 Merrell Moab 2 : these shoes got me through every tour in Mammoth Cave
• 💧 Hydroflask : I brought this stainless steel water bottle (keep in mind, only clear water bottles are allowed on Mammoth Cave tours, but I didn’t feel like buying a new one and no one commented on my bottle being opaque ☺️).
• 🥜 Sahale : since no food was allowed in the cave, I kept this nut mix in my car and snacked on it after each tour (Sahale’s pomegranate vanilla cashews have my heart and soul 😋)
• 🧣 Light Sweater : Mammoth Cave tends to be a bit cold (in the mid 50s) so I opted for a light, long-sleeved, breathable sweater
• 📷 Sony Alpha a6400 : this is the mirrorless camera I personally used to take photos and film videos (I love that it has a flip-out screen)
• 🎒 Sling Backpack : this comfy little crossbody canvas rucksack was (and still is) my go-to day hiking bag

Editor-In-Chief

Anshula grew up with a love of stories and places. Thirty-five states and 100 bookstores later, she's made her hobbit home in Middle Tennessee. Her Tookish side still takes over and leaves her chasing window seats, literary destinations, adventure books, sunrise coffee, and indie bookshops. She's appeared as a travel source on HuffPost, Reader's Digest, and MSN.

You describe places in a way that inspires me to travel and see the world. Thank you very much for that! Greetings from Canada.

Your firsthand info and perspective of each cave tour was very helpful, thanks!

Thank you so much for these reviews and assessments the physical demands of them. So very helpful!!!

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How to Pick the Best Mammoth Cave Tour: from Families to Avid Adventurers

Mammoth Cave National Park is a natural wonder nestled in the heart of Kentucky. We’ll show you all the reasons why you should add this extraordinary national park to your travel bucket list and how to pick the best Mammoth cave tour for you and your family. Uncover the mysteries of the world’s longest-known cave system, boasting awe-inspiring rock formations and captivating underground passages at this underrated family destination!

We visited Mammoth Cave National Park when our kids were 4 and 6. In fact, it was the first time they earned Junior Ranger badges! We asked our friend Amanda Perkins of Life Has Its Perks Blog to break down the best Mammoth cave tours, so you can choose the right tour for you- whether you are a first-timer, a family with small kids, or looking for a more challenging or adventurous tour through Mammoth Cave.

This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase.   As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. All our recommendations are our own and are in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.

At the bottom of this post,  download our Top Ten Tricks for Exploring National Parks with Kids .

Lodging: Booking.com Flight Deals: Skyscanner Rental Cars: Discover Cars Airport Transfers: Welcome Pickups

Digital SIM Cards: Airalo eSIM Travel Insurance: SafetyWing

Table of Contents

Is Mammoth Cave Worth Visiting?

Yes, Mammoth Cave is worth visiting! Immersing yourself in the park’s stunning landscapes, from lush forests to picturesque river valleys to the famous cave itself, is a family bucket list experience.

Mammoth Cave National Park offers an experience unlike any other National Park east of the Mississippi River. From the moment you step foot into the cave, you’ll be transported to a world of natural wonder and beauty that will leave you awestruck. Mammoth Cave makes a great stop on a family cross-country road trip .

Mammoth Cave is an incredible feat of nature, with massive chambers, intricate passageways, and bizarre formations that have been sculpted by millions of years of water erosion and geologic activity. But beyond its sheer size and beauty, Mammoth Cave also has a rich history that is woven into the fabric of American culture.

In addition to the cave tours, Mammoth Cave National Park has a variety of outdoor activities to enjoy. We love hiking and biking as a family and there are plenty of trails to explore here. The Green River also provides opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. And for those who prefer to stay indoors, the park offers a variety of ranger-led programs and exhibits.

When is the Best Time to Visit Mammoth Cave?

The best time to visit Mammoth Cave National Park is during the spring and fall seasons, specifically from April to June and September to October. We visited in September, right after school started, and that seemed like the perfect time to come to Mammoth Cave! During these times, the weather is generally pleasant, with milder temperatures and lower humidity compared to the hot and humid summer months. 

The park’s natural beauty flourishes during spring, as wildflowers bloom and the surrounding landscape comes alive with vibrant colors. Fall offers a picturesque spectacle with the changing leaves, creating a breathtaking backdrop for exploration.

Visiting during these seasons also ensures a more comfortable experience while exploring the cave system. The cave’s temperature remains constant at around 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) throughout the year, making it a refreshing escape from both the summer heat and winter chill.

More importantly, spring and fall attract fewer crowds compared to the peak summer season. This means shorter lines for the best Mammoth Cave tour, easier access to hiking trails, and a quieter overall ambiance.

Mammoth Cave National Park is a popular destination year-round, and each season offers its own unique charm. However, for those seeking pleasant weather, beautiful scenery, and a more relaxed atmosphere, spring and fall are the ideal times to experience the park’s wonders at their best.

The Best Mammoth Cave Tours

Tours are required when visiting Mammoth Cave. They offer visitors the opportunity to learn about the cave’s history and geology from knowledgeable rangers who will guide you through the cave system and point out interesting features along the way. There is one option for a short, self-guided tour of the cave, which is only offered in the summer. All other tours are guided tours.

There are a variety of tours available to suit every interest and level of ability, from easy strolls through well-lit sections of the cave to more challenging explorations of remote areas that require crawling and climbing. The cost of most tours ranges from $10 – $30 a person. Many cave tours require a short bus ride to and from the visitor center to the cave entrance.

We took the Domes and Dripstone Tour which was a perfect fit for us. There are quite a few stairs and some tight spaces, but we were up for the adventure. The views were incredible and not something I will soon forget. 

No matter which tour you choose, you’ll be treated to a one-of-a-kind experience that you will never forget. And with so much to see and do at Mammoth Cave National Park, you’ll want to plan a return trip before you even leave.

Top Tip: Make sure to book tours well in advance- not all tours are available year-round.

Best Mammoth Cave Tours for Families

Exploring Mammoth Cave with kids can be lots of fun! There are lots of fun things to see and do in the park, including many cave tours that are suitable for families with kids. Here are some of the best Mammoth cave tours for families.

1. Frozen Niagara Tour

🌟 Easy ⏳ 1.25 Hours ✅ 1/2 mile, Great for young children

The Frozen Niagara Tour is a great option for families with young children. This tour is an easy, half-mile walk through the cave, and it’s filled with all kinds of cool sights to see. You’ll get to explore the Frozen Niagara Formation which looks like a big, frozen waterfall. Your guide will tell you all about how the cave was formed and answer any questions you might have. This is one of the most popular tours at Mammoth Cave.

2. Domes & Dripstones Tour

🌟 Difficult ⏳ 2 Hours ✅ Great for older children

For families with slightly older kids who are up for a bit more adventure, the Domes & Dripstones Tour is a fantastic choice. We loved this tour that took us on a 2-hour journey through some of the most beautiful parts of the cave. We saw massive domes, towering stalagmites, and sparkling dripstones. You’ll even get to climb up a spiral staircase to a lookout point that offers a stunning view of the cave.

3. Mammoth Passage Tour

🌟 Easy ⏳ 1.25 Hours ✅ Educational

If you’re looking for a tour that’s both fun and educational, check out the Mammoth Passage Tour. This tour is led by a park ranger who will teach you all about the history of the cave and the animals that live inside. You’ll get to see some amazing cave formations, like the Giant’s Coffin and the Bottomless Pit. This tour is perfect for families with kids who love to learn new things.

4. Accessible Tour

🌟 Easy ⏳ 2 Hours ✅ No Stairs

Mammoth Cave National Park offers an accessible tour designed to accommodate visitors with mobility challenges. The Accessible Tour is the only tour with no stairs . This tour provides an inclusive experience, featuring wheelchair-accessible routes and audio descriptions. It allows everyone to marvel at the cave’s wonders and learn about its fascinating history, ensuring that no one is left behind in experiencing this incredible natural treasure.

5. Best Mammoth Cave Tour for History Buffs: Historic Tour

🌟 Difficult ⏳ 2 Hours ✅ Focus on History and Usage

If you love history, you’ll love the Historic Tour , which explores the cave’s role in the War of 1812 and the Civil War, as well as its use as a source of saltpeter for gunpowder during both conflicts. This tour involves a lot of stairs and some tight spaces. You can also do the Extended Historic Tour for a slightly longer, more in-depth experience.

6. Best Mammoth Tour for First-Time Visitors: Domes & Dripstones Tour

The Domes & Dripstones Tour is a fantastic choice for first-time visitors who want to experience a mix of history and beauty inside Mammoth Cave. We loved this tour that took us on a 2-hour journey, which includes massive domes, towering stalagmites, and sparkling dripstones. You’ll even get to climb up a spiral staircase to a lookout point that offers a stunning view of the cave.

Best Mammoth Cave Tours for Hard Core Adventurers

If you are looking for an exciting adventure during your visit to Mammoth Cave National Park, look no further! Here are some of the best Mammoth Cave tours for hard-core adventurers and adrenaline junkies like you.

7. Wild Cave Tour

🌟 Very Difficult ⏳ 6 Hours ✅ Ages 16+, Includes crawling

The Wild Cave Tour is not for the faint of heart and you must be at least 16 years old to take part. This tour takes you on a 6-hour journey through the cave that includes crawling through tight spaces, wading through underground streams, and climbing up steep rocks. You’ll get to explore parts of the cave that most visitors never get to see, and you’ll feel like a true explorer. This tour is definitely not recommended for anyone who is claustrophobic or has mobility issues.

8. Grand Avenue Tour

🌟 Very Difficult ⏳4 Hours ✅ Beautiful Areas, ages 6+

If you’re looking for a tour that’s both challenging and awe-inspiring, check out the Grand Avenue Tour. You must be at least 6 years old to do this tour. This tour takes you on a 4-hour journey through some of the most beautiful parts of the cave. You’ll get to see massive domes, towering stalagmites, and sparkling dripstones. You’ll also get to climb up and down several sets of stairs, so be prepared for a workout!

9. Violet City Lantern Tour

🌟 Very Difficult ⏳ 3 Hours ✅ Tour by Lantern Light, Ages 6+

For a truly unique and thrilling experience, try the Violet City Lantern Tour. This tour takes you on a 2-hour journey through the cave by lantern light and you must be at least 6 years old to go. You’ll get to explore the darker corners of the cave and learn about the history and geology of Mammoth Cave. This tour is not recommended for anyone who is afraid of the dark or has trouble walking on uneven surfaces.

10. Introduction to Caving Tour

🌟 Very Difficult ⏳ 3 1/2 Hours ✅ Includes Crawling and Climbing

For families with older kids ( 10 years or older ) who are ready for a real adventure, the Introduction to Caving Tour is an awesome choice. This tour takes you on a 3-hour journey through the cave that includes crawling through narrow passageways and climbing up steep rocks. You’ll get to see parts of the cave that most visitors never get to experience, and you’ll feel like a real explorer. This tour is not for the faint of heart, but it’s a great way to challenge yourself and make some amazing memories.

Most Underrated Mammoth Cave Tours

If you are looking for a Mammoth Cave tour that’s off the beaten path but still offers amazing views, you are in luck. Here are the most underrated Mammoth Cave tours that offer incredible sights you won’t want to miss.

11. River Styx Tour

🌟 Moderate ⏳ 2 1/2 Hours ✅ Includes Boat Ride, Ages 6+

The River Styx Tour may not be as well-known as some of the other tours, but it’s definitely worth checking out. This tour takes you on a 2.5-hour journey through the cave that includes a boat ride on the underground River Styx. Kids must be at least 6 years old to go on this tour. You’ll get to see some amazing cave formations and even a few bats hanging from the ceiling. And the best part? You’ll get to experience the cave in a completely unique way.

12. Great Onyx Lantern Tour

🌟 Moderate ⏳ 2 1/4 Hours ✅ Unique Part of the Cave

The Great Onyx Tour takes you on a 2-hour journey through a portion of the cave that’s not open to the general public. Kids must be at least 6 years old to go on this tour. You’ll get to see some incredible formations, including one of the largest stalactites in the world. You’ll also get to learn about the history of the cave and the people who have explored it over the years.

No matter which underrated tour you choose, you’re sure to be blown away by the amazing sights and experiences. Don’t forget to bring your camera and be prepared to be amazed!

Booking your Mammoth Cave Tour

To explore the cave, you’ll need to purchase a ticket for one of the guided tours. Tickets can be purchased online or in person at the park. It’s a good idea to book your tour in advance, especially during peak season, to ensure you get the tour you want. Tickets tend to sell out fairly quickly. You can book your tickets up to 2 months in advance.

Tickets can be purchased at the recreation website . Be aware that not all tours are available year-round. 

How to Get to Mammoth Cave

Getting to Mammoth Cave National Park is easy! The park is located in south-central Kentucky and can be reached by car, bus, or plane. If you’re driving, the park is located off Interstate 65, about 90 miles south of Louisville and 35 miles north of Bowling Green.

The closest airport to Mammoth Cave National Park is Louisville International Airport (SDF) , located approximately 90 miles north of the park. From the airport, visitors can rent a car or arrange for a shuttle service to reach the park. Interstate highways, such as I-65 and I-165, provide a straightforward route from the airport to Mammoth Cave.

To reach Mammoth Cave National Park from Nashville International Airport (BNA) , you can rent a car and drive approximately 95 miles north via I-65. The journey takes around 1.5 to 2 hours, offering scenic views of the Kentucky countryside.

Need a rental car to visit Mammoth Cave? We recommend Discover Cars , they always have easy, straightforward pricing. No last-minute surprises!

Book a Rental Car with Discover Cars

Don’t forget to stock up on road trip essentials and of course the best road trip snacks as well!

Where to Stay to Visit Mammoth Cave

When visiting Mammoth Cave National Park, there are various accommodation options available to suit different preferences and budgets.

Remember to book your accommodations well in advance, especially during peak season, to secure your preferred choice. Here are some suggestions for places to stay near the park.

Recommended Budget Hotel: Days Inn Wyndham Cave City

This Days Inn hotel is a clean, and no-frills motel, with a pool that our kids quite enjoyed. It is also very close to Dinosaur World if that is also on your itinerary.

Book Now: Days Inn Wyndham Cave City

The Lodge at Mammoth Cave

The only lodging within the park, you’ll find The Lodge at Mammoth Cave just next to the visitors center. This historic lodge offers comfortable rooms and cabins with modern amenities. Staying here provides easy access to the cave tours and other park attractions.

Campgrounds in Mammoth

Mammoth Cave National Park offers several campgrounds, such as the Mammoth Cave Campground and Maple Springs Group Camp, which provide opportunities for a more immersive and budget-friendly experience. These campgrounds offer both tent and RV camping facilities, along with amenities like restrooms, showers, and picnic areas.

Tips for Taking a Tour of Mammoth Cave

Here are some tips for visiting Mammoth Cave National Park, including what to bring and what is allowed in the park.

-Dress appropriately. The cave stays a constant 54 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, so bring a light jacket or sweater regardless of the season.

-Wear comfortable shoes with good traction, as some of the tours require climbing stairs or walking on uneven surfaces.

-Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated.

-Photography is allowed as long as there is no flash.

-Strollers are not allowed, and neither are backpack child carriers. Front packs are allowed.

-Pets are not allowed in the cave or on the cave tours, and they must be leashed at all times in the park.

-Smoking is not permitted in any buildings or on any trails.

-Always remember to stay on designated trails and respect the park’s wildlife.

FAQ: Best Mammoth Cave Tours

The “best” tour at Mammoth Cave National Park depends on personal preferences and interests. Ultimately, the best tour depends on factors such as fitness level, desired level of adventure, and interest in specific cave features or history. The park offers a variety of cave tours, each providing a unique experience. The Domes and Dripstones Tour is popular for its stunning formations, while the Historic Tour delves into the cave’s rich history. The Frozen Niagara Tour showcases the magnificent Frozen Niagara formation. The Grand Avenue Tour is the longest and most strenuous, offering a comprehensive exploration. For an adventurous experience, the Wild Cave Tour is recommended.

The most popular tour at Mammoth Cave National Park is the Domes and Dripstones Tour . This tour takes visitors through the cave’s awe-inspiring formations, showcasing the breathtaking domes and intricate dripstone features. It offers a glimpse into the natural wonders and geological history of Mammoth Cave. The Domes and Dripstones Tour is suitable for a wide range of visitors, providing an engaging and informative experience without being overly strenuous. Due to its popularity, it is advisable to make reservations in advance, especially during peak seasons, to secure a spot on this highly sought-after tour.

The hardest tour at Mammoth Cave National Park is the Wild Cave Tour . This tour is designed for the adventurous and physically fit, as it involves crawling, climbing, and navigating through tight spaces within the cave system. Participants wear helmets, headlamps, and kneepads as they explore lesser-traveled sections of the cave, experiencing the raw and rugged aspects of underground exploration. The Wild Cave Tour requires a high level of stamina, agility, and a willingness to challenge oneself physically and mentally. Due to the demanding nature of the tour, participants must meet certain age and health requirements and should be prepared for a thrilling and strenuous adventure.

The easiest tour at Mammoth Cave National Park is the Frozen Niagara Tour . This tour offers a relatively accessible and leisurely exploration of the cave. Visitors can experience the beauty of the Frozen Niagara Formation, a magnificent display of stalactites and flowstone. The tour involves minimal walking on well-maintained paths, making it suitable for individuals of various fitness levels and ages. It provides a captivating introduction to the wonders of Mammoth Cave without requiring strenuous physical exertion or navigating challenging cave passages. The Frozen Niagara Tour offers a convenient option for those seeking a more relaxed and accessible cave experience.

No, you cannot explore Mammoth Cave without a tour, although one self-guided tour is available for part of the cave. The cave is a complex and delicate natural environment, and for conservation and safety reasons, access to most of the cave system is restricted to guided tours. The National Park Service offers a range of tours led by knowledgeable guides who provide valuable information about the cave’s geological features, history, and environmental significance. These tours ensure that visitors can safely navigate the cave while minimizing any negative impact on the delicate ecosystem.

A tour in Mammoth Cave National Park ranges from 30 minutes to more than 6 hours depending on which tour you choose. The shorter tours, such as the Frozen Niagara Tour or the Historic Tour, typically last around one hour, providing a condensed but still captivating cave experience. Longer tours like the Domes and Dripstones Tour or the Grand Avenue Tour can last two to three hours or more, allowing for a more comprehensive exploration of the cave’s features and passages.

The cost of touring Mammoth Cave National Park varies depending on the specific tour chosen. The prices range from approximately $8 to $30 per person, depending on the tour. The shorter tours, such as the Frozen Niagara Tour, generally have lower prices, while longer and more extensive tours, like the Grand Avenue Tour, are more expensive.

While Mammoth Cave does not have a boat tour, however, The River Styx Tour includes a boat ride. This 2 1/2-hour tour is the only one that includes a boat. Mammoth Cave primarily offers walking tours, allowing visitors to explore the stunning underground passages and formations on foot.

Yes, you can visit Mammoth Cave in the winter. The cave remains open year-round, allowing visitors to explore its wonders even during the colder months. The cave retains the same cool temperature all year. However, some tours and facilities may have adjusted schedules or limited availability during the winter season.

It is very helpful to have a car when visiting Mammoth Cave National Park. Public transportation options are limited, and having a car provides flexibility and convenience for accessing the park, touring the area, and exploring nearby attractions. We recommend using Discover Cars for your car rental- you’ll find an easy interface and upfront pricing.

There You Have it: Best Mammoth Cave Tours

Mammoth Cave National Park is a truly fantastic place, and with a little planning, you can enjoy the best Mammoth Cave Tour for you and your family. From exploring the cave’s depths to hiking through the park’s beautiful forests, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at the beautiful National Park.

With so many cave tours to choose from, ranging from family-friendly to extreme adventures, there is something for everyone to enjoy. The park also offers a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and water sports, as well as ranger-led programs and exhibits. 

From the stunning cave formations to the beautiful natural scenery, there is so much to see and do at this incredible park. So, pack your bags, grab your sense of adventure, and get ready to explore the best tours of Mammoth Cave!

Interested in National Parks? Don’t miss our posts of family favorites like Glacier National Park , Yellowstone National Park , or Yosemite . We also like more under-the-radar parks like Craters of the Moon and the Wright Brothers Memorial ! For a wonderful autumn destination, check out Acadia National Park in Maine .

Cynthia Matthews von Berg is the founder of Sharing the Wander. She is a passionate traveler, mom, and travel coach specializing in long-term travel and family travel. She and her family embarked on a Family Gap Year in 2021, and haven't looked back.

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Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) Mammoth Cave

• January 14, 2021 January 14, 2021

No visit to Mammoth Cave National Park would be complete without a tour of the cave. There are many wonderful things to do at the park, like kayaking or hiking, but the cave is what makes the area so unique and interesting. Of course, when you visit the world’s longest cave system you can expect numerous tours that cover a wide variety of abilities, lengths, and sights. The Extended Historic Tour at Mammoth Cave is a great way to explore the cave while walking where people have explored and worked for thousands of years.

Unfortunately, when I visited Mammoth Cave National Park in south-central Kentucky, we were in the middle of a global pandemic. So my choices were limited. In fact, we had one choice of cave tour, and it wasn’t as long as it normally is. But I was extremely thankful to still be able to explore this amazing ecosystem below the surface of the earth.

Our tour was called the Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided). This self-guided tour includes the upper portion of the Extended Historic Tour, but because of COVID, the lower potions where spaces can get tight were restricted. The tour begins and ends at the Historic Entrance and takes you to the Tuberculosis Hospital Ruins deep inside the cave. It has a side trip down Audubon Avenue. In total, it’s about 2 miles and takes about an hour and a half. It’s rated easy and has 160 total stairs.

The Extended Historic Tour—Normally at Mammoth Cave

The Extended Historic Tour, one of the most popular tours of the park, takes you along this path but loops deeper underground through the features like the Wooden Bowl Room, Fat Man’s Misery, and the Ruins of Karnak. But because of COVID, this portion was closed.

Mammoth Cave National Park, has two different tours with the name Extended Historic Tour—one called the Extended Historic Tour and the Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided). The Self Guided tour only takes you to the tuberculosis camp and back the way you came, unlike the guided tour which loops via a lower portion.

Historic Entrance, Rotunda, and Audubon Avenue

The Historic Entrance is Mammoth Cave’s largest natural entrance. It’s easy to see how the cave system was not kept secret throughout history. Once you enter the cave, you pass through the Houchins Narrows, which opens up to a large space called the Rotunda.

This room is massive. And you can really get a feel for why the early visitors called the cave, Mammoth Cave. It has a circular breakdown-dome ceiling giving the large room an even larger feel. Here in the Rotunda, you can see one of two niter works where people long ago mined in the area. Niter or saltpeter is potassium nitrate.

During the early 1800s, people mined saltpeter. There are numerous wooden artifacts that are pointed out by placards as well as along the walk. It’s really interesting to view these well-preserved artifacts.

From the Rotunda, swing a right toward Audubon Avenue, named for the famed John James Audubon. On your walk to the end of Audubon Avenue, keep your eyes on the sides of the path for more artifacts.

At the end of Audubon Avenue, you can view ancient artifacts left by those who used Mammoth Cave during prehistoric times. From there, you retrace your steps back to the Rotunda and saltpeter vats.

Broadway to Tuberculosis Huts

From the Rotunda, you make your way further into what is known as the main cave. You pass through an area named Broadway, It was named so because it resembles the urban canyon of Broadway. The cave makes a slight curve to the left as you pass by a nook. The nook is known as The Church, a beautiful cave feature.

After you pass The Church, be on the lookout to your right for more wooden artifacts from the 1800s. Seven saltpeter vats and a pump tower once operated along this stretch of cave.

Just before you get to the end, the cave makes a sharp turn. Acute angles are not often seen in this main trunk of Mammoth Cave, but it’s a great reminder of the river that once carved the world’s longest cave system.

When you reach the end of the tour, you are treated to two stone structures that were built for those suffering from consumption or, tuberculosis. The clinic was a medical experiment in 1842. The cave air was thought to have curative properties for those battling the disease.

To finish this tour, you simply turn around and retrace your steps back out of the cave.

Above the water table

One thing I found interesting about the Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) at Mammoth Cave was that it does not take you below the water table. It may take you underground quite a ways, but not below the water table.

This is called a dry cave. When I planned my trip to Mammoth Cave National Park, I expected to see stalactites and stalagmites, like in Blanchard Springs Caverns in Arkansas. However, because we did not drop below the water table, these distinct cave features have not formed at this location. However, other tours at Mammoth Cave do go lower underground where you can see those features.

412 miles surveyed so far

The Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) is only a fraction of Mammoth Cave. To date, there have been 412 miles of cave surveyed, but there is a potential for 1,000 miles within this cave system. Mammoth Cave isn’t called the longest cave system in the world for no reason.

This tour only covers about 1 mile of the cave. In addition to the Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided), Mammoth Cave National Park offers around 20 different cave tours . And believe me, when COVID is over, I will be going back.

Mammoth Cave National Park is dog friendly! Dogs, of course, are not allowed in the cave, but the park offers dog kennels at a low cost so you can feel comfortable leaving your four-legged friend behind.

The Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) at Mammoth Cave

Even though I only got to visit a small fraction of Mammoth Cave, I was so glad I got to explore the world’s longest cave system. The historical aspect of the Extended Historic Tour is well worth a trip to the national park.

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1 thought on “Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) Mammoth Cave”

This is one of the places we are hoping to visit when we take a long vacation. We really enjoyed the Kentucky State Park system, pretty sure this will be a great one to visit. You have made Scott want to visit this summer!

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A walk through Mammoth Cave National Park on the self guided discovery tour

by Trey Copeland | Last updated Apr 11, 2024

Going on the Mammoth Cave tour has been on a bucket list of ours for awhile and we finally got a chance to make the short drive up to Cave City and experience what Mammoth Cave National Park has to offer. One of Kentucky’s natural wonders, Mammoth Cave is full of breathtaking rock formations and fascinating history.

As a 30 year resident of Kentucky, I’ve been to Mammoth Cave National Park on a few different occasions, but have never went down into the Historic Entrance. The park has many different hiking trails, attractions and even a ferry that goes across the Green River. But I had never been into the cave….until my 30th year living in Kentucky.

There are many different tour options to choose from when visiting Mammoth Cave, however, if you have a family with younger kids like us (ours was 2 and 5 at the time), then a self guided tour might be the best option if you want to tour the cave at your own pace without a guide . Also, the self guided Discovery Tour is the exact same as the Mammoth Passage Tour, without a guide.

If you are planning a visit to Mammoth Cave National Park and want to know the best cave tour for families with kids or for tours without a guide, then keep reading about our experience to Mammoth Cave below.

Review of Mammoth Cave Tour

History and facts about mammoth cave.

Location : South Central Kentucky north of Bowling Green

Founded : 1790 by John Houchin

Established as National Park : July 1, 1941

Park size : 52,830 acres

Cave Size: 426 miles mapped

Temperature : 54 degrees year round

Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest cave system with over 426 miles of mapped passageways. It formed many years ago when forced water from the Green River flowed through the area, carving out the limestone to create the massive cavern system we get to experience today.

It was first discovered by Native Americans who lived in the Kentucky area around 5,000 BC. In 1790, John Houchin was a European settler who moved to the area from Virginia. He has been said to been the first in modern history to discover the cave when he settled near the Green River.

Mammoth Cave National Park lives upon one of the most well known karst topographies in the world. A karst terrain is an area where limestone has been eroded away by water and has many caves, sinkholes and underwater streams.

The park is located on nearly 53,000 acres of forest terrain and spans through three Kentucky counties of Edmonson, Hart and Barren.

The temperature of the cave is a consistent 54 degrees year round.

It was recognized as a National Park on July 1, 1941 and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990.

For more interesting historical information on Mammoth Cave, check out the official timeline.

How to get to Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave is located in the Mammoth Cave National Park and is easily accessible from the interstate. Take exit 53 (Cave City) off I-65 and turn right onto Hwy 70. This will lead you directly into the park, just follow the signs to the visitor center. The road to the park is beautiful and you’re most likely to see some type of local wildlife like whitetail deer or turkey.

Directions to Mammoth Cave:

1 Mammoth Cave Parkway Mammoth Cave, KY 42259-0007

Phone: 270-758-2180

The Self Guided Discovery Tour

Mammoth cave tour without a guide and the best for families with kids.

If you are wanting to visit Mammoth Cave and wondering if you can enter the cave without a tour guide, the answer is yes. The Self Guided Discovery Tour is the way to visit Mammoth Cave and see it without a tour guide.

In our opinion, it’s the best way to experience Mammoth Cave with kids. You can enter the cave and walk through the majority of the cave at your own pace.

Our kids are 2 and 5 and we were afraid with the guided tours, our kids might get too antsy, so that’s why we opted to do the self guided tour.

You do need tickets for the self guided tour, you can book them ahead of time online or at the visitor center.

Insider tip: There is absolutely zero cell service near the Visitor Center at Mammoth Cave. It’s recommended to book your tickets ahead of time. Remember, you are in the middle of nowhere Kentucky when you are visiting Mammoth Cave. Just enjoy one of Kentucky’s best kept secrets!

We booked our tickets the day of our self guided tour for the 11am time slot, however, we were a little late but it was no problem getting into the cave. As long as your have a ticket, the park rangers will let you in.

As of April 2024, adult tickets were $12 and kids 5 and under were free.

In the Discovery self guided tour, you get to walk down into the same main cave entrance, called the Historic Entrance, where you enter the cave by going down 125 steps. You get to explore all the historic artifacts and read about the early history of the cave.

It’s a short but fun 30 minute walk to the back of the main cave, through different turns and large open areas, you get to see a lot of what Mammoth Cave is about. It’s an impressive cave and a must visit for anyone in the area.

The fully mapped passageways extend over 426 miles of underground passageways, but there are only 10 miles that are accessible to explore through the tours. There are still plenty of miles waiting to be discovered. In 2022, they found 6 new miles never before explored.

Some of the passageways have a main paved sidewalk, but there are a few that are uneven and rocky, so it’s best to hold your younger kids hands in some areas.

The Self Guided Discovery Tour is the best tour for families who have kids or people who want to tour Mammoth Cave without a tour guide. It’s also the same exact tour as the Mammoth Passage Tour but without the guide.

Gist of it: We spent about 30 to 45 minutes walking through the self guided tour with two kids. We were able to read all the historical signs, see the large cave formations and enjoy the cave. We would recommend the self guided tour if you’re the kind of folks that like to do your own thing.

Upon exiting, you have to walk through a bio security area that contains a soapy substance in a rubber foam mat. This helps the white nose syndrome disease from spreading to other areas outside of the cave. All you do is walk across a rubber mat near the exit to clean your shoes.

Here’s a quick video I took while entering the main entrance of Mammoth Cave:

Other things to do near Mammoth Cave

Touring Mammoth Cave is definitely the main attraction but there are plenty of other things to do around the area and in the park. Whether you are around the area for just a few hours or sticking around the whole weekend, the Cave City area has something for everyone.

Mammoth Cave Hiking Trails

There are plenty of hiking trails around Mammoth Cave and throughout the park. If you have already toured the cave and want to take a few more steps, then check out all the trails Mammoth Cave National Park has to offer. We’ve been on Turnhole Bend before and it was a pretty easy trail for families.

Kentucky Down Under

Kangaroos in Kentucky? Yup, you heard that right. We’ve been to Kentucky Down Under a few different times and it’s pretty fun. The kids love it. They have a zoo with reptiles, birds and other wildlife. There’s a petting zoo with goats. And you can even pet and feed the large kangaroos and emus. Recommended if you are in the area.

Watermill Restaurant

If you are a buffet kind of person, then check out Watermill. It’s somewhat in a run down building and definitely needs some repairs, but the buffet inside had some decent selections and amazing peach cobbler. The buffet was only $10.95 for an adult. Hard to beat that price. If you can get past the outdated inside that needs repair, then Watermill is a pretty good place if you’re needing food in the Mammoth Cave area.

Dinosaur World

If you’ve ever traveled down I-65, you’ve seen the giant dinosaur replicas in Cave City. Dinosaur World is a kid friendly attraction that offers life size replicas of dinosaurs. It’s just a short drive from Mammoth Cave. You can dig for fossils and see the 20 different species of dinosaurs. Dinosaur World is a must see attraction near Mammoth Cave.

Mammoth Cave is Kentucky’s only national park and for good reason. The cave is an impressive sight to see.

If you are traveling to Mammoth Cave or the south central Kentucky area, I hope this Mammoth Cave travel guide helped you.

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Trey Copeland

Founder & Editor

Hello folks! I’m Trey Copeland, founder and editor of Stay Bluegrass, along with my wife Kaci. We’ve been fortunate to travel to many countries such as Mexico and Costa Rica, but our true roots remain here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Bluegrass State.

Our goal is to help you live like a local while traveling and exploring the great state of Kentucky. We want to help you find the best places to eat, the must see and do attractions and more.

Hey! I'm Trey

I live in Owensboro, Kentucky and have traveled around the Bluegrass state with my wife Kaci.

Read more about us

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Self Discovery Tour in Mammoth Cave National Park

Featuring some of the largest cave rooms in Mammoth Cave, as well as numerous artifacts left behind by prehistoric Native Americans and historic items that contributed to the War of 1812, the Self Discovery Tour offers a glimpse into the cave's fascinating past and rich cultural heritage. This is a can't miss tour during the Christmas holiday season.

Bathrooms None

Stairs 65 descending, 65 ascending

Duration 1-1.25 hours

The tour kicks off with a quarter-mile stroll along the paved Historic Entrance Trail, starting at the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center. The path descends through a steep valley to reach the Historic Entrance, the largest natural opening into Mammoth Cave, serving as a passage for exploration for nearly 3,000 years. It's the very entrance that Native Americans of the Archaic and Early Woodland periods used while seeking out various minerals from within the cave.

After a short descent into the cave and a brief walk through the dimly lit passage known as Houchins Narrows, the tour arrives at the Rotunda, one of Mammoth Cave's most well-known cave rooms. The expansive chamber spans roughly one quarter acre and features a circular-shaped ceiling that towers nearly 40 feet above.

Here, in Mammoth Cave's sixth-largest cave room, three intersecting passages - Houchins Narrows, Broadway, and Audubon Avenue - converge. At this juncture, information placards describe the efforts of enslaved men during the War of 1812, when nearly a half million pounds of saltpetre, known to miners of the early 1800s as "peter dirt," were mined for the production of gunpowder..

Visitors are invited to stroll along the Rotunda's paved walkways, where remnants of mining equipment from the early 1800s, such as oak plank leeching vats, wooden pipes, and a wood frame that once held a water pump, offer glimpses into the cave's past.

Following the Rotunda, the tour continues along Audubon Avenue, a vast paved passage named in honor of the renowned French ornithologist and artist of the 1800s, John James Audubon. Sent to America in 1803 at the age 18 to avoid conscription in Emperor Napoleon's army, Audubon transitioned into a businessman later in life. He journeyed down the Ohio River to western Kentucky and established a dry goods store in Henderson, Kentucky, when during this time he formed a friendship with Dr John Croghan, who had purchased the Mammoth Cave property in 1839 for $10,000. Croghan would later pay homage to his friend by renaming the Great Bat Room to Audubon Avenue.

As visitors will learn during various tours in Mammoth Cave, certain areas of the cave were repurposed to house tuberculosis patients in huts during the mid-1800s. The prevailing belief was that the consistent temperature and the exceptionally oxygen-rich air within the cave could help fend off the disease. In 1841, Croghan constructed two of these huts within Audubon Avenue, roughly 100 yards from the Rotunda. After the experiment proved to be an utter failure and the last patient left in March 1843, the huts in Audubon Avenue were removed from the cave, leaving no trace of their existence.

Further along Audubon Avenue, close to the junction with Little Bat Avenue, visitors are given an opportunity to view various display cases featuring Native American artifacts discovered within Mammoth Cave over the last two and a half centuries.

Among the showcased items are woven sandals crafted from the fibers of the local Rattlesnake master plant, torches made from cane reed, mussel shells, and gourd bowls.

The traces of Native American exploration within Mammoth Cave extend over several millennia, with the discovery of sunflower seed husks dating back 4,900 years ago being some of the oldest carbon dated materials ever discovered.

Since European explorers first ventured into the cave, it has produced numerous Native American mummies and skeletons, the remnants of nearly 100,000 cane reed torches, around two dozen pairs of woven sandals, and various vessels used during meals and for food storage.

In 1811, two skeletons of Native American origin, were unearthed by miners in the Rotunda, close to the entrance of Audubon Avenue. One skeleton belonged to a child, while the other was characterized as a colossal figure, measuring at a height of seven or eight feet. In the following years, more skeletons were disinterred, along with assertions that they were of a gigantic race, standing at heights of eight or nine feet, with massive jawbones. The current location of these remains is unknown.

In 1814, a mummy was discovered along Audubon Avenue by two saltpetre miners, adding to the collection of mummies previously displayed within Mammoth Cave. The miners, desiring to keep their discovery under wraps temporarily, covered the mummy with large stones and made markings on the cave walls for future reference. Unfortunately, upon their return, they couldn't relocate it, and the mummy stayed concealed until 1840 when a hotel owner rediscovered it. Sadly, the mummy had suffered extensive damage and fragmentation from the weighty stones placed on it, diminishing any interest and value that the hotel manager had hoped to benefit from. The location of it today is unknown. To learn more about the numerous mummies that once called Mammoth Cave home, consider giving The Mummies of Mammoth Cave a read.

After this, visitors during the Christmas season will find a lighted Christmas tree along the left side of Audubon Avenue. This longstanding tradition traces its roots back to 1883 when a group of local residents brought in a ten-foot pine decorated with ribbons and popcorn into the Methodist Church area of the cave.

Further along Audubon Avenue, the tour arrives at a large cave room known as Rafinesque Hall. The hall is named after Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, an eccentric French zoologist, botanist, and writer who explored Mammoth Cave in the early 1800s to study its natural fauna. Serving as the tour's turnaround point, visitors are given an opportunity here to view two collapsed passageways extending from the chamber, including Lookout Mountain to the left, before heading back.

In front of Rafinesque Hall is the gated Bunker Hill, where visitors can dive into the interesting history of the short-lived Mushroom Cave Mushroom Company. According to the story, the Mushroom Cave Company was established in 1881, when, drawing inspiration from the mushroom industry in the Paris catacombs, the company leased a section of Audubon Avenue to cultivate mushrooms. While the half-mile stretch of Audubon Avenue seemed unremarkable to cave tourists, it provided an ideal environment for mushroom beds due to the cave's constant temperature and the rich combination of bat droppings, cave soil, water, and other fertilizers. Two of the original beds used by the Mushroom Cave Mushroom Company still exist on the far side of the breakdown at Bunker Hill.

A mere four months after its inception, an unknown saboteur poured coal oil on the mushroom beds, leading to their destruction and the subsequent failure of the company before it could yield its first mushroom. The culprit remained unidentified, with potential suspects including the Mammoth Cave Hotel manager, who was displeased by conflicts between the mushroom company and his cave tours, the company's manager who had mismanaged the project, or a member of the founding family seeking to defraud investors. Still today, the person responsible for sabotaging the company has not been determined.

After Rafinesque Hall, the tour retraces its steps back to the Historic Entrance, concluding back at the visitor center.

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Best Mammoth Cave Tour for Families

With so many cave tours to choose from, how do you know which one is best for your family we break it down in this article with our recommendations for the best mammoth cave tour for your family..

On the road home from Mammoth Cave National Park, our grandsons were on the phone trying to talk their mom (who stayed home) into a second trip to the caves. Yes, they had that much fun! So we wanted to share the best Mammoth Cave tour for families with you. 

But we almost messed up. There are over a dozen cave tours, and we discovered that not all are kid-friendly or even interesting to kids. Based only on the description on the NPS website, our tour selection could have resulted in a boring trip for the boys (age 10 and 12). Due to a combination of luck and extensive research, we ended up with amazing tours they loved. 

Here are our thoughts on the best and the worst tours for families in Mammoth Cave National Park.

Best Mammoth Cave Tours Based on Your Family

Let’s be realistic; what works for a 2-year-old might not be the best cave tour for your teen. So we’ve broken the tours into categories based on age and mobility to help you choose the Mammoth Cave tours that are best for your family.

Best Overall Mammoth Cave Tour for Families: Domes and Dripstones

Our recommendation is the Domes and Dripstones Tour for a family tour. It’s an interesting tour that will entertain family members of all ages. Our family is still talking about this one.

About the Domes and Dripstones Tour

There are just enough tight squeezes between the rocks that our grandsons felt like they were on a big cave adventure. And the youngest (10)  was the only one to go through some tunnels without ducking.

The Domes and Dripstones Tour also features a collection of stalactites and stalagmites that we all found interesting. The most famous is the dripstone Frozen Niagra, which is stunning. You won’t find the extensive stalactites and stalagmites in Mammoth Caves that we saw in Carlsbad Caverns National Park .

The tour guides share a lot of history along this tour with stories that all ages will enjoy. These sections of Mammoth Cave have been a tourist destination for over 100 years. They also explain the science of the natural formation of the caves in a family-friendly way.

You will get a workout on the Domes and Dripstones Tour as you climb up and down 540 steps. The good news is that the 2-hour tour moves at a meandering pace so that you can take your time on the stairs

Domes and Dripstones might not be good for families with:

• Independent toddlers who demand exploring on their own. (You know if this is your child.) The narrow passages, deep drops and hundreds of stairs require a tight rein on toddlers.
• Anyone with health issues, those 540 stairs will give you a good workout. 
• Someone with extreme claustrophobia might not enjoy it. The tight spaces are not extensive and usually open up to a larger area quickly, so most folks don’t even think about it. But they do exist and should be considered if you have concerns. 

Best Challenging Tour for Your Family: Grand Avenue Tour

The Grand Avenue Tour might be the best tour for your family if your kids are pre-teen to teen and love an adventure. On this 4-hour tour, you cover everything in the Domes and Dripstones Tour plus a lot more!

According to the NPS description : You’ll be “going through slot canyons, tubular passageways, tall canyons, and tunnels sparkled with gypsum”… and you’ll cover “a wide variety of the history and geology of Mammoth Cave”.

We did not take this extended tour because I was concerned the boys couldn’t stay engaged for 4 hours. In hindsight, that was a good call. A 2-hour tour was the limit for the 10-year-old. When evaluating if your kids could handle this 4-hour tour, remember that there is no free exploring; you must stay with and follow the ranger guide. It’s a bit like being in school for 4 hours without a recess, except maybe more interesting than learning how to conjugate verbs.

There is a minimum age of 6 for this tour because of its 4-hour length and the 1300 stairs you will climb. The park rangers have designated this a difficult hike because of all those stairs. However, the tour travels at a comfortable pace, so don’t be frightened by those stairs unless you have a health issue.

Best Easy and Short Tour: Frozen Niagara Tour

The highlight of the Domes and Dripstones Tour is the finale at the Frozen Niagara section of the cave. It’s a beautiful section discovered in 1923. The large draping flowstone appears as a frozen waterfall. This tour is the way to shortcut right to that fantastic site.

The Frozen Niagara Tour lasts a little over an hour, including the short bus ride to and from the entrance. You’ll descend into the cave with only 12 stair steps and a walking distance of ¼ mile.

Although the caving experience is minimal on the Frozen Niagara Tour, it is an easy way to see one of the most famous sites in Mammoth Cave National Park if you have an active toddler or health restrictions. 

Ready for a Second Tour? Family Friendly Cave Tours that Round Out Your Visit

We’d encourage you to take a second tour with your kids while at Mammoth Cave to experience all the park offers. And the best second tour explores the original historical sections of the cave. You have several choices, listed from easiest to most challenging:

• Easy: Discovery Self Guided Tour
• Easy to Moderate: Gothic Avenue Tour
• Moderate: Historic Tour
• Moderate with extra features: Extended Historic Tour

All of these tours focus on the history of Mammoth Cave. The most impressive part of the tour is the massive open rooms that gave the caves their name. Did you think the caves were named after the animal? Nope… they were named because the early explored sections of the cave were “Mammothly” big.

The tours explore periods when the caves were mined for saltpeter, which was used in gunpowder. Much of the mining equipment was abandoned in the cave. The guides also have abundant stories to tell about early explorers and the first tourists.

The biggest difference between these 4 tours is primarily in how far they travel into the cave system. I recommend only planning to take one tour from this group, choosing the level best suited for your family.

Best History Tour of Mammoth Cave for Families: The Historic Tour

Want to walk through the tunnels that “humans have used for thousands of years”? Then the Historic Tour is for you as you tour many of the originally opened sections of Mammoth Cave. Your guide will regal you with past stories, talking about early explorers and visitors plus the mining operations.

The 2-hour tour travels about 2 miles, first through the large open rooms that made the cave famous. And then you’ll explore deeper into the cave, including tighter spaces. Some might find the steeper inclines and the 540 steps a bit challenging on this tour. But just like our favorite Domes and Dripstones Tour above, it moves at a slow enough pace that visitors in good health should be able to keep up.

We wish we had been able to get tickets for this very popular tour instead of the Gothic Avenue Tour listed below. I think we all would have really enjoyed walking through the deeper caverns.

Best Cave Tour for History Buffs: Extended Historic Tour

For a little more historical information, grab a ticket for the extended Historic Tour, which is the same tour as above with a bonus side trip “to one of the sites of the famous 1840s Mammoth Cave experiment to treat consumption”. 

If you have a few history buffs in your family, it’s worth adding this extra 15 minutes to your tour. But our grandkids would have been happy to skip this section. Know your audience.

Best Quick Tour: Discovery Self-Guided Tour

The Self Guided Tour is only offered when the park is super busy. It’s the option for many people who didn’t realize you needed to order your tour tickets online and in advance. So on busy days, the park opens up the Self Guided Tour with same-day ticket sales only.

Although I think it’s very thoughtful that the park has this overflow option for visitors, I also think the 30-minute Self-Guided Tour is a great option for people who can’t easily participate in a two-hour tour. For that reason, I wish they offered it all the time.

The Self-Guided Tour focuses on the history of the cave. You’ll find signage throughout the trail explaining the artifacts and geology of the cave. You can move at your own pace, but most people complete the tour in less than ½ hour. Rangers are available to answer questions as you travel along the ¾-mile trail. Although rated an easy trail, keep in mind there are 125 stair steps required, and the walk back to the visitor center is a fairly steep graded walkway.

Best Easy Guided Tour: Gothic Avenue Tour

We embarked on the Gothic Avenue Tour on our second morning at Mammoth Cave National Park. The size of the rooms is astounding. The large open rooms just keep going in this section of the cave. No wonder early visitors were impressed.

The guides shared many stories about the early visitors, explaining the historical graffiti and the early mining operations in great detail. Overall it was an interesting experience.

In hindsight, I would choose the Historic or Extended Historic Tour for our family’s tour. The Gothic Avenue Tour moved too slow for two energetic boys, and they were ready to move on after the first hour. 

Gothic Avenue Tour is Good for:

• Families with small children because the walkways are wide and there are no steep drops. They can easily walk holding hands with their parents. 
• Family members who wanted to move at a slower pace. 
• People with claustrophobia might be able to handle this tour since this cave section is very open. 

Best Mammoth Cave Tours for the Adventurous Family

These 4 tours are restricted to children at least 6 years old. The tours are a bit more challenging and your kids need to be able to listen to and follow instructions for their safety. 

These tours are smaller groups and have a very limited schedule, so make sure you order your tickets as soon as possible. When we ordered our tickets, about 2 weeks prior to our visit to Mammoth Cave, all these were sold out. The information I’m sharing is from the NPS website and Facebook Page since we didn’t have an opportunity to try any of them.

All except the Great Onyx Lantern Tour cover a lot of the sections included in the historic tours so would be a great substitute for families with older children.

Great Onyx Lantern Tour

Great Onyx Cave is not believed to be connected to the Mammoth Cave system, it sits in an area of the park by itself. But because it is unique, tours are offered with only a short bus ride from the visitor’s center. You’ll tour the cave by lamplight, recreating the experience of early visitors.

According to the NPS website description : “Great Onyx Cave houses an abundance of beautiful geologic formations that sparkle in the lantern light of this tour. Visitors on this tour can see many stalactites, stalagmites, gypsum crystals, and helictites.”

River Styx Tour

The River Styx Tour is the same as the Historic Tour with a really cool side trip down to the underground water level. The tour is 2 ½ hours long, covering 2.5 miles.

River Styx flows through and under the Mammoth Cave system, eventually emptying into the Green River. Early visitors to the cave were able to tour this section in a small boat. Because human interaction was affecting the little creatures that live in the river, you can now only walk along the river on a raised platform.

Star Chamber Tour

The rangers describe the Star Chamber Tour as an experience rather than site seeing. It’s “an evening tour in Mammoth Cave by lantern light, this winding its way to historic Star Chamber.” The tour is by lantern light to get the feel of what it felt like to be an early explorer walking through the caverns.

The 2 ½ hour tour travels through some of the same areas as the Gothic Avenue and Historic Tour and is only offered in the evening. 

Violet City Lantern Tour

“A truly historic way to experience Mammoth Cave, this tour travels exclusively by lantern light.”

For a longer, 3-hour and 3-mile exploration by lantern light, the Violet City Lantern Tour is quite the experience. Although there are only 160 steps, you’ll find several steep walking grades that make this a difficult tour.

Best Mammoth Cave Tour for Families by Age

Here’s a quick recap of which tours are probably best for families of different age groups. Of course, you know your kids best so take into account their unique abilities when selecting your tour.

Best Tour for Families with Babies

Since babies are allowed on most tours if you carry them on your chest, you are then only limited by your own level of fitness. If you can carry your baby for 2 hours going up and down stairs, then the Domes and Dripstones Tour is our top choice.

It’s important to know that the only way to include a baby on a Mammoth Cave NP tour is to carry the baby in a chest harness or chest carrier. Strollers and backpack carriers are not allowed on the tours. Babies are also not allowed on the tours with a 6+ age restriction.

Check the list below for the number of steps and the difficulty level to help you choose.

Best Tour for Families with Toddlers

Families with toddlers have a unique buddle of energy to accommodate. The basic Historic Tour is a good choice. The wider walkways will allow your toddler to walk holding hands with you. The tour often stops at benches for stories which will give you a break.

Be prepared to carry your toddler for some of this tour, 2 hours of walking is a lot for many little ones.

Best Tour for Families with Grade Schoolers

The best tour for school-aged kids is the Domes and Dripstones Tour, which is also our top recommendation for families. The tour has enough variety that kids will love exploring the cave.

Best Tour for Families with Pre-Teens and Teens

Teens will also love the Domes and Dripstones Tour. However, try to add in a second tour for them from the Lanterns tours that take them into parts of Mammoth Cave that few visitors see. They will appreciate the extra side trips that make those tours unique.

List of Mammoth Cave Tours at a Glance

The tours offered at Mammoth Cave can vary based on the season and demand. This is the current list of offerings. Tours may vary seasonally.

Why You Should Trust Us When Planning your Mammoth Cave Trip

Brad and I are on a mission to explore all of the US National Parks. Mammoth Cave National Park was the 33rd park we’ve visited! Before visiting a park like Mammoth Cave, we research like crazy to ensure we are ready to explore, have fun and create great memories. Then we go and do!

This article summarizes our personal experiences in the park, additional research, and all of our pre-visit research. 

The advice you read here is exactly what we’d tell our best friends if they plan a trip to Mammoth Cave! We hope you enjoy your visit to Mammoth Cave National Park.

About Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave National Park is in rural Southern Kentucky. Rolling green hills, dotted with farms and ranches, define the landscape. The aptly named Green River cuts through the park. 

Underneath all of this serene beauty, there is a whole other world of caves. The Mammoth Cave system runs over 450 miles. That makes it the world’s longest cave. The cave is a collection of caverns and tunnels connected by passageways. Over thousands of years, underground rivers and seeping rain have eroded the limestone creating the cave.

It’s estimated that Mammoth Cave might be over 600 miles long, with new passageways yet to be discovered. To be considered part of the same cave, a passageway must exist that a human can pass through. The most recent 50-mile addition was found when water levels dropped in one of the caverns exposing an opening that led to more miles of the cave. Rangers shared that they often join together to explore more of the cave system on their day off… that’s their entertainment!

Arrive Early to Explore the Museum

The museum in the Mammoth Cave National Park visitor center is extremely well designed to engage visitors of all ages. Our youngest (10) climbed through the mock cave tunnel repeatedly while our older grandson (12) explored independently. There are many hands-on activities to engage your kids while teaching them about the science and history of the caves.

As always, we had to drag Grandpa Brad out of the museum because he loved the abundance of explainer displays and videos. Mammoth Cave’s museum is one of the best we’ve experienced during our National Park Adventures.

Junior Ranger Program

When we picked up our Junior Ranger booklets in the gift shop, the clerk gave us a tip that all the answers could be found in the museum. Of course, that encourages your kids to search through all the displays. 

I’d suggest you spend 30 minutes in the Museum before your tour to plant a few seeds of knowledge about caves with your kids. Then another 30 minutes after your tour explore and finish their Jr Ranger books.

What to Expect Inside Mammoth Cave

Temperatures.

The temperature in the caves is a constant 54 degrees so you might want to bring along a light jacket. Temperatures on the top will vary with the season from cold winters to hot summers.

Formations in the Caves

Stalactites and Stalagmites make their home in many caves. These are the formations you anticipate seeing in caves that result from water dripping over limestone. However, most of the cave is open caverns. You won’t find as many of the beautiful cave structures as you can experience in the caves of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Size of Tour Groups

Tour size varies from a couple of dozen to over 100 people. The more popular tours will have bigger groups. However, even though our Domes and Dripstones tour comprised of about 110 visitors, we surprisingly didn’t feel crowded.

Bathrooms on Mammoth Cave Tours

Bathrooms on the tours are non-existent. You’ll find beautiful bathrooms at the visitor center so go before you head out. 

Tour Guides

The tour guides are excellent. They come prepared with a variety of stories to tell to illustrate the history and geography of the caves. Our first guide was a college student and our second guide was a retired teacher. Both exhibited a passion for the caves during the tours.

There is no free exploring. You must stay on the paths following the tour guides. They will remind you to not touch the rocks. Some additional rules for your cave tours:

• Photography is encouraged although you can’t use a flash. Tripods and monopods are not allowed as they will slow up the tour. If you are a professional photographer, you can apply for a special tour, although not many are granted.
• Child backpack carriers and strollers are not allowed. Feel free to use a front pack for babies.
• Large backpacks are not allowed. They defined that as “Metal framed backpacks and backpacks that are higher than the shoulder or that are of a length that extends below the hips”
• Firearms or other weapons
• Pets (You can kennel for a small fee nearby.)

What to Bring on Your Cave Tour

• Light Jacket
• Bottle of water
• Small snacks are allowed, especially for longer hikes or if you have health concerns.
• A camera that can be used without flash
• Closed-toed shoes are best for the metal stairs and extensive walking.
• Your tickets – they will be checked as you board the buses or enter the caves.

More Information for Planning Your Family’s Mammoth Cave Tours

How to get tickets for your mammoth cave tour.

While tour tickets are available at the visitor center, it is better to purchase your tickets in advance online through Recreation.gov . During our visit, tickets for almost all tours were sold out for same-day purchase. So waiting means you may not get in.

You should order your tickets as soon as you are confident in your tour dates. Two weeks prior to our visit there were a lot of tours available, but by the week of our trip, the selection was limited.

How Many Mammoth Cave Tours Should You Plan to Take?

If you can fit it into your schedule, I’d recommend you take at least 2 tours that explore a different section of Mammoth Cave. We scheduled one each morning and then left our afternoon free to explore outside the caves. 

How to Mix and Match Your Cave Tours

There are over a dozen different cave tours. Most tours are not completely unique, many overlap with the ground covered by other tours to capture the highlights of Mammoth Cave. For example, the Gothic Avenue Tour is primarily a subset of the Historic Tour. And the Frozen Niagara Tour is a short tour of the ending point for the Domes and Dripstones Tour.

Is There an Accessible Tour of Mammoth Cave?

Currently, the accessible tour is unavailable due to elevator issues and there is no clear date on when it will be reopened. 

What’s the Best Time of Day to Take a Cave Tour?

The biggest consideration in planning your family trip into the caves is that you and your kids will be a captive audience for the length of the tour. There are no bathrooms and there is no exit mid-tour. Once you start, you have to finish along with the rest of the group.

So the best time to take your tour will be different for every family. Consider when your kids are most able to focus. For example, your 4-year-old that takes afternoon naps is probably better on a morning tour. While a 15-year-old who sleeps in during the summer months might be more engaged right after lunch.

Pets in Mammoth Cave National Park

We were excited to learn that pets are welcome on the outdoor hiking trails in Mammoth Cave National Park. Most National Parks severely restrict pet access. So we originally planned to bring Charlie along on our trip. However, temperatures soared into the high 90s the week of our road trip so we left her with a friend to enjoy the air conditioning. That dog just plain hates hot weather!

While dogs are not allowed on the cave tours, you’ll find shaded outdoor kennels available for your use at the Mammoth Cave Kennels just a short walk from the visitor’s center for a very low fee. There are some restrictions so make sure you read about pets in Mammoth Cave NP before you head out on your road trip.

Where to Stay When Visiting Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave National Park is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. You’ll want a lodging plan before you head that way. Luckily there are great options for both camping and hotels.

Hotels, Motels and More

Inside the park, you can relax at the historic Lodge at Mammoth Cave . It is located directly next to the visitor center and features a mix of modern hotel rooms as well as historic cottages nestled in a woodland setting. All are within walking distance of cave tours and park trails.

Cave City is the nearest town, only about a 15 minute drive. You’ll find a variety of more traditional motels here. You can check Cave City motel availability here.

Campgrounds in Mammoth Cave National Park and Nearby

There are 3 beautiful campgrounds in Mammoth Cave National Park. We camped in the main campground and loved the large well shaded campsite. Make sure you get camping reservations because this park can fill up fast.

Re-capping the Best Mammoth Cave Tour for Families

The best Mammoth Cave tour for families is the Domes and Dripstones tour. We recommend that you combine this tour with one of the historical tours for a fully rounded trip to Mammoth Cave National Park. We’ve also included tips to adjust your tour plans based on your unique family. I hope you have a great time!

Planning to visit all National Parks? Here’s other Trips You Might Want to Read:

• Colorado National Park Road Trip
• Utah Might 5 Road Trip
• West Texas and New Mexico National Park Road Trip

The Authors: Hey, we are Ladona and Brad, avid campers and hikers. We are crazy about getting outdoors at every possible moment and have decades of experience exploring nature. Our current goal is to visit all 63 US National Parks and just completed #42. WooHoo! Our mission is to help you plan your own adventures and create memories beyond your imagination!

• SOUTH DAKOTA

I did Mammoth Cave self-guided discovery “tour” 🦇 Is Mammoth Cave without a tour worth it? 🦇 Kentucky travel blog

To be clear, the best way to experience Mammoth Cave National Park is through a guided Mammoth Cave tour !

And no, I’m not sure if I’d drive a few hours out of the way to Mammoth Cave National Park if there’s no chance of being able to actually go inside Mammoth Cave.

As you can imagine, THE thing to do in Mammoth Cave National Park is to go underground and inside Mammoth Cave!

But if you are finding that all of the Mammoth Cave tours are sold out (it IS better to book online before you go!), you still may have another option!

This other option may also sell out, but you can only buy tickets for it in person.

So if you are planning your trip to Mammoth Cave National Park late, then you do still have a chance!

Can you go inside Mammoth Cave without a tour?

Yes, you can go inside Mammoth Cave without a guided tour, but you cannot go inside Mammoth Cave without buying a ticket.

So you can go inside Mammoth Cave on your own, but you just need to buy a ticket before you do so.

So going inside Mammoth Cave is not free.

Walking through Mammoth Cave on your own is the quickest and cheapest way to explore Mammoth Cave.

Discovery Tour: Mammoth Cave self-guided tour

The Discovery Tour is the way to enter Mammoth Cave without a guided tour.

This is called the Discovery “Tour” but it is something that you do on your own.

And it is hardly a tour. It is more like a simple leisurely walk through Mammoth Cave.

The Discovery Tour is basically a trail that you follow through Mammoth Cave.

And when the Discovery Tour trail ends, you will turn around and return the same way you came.

There may be a couple of park rangers inside the cave along your “tour” route who will be happy to tell you about the history of Mammoth Cave.

This self-guided “tour” will give you a glimpse of what Mammoth Cave is like.

You will walk through wide open passageways underground, which represents what much of a large part of the underground cave system in Mammoth Cave National Park is like.

The National Park Service recommends giving yourself 30 minutes for the Discovery Tour.

The Discovery Tour is listed as an easy trail of 0.75 miles with 125 steps.

According to the National Park Service:

The Discovery Tour is the self-guided version of the guided Mammoth Passage Tour .

Is it worth going to Mammoth Cave National Park without a tour?

It can be worth it to do this relatively short walk through Mammoth Cave without a tour.

Yes, it is a cool experience to walk inside Mammoth Cave no matter how much time you spend walking inside!

I do think it’s possible that even if going inside Mammoth Cave without a tour is the only thing you do in Mammoth Cave National Park, there’s a good chance you’ll leave happy about your experience!

I mean, unless you go into caves regularly and it may just be another cave … 😜

I had most recently been to Wind Cave National Park , Jewel Cave National Monument , and Craters of the Moon National Monument , and walked inside the caves there within a year prior to Mammoth Cave.

Walking inside Mammoth Cave without a guided tour was the first thing I did when I arrived at Mammoth Cave National Park, and I thought it was cool!

That said, I guess some people may be unsatisfied with an unguided Mammoth Cave experience.

So it brings about the lame answer of it depends … on you, your feelings about caves, and how much of a detour you’re making to go to Mammoth Cave as to whether it will be worth it!

I also did later do 2 guided cave tours and I was happy to have done them both too, as they each offered something different .

But personally I think I would have also been just fine if I only walked inside Mammoth Cave on my own as a quick visit without any guided tours.

Of course, easier to say that since I did do the guided tours. 😜

But I was driving through Kentucky on my way from Florida to Michigan and taking my time doing so, so I didn’t consider Mammoth Cave National Park to be much of a detour.

So if you’re driving a long distance between the north and south and going through Kentucky, Mammoth Cave can also be a nice little side stop as a quick visit.

There is also the Mammoth Cave Campground located near the visitor center.

See more to decide if you want to do a guided cave tour: Best Mammoth Cave tours

How to buy tickets for the self-guided Mammoth Cave tour

The only way to buy Mammoth Cave tickets to walk inside Mammoth Cave without a guided tour is to show up at the Mammoth Cave visitor center.

So you cannot make a reservation for the Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour in advance. (For all other Mammoth Cave tours, you DO want to make a reservation in advance!)

The cost of the Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour is $8 per person. See current fees.

But these things can always change, so it’s important to check for updated Mammoth Cave ticket info from the National Park Service website .

You may also try calling the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center to speak with a park ranger to ask about how the availability of the Discovery Tour has been in the past few days to know if you should try even harder to show up earlier in the day rather than later.

The listed phone number for the Mammoth Cave visitor center is 270-758-2180.

No advanced reservations accepted for the Discovery Self-Guided.

Confirm current details.

There is no entry fee for Mammoth Cave National Park, so your only cost for doing a Mammoth Cave tour is the cost of the tour ticket itself. Confirm current fees.

Going inside Mammoth Cave without a tour

I did the self-guided Discovery Tour in May 2022. Your experience may vary!

1. Buy Discover Tour tickets at the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center

So the first thing you’ll do once you arrive in Mammoth Cave National Park is to go to the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center. (For google maps, navigate specifically to the visitor center, not some general “Mammoth Cave National Park” spot.)

You’ll go inside the visitor center and buy tickets for the Discovery Tour.

2. Walk the Historic Entrance Trail

For the Discovery Tour, you will be entering Mammoth Cave through the “historic entrance.”

From the visitor center, you can go out through the back and follow signs for the Historic Entrance Trail.

This is basically downhill all the way to the historic cave entrance.

Which means it’s uphill on the way back! You might see people struggling as they make their way back up. You’ll understand when you are on your way back. 😆

3. Arrive at the Mammoth Cave historic entrance!

You can walk up until this point without a ticket.

So if for whatever reason you are not able to, or don’t want to, buy any sort of Mammoth Cave ticket, then the least you will want to do is to go to see the main Mammoth Cave entrance.

When I went to the Mammoth Cave historic entrance, there were people there who didn’t have tickets.

But the park ranger allowed them to take a few more steps to get a better look at the cave entrance.

You won’t be able to go down the stairs without a ticket, but you can see the Mammoth Cave entrance from the top.

There are some Mammoth Cave tours that enter from this historic entrance, but not all do.

If you decide to do a guided cave tour, you’ll want to check the description to see if that tour will be starting from the historic entrance.

If it does, you may think it’s a waste to come here on your own. (I will say that it was nice to walk through the cave mostly people-free without a tour, though! Cave tours can be 100+ people!)

If you are doing a historic cave tour, then you will walk through the same path of the Discovery Tour, and then your historic cave tour will take you deeper into the cave.

If your cave tour does not start from here, then you may want to do the Discovery Tour to see a famous aspect of Mammoth Cave! If you are doing the Frozen Niagara Tour or Domes and Dripstones Tour, you will not be entering through the historic entrance.

4. Enter Mammoth Cave on your own from the historic entrance!

Now that you have seen the Mammoth Cave historic entrance from above, you can enter the cave!

Because walking inside Mammoth Cave through the historic cave entrance will allow you to walk through these wide open passageways that Mammoth Cave is known for, you should not miss walking inside the cave from the historic entrance, whether with a tour or without a tour!

Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest known cave system, and walking from the historic entrance can give you a sense of what most of the world’s longest cave system is like!

How to get to Mammoth Cave National Park

All things to do with going inside Mammoth Cave will begin at the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center.

The National Park Service tells you not to rely on GPS or google maps to get to Mammoth Cave National Park.

I believe the problem may be if you just click on a random “Mammoth Cave National Park” on google maps, as it may not be a specific location within the park.

But if you navigate specifically to Mammoth Cave National Park Visitor Center  then you should be fine.

I navigated to Mammoth Cave Campground (which is near the visitor center), and it took me to the right place.

Still, if you want the National Park Service directions for confirmation, these are the directions to get to Mammoth Cave National Park.

How to get to Mammoth Cave National Park from the north:

Take Interstate 65 to Exit 53 (Cave City Exit). Turn right onto KY-70. Follow 70/255 as it becomes the Mammoth Cave Parkway in the park. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center.

How to get to Mammoth Cave National Park from the south:

Take Interstate 65 to Exit 48 (Park City Exit). Turn left onto KY-255 and follow 255 as it becomes the Park City Road into the park. Follow Park City Road until it joins the Mammoth Cave Parkway. Turn left. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center.

Other than that, you may be driving through rural areas, so it’s best to download offline google maps for Kentucky before you go!

Also…

Mammoth Cave National Park is in central time zone!

Some of Kentucky is in central time zone, and some of Kentucky is in eastern time zone.

And that’s a bit about going inside Mammoth Cave on your own through the Discovery Tour!

After you finish up the Discovery Tour and come back up to daylight, you can continue on the same trail past the cave entrance to go see the River Styx Spring and Green River: Things to do in Mammoth Cave National Park

See more about planning a trip to Mammoth Cave:

• Best Mammoth Cave tours
• Mammoth Cave lantern tour
• Mammoth Cave frozen niagara
• Mammoth Cave fat man’s misery

More national parks with caves:

• Wind Cave National Park
• Jewel Cave National Monument
• Craters of the Moon National Monument

HAPPY GOING INSIDE MAMMOTH CAVE WITHOUT A TOUR!

Atlas Obsession

Mammoth Cave National Park – Which Tour Should You Do?

“My God… That’s spectacular.” On our final tour at Mammoth Cave National Park, the man directly in front of us said this exact line every single time we turned a corner. No, I’m not exaggerating. While I didn’t share his same enthusiasm, I will say that Mammoth Cave is pretty cool. Some of these rock formations are incredible and it’s worth a visit to tour this cave system.

Table of Contents

About Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the worlds largest cave system, with over 400 miles of cave discovered and mapped so far (and still many miles of cave that still need to be explored). The cave is massive and until you visit, it can be difficult to really understand how the true scale of these caves.

Mammoth Cave National Park is located in central Kentucky, just outside of Cave City. A visit here is a little different than most of your national park experiences. Rather than just jumping in your car and exploring on your own, you must sign up for guided tours of the cave. There is a self guided tour option for those who don’t like the idea of a group tour. However, a ranger led tour will give you so much more information about the area you’re exploring.

We took three tours: The Star Chamber Tour, The Historic Tour, and the Domes and Dripstones Tour. All three were great and all taught us something new about the cave system. But there are still several others to choose from.

Mammoth Cave National Park Tours

The star chamber tour.

This tour at Mammoth Cave is a bit different than most. The cave is filled with artificial lights which are turned on during most tours so everyone can see where they are going. But during this tour, these artificial lights are turned off. You follow your guide through the cave by oil lantern, just like the early tourists who visited here. Because of the limited light, it can be difficult to truly grasp how big the cave really is. Still, it is a great experience. You’ll travel down through the main entrance and down Gothic Avenue before reaching the Star Chamber, at which point you’ll turn around and retrace your steps.

If you’re going to do this tour, I recommend making this your first tour. It’s a great introduction to the cave. The cave feels big, but the lanterns don’t really let you see the true scale. The next day, when we took the Historic Tour, my mom and I were in awe of how big the cave really was. I don’t think you’ll get that same experience if you do the Star Chamber Tour at the end.

It’s such a unique experience that I have to recommend doing this tour.

Total Distance: 2 miles Length of Tour: 2.5 hours Number of Stairs: 160 Cost: $30 per adult

Historic Tour

This tour is a classic and leads you down into Mammoth Cave. You’ll enter through the main entrance and retrace some of the steps you made on the Star Chamber tour. However, now you have the artificial lights turned on and you can really get a sense for how massive this cave system is. It’s amazing how much different and bigger the cave feels with those artificial lights.

There are two big things to be aware of before signing up for this tour. There can be low ceilings and narrow passage ways. At a few points in the tour, you may need to crouch down and walk along the passage way for an extended period. For reference, I’m 5 feet 4 inches and I occasionally had to crouch down, while my mom at 5 feet 7 inches had to duck more often.

My mom was a little nervous about this, but said that the rangers over exaggerated how bad it was going to be. Still, you know your limits. If you are concerned, talk to rangers before you book your tickets. They will also reiterate all of this information at the safety briefing before starting your tour.

Total Distance: 2 miles Length of Tour: 2 hours Number of Stairs: 540 Cost: $24 per adult

Domes and Dripstones

This is the tour that I think of when I think of Mammoth Cave. It was on this tour that we heard “My God… That’s incredible!” at least 25 times in the course of the two hour tour.

From the visitor center, you’ll board a bus and travel to another entrance to the cave. At this second entrance, you’ll descend a narrow staircase down into the cave. Once you’re down here, the rangers will lead you to some of the most incredible rock formations of the cave system. The highlight for me was the Frozen Niagra area toward the end of the tour.

This tour had more narrow spaces than the Historic Tour, but I found myself having to duck less on this tour than on the Historic Tour. You will get a safety briefing before your tour that will outline exactly what you’re going to go through.

Total Distance: 1 miles Length of Tour: 2 hours Number of Stairs: 500 Cost: $30 per adult

More Tour Options

The above three tours are the tours that I have first hand experience with. But those aren’t the only tours available at Mammoth Cave.

Accessible Tour – For those with limited mobility, take a look at this tour. This is 2 hours, 0.5 miles, and has no stairs. Cost: $27 per adult.

Cleveland Avenue – This focuses on Cleveland Avenue and the Snowball Room and you’ll see unique passages and gypsum covered walls. This is 2 hours, 1 mile, and 200 stairs. Cost: $30 per adult.

Discovery (Self Guided) – This is the only self-guided option to explore Mammoth Cave. This is 1.25 hours, 0.75 miles, and 125 stairs. Cost: $12 per adult.

Extended Historic – Unsurprisingly, this the Historic Tour with an extension (to the 1840s Cave Experiment). This is 2.25 hours, 2 miles, and 540 stairs. Cost: $27 per adult.

Frozen Niagara – If you only want to see Frozen Niagara and skip the rest of the Domes and Dripstones tour, look at this tour. This is 1.25 hours, 0.25 miles, and 110 stairs (98 are optional). Cost: $26 per adult.

Gothic Avenue – This focuses on more in depth on Gothic Avenue, which is also seen on Star Chamber, Historic Tour, and Violet City Lantern Tour. This is 2 hours, 1 mile, and 160 stairs. Cost: $23 per adult.

Grand Avenue – This is another in depth tour, but it does a deeper dive on the Domes and Dripstones tour. This is 4 hours, 4 miles, and 1313 stairs. Cost: $42 per adult.

Great Onyx Lantern Tour – This is another lantern tour, but it should be noted that this cave is not known to be part of the Mammoth Cave system. Remember that the cave system is still being mapped and explored, so one day, they may be able to connect it with the Mammoth Cave system. This is 2.25 hours, 1 miles, and 40 stairs. Cost: $31 per adult.

Grand Historic – This is one of the most in depth tours and you’ll visit many of the iconic sites that are also seen on the Historic, Extended Historic, Gothic Avenue, Star Chamber, River Styx, Mammoth Passage, and Violet City tours. This is 4 hours, 4 miles, and 640 stairs. This tour is currently not offered.

Intro to Caving – For those who have an interest in caving and want to get off the beaten path, consider this tour. This tour is 3.5 hours, 1 mile, and 300 steps. Cost: $49 per adult.

Mammoth Passage – This is an introduction to the Historic Tour and is a guided version of the Discovery (Self Guided tour). This is 1.25 hours, 0.75 miles, and 125 stairs. Cost: $15 per adult.

River Styx Lantern Tour – You’ll follow the Historic Tour, but also detour to the underground water level. This is 2.5 hours, 2.5 miles, and 600 stairs. Cost: $26 per adult.

Trog Tour – This tour is for kids age 8-12 only. From the Historic Entrance they’ll learn all about cave exploration. This is 2.75 hours, 1.5 miles, and 200 steps. Cost: $25 per child.

Violet City Lantern Tour – This is another lantern tour option, but is slightly longer than the Star Chamber tour. This is 3 hours, 3 miles, and 160 stairs. Cost: $32 per adult.

Wild Cave Tour – For the most adventurous tour at Mammoth Cave National Park, check out the Wild Cave Tour. This all day tour is very physical as you’ll literally be crawling through holes in the cave. This is 6 hours, 6 miles, and 500 stairs. Cost: $79 per adult.

Wondering Woods – This is more focusing on the surrounding forests, but does feature a short visit to the cave. This is 1.5 hours, 1 mile, and 194 stairs. This tour is currently not offered.

Which Tour Should You Do?

The choice of tours is entirely up to you and you should take your own preferences into account, particularly if you love geology. But for the average person, I think the three tours I did (Star Chamber, Historic, and Domes and Dripstones) is a really good combination. Many tours overlap (at least partially) with another tour and I feel like we really got to see a lot of the cave.

On our trip, we arrived into Cave City at around 3:00pm. We got an early dinner in Cave City and then drove to Mammoth Cave National Park We took the Star Chamber Tour at 6:15 that evening. The next day we took the 10:00am Historic Tour and the 2:15 Domes and Dripstones Tour.

If you’re doing both the Historic Tour and Domes and Dripstones on the same day, I think this spacing (10am Historic and 2:15 Domes and Dripstones) works well. The Historic Tour finishes at 12:00, so you have plenty of time for lunch (there’s a Camp Store that serves sandwiches just down the road from the visitor center) and time to relax. If you take an earlier tour, you may be rushed during lunch.

Also note, that tour times change based on the season. We were here in early August when there were numerous tours available, but in winter fewer tours are offered. Always look ahead on the NPS website to see what tours are available for your dates.

It’s a good idea to book your tickets in advance. We booked our tours online approximately six weeks in advance for a visit in August. At that time, there were still plenty of tickets available. However, by the time we arrived in Cave City, nearly everything was sold out. If there’s a tour you really want to do, buy your ticket in advance.

Booking Your Tour

While you can wait until you’re at Mammoth Cave National Park to select your tours, you run the risk of tours selling out. Despite large groups for some of the tours (there must have been 100 people on two of my three tours), they regularly sell out. This is especially true during the peak travel months.

So, once you know when you’ll be at Mammoth Cave National Park, book your tours through the recreation.gov website.

Additional Helpful Tour Information

Each tour at Mammoth Cave (except the Accessible Tour) contains a lot of stairs. Both the Historic Tour and Domes and Dripstones state that you will do over 500 stairs. That said, the stairs are not all at once and are spread out throughout the tour, which is anywhere from .75 to 2 miles in length.

Tour groups can get big. The Star Chamber Tour has limited spots since they have limited lanterns. Our group for this tour had approximately 30 people. However, our groups for the Historic Tour and Domes and Dripstones were at least 100 people. To get the most out of your tour (and to maximize your time for photos), stick to the front of the group.

We were at the back of the group for the Star Chamber Tour, but I don’t think we missed much. For the other two tours, had we stayed at the back, we would have gotten the essential information, but we would have missed some more of the “fun facts” and other random tidbits from our ranger. He’d typically give these facts to the front of the group while we waited for the back part of the group to file in.

There are no facilities on your tour. Use the bathroom before you depart and carry anything you might need (although you really shouldn’t need much as food and drinks other than water are not allowed in the cave).

Getting to Mammoth Cave

Look at the map before you go. There is no service and the National Park Service strongly recommends avoiding Google Maps to navigate you to the visitor center. We used Google Maps and had no problems, but it’s something you should be aware of.

When to Visit Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave is 52 degrees all year round, so they can be visited at any point. The biggest thing to note is that tour offerings change throughout the year. Summer will have more tours offered than winter.

We visited in early August, so while it was hot and humid outside (with temperatures in the upper 80s), the inside of the cave was cool. I wore leggings and had a light sweatshirt (I only used my sweatshirt on two of the three tours).

Where to Stay

The nearest town to Mammoth Cave is Cave City. It’s a small town with not a lot of options, but you will find a few choices for hotels and restaurants.

Final Thoughts

I’ve visited other caves, including Carlsbad Caverns National Park , but nothing was quite like Mammoth Cave National Park. The sheer scale is hard to imagine and when you’re standing in the cave, you can really feel small. It’s definitely worth a visit to Mammoth Cave National Park just to experience it.

Continue Your Adventure

Similar National Parks : For a similar, but also different, cave experience, check out New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Park . Or in South Dakota, visit Wind Cave National Park or Jewel Cave National Monument .

Nearby National Parks : Nearby is relative, but if you’re chasing national parks, there’s a few to look into. You have Indiana Dunes National Park to the north, Gateway Arch National Park to the west, and New River Gorge National Park to the east. All are between a five to six hour drive from Mammoth Cave.

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Apr 5 7 Dos and Don'ts for Planning A Mammoth Cave Trip

There is no question that Mammoth Cave is one of the most unique and incredible places in the US - a definite must-see, bucketlist place at some point in your life.

On our recent trip to this national park, we made some major planning mistakes that we regret because we didn't do the proper research ahead of time and honestly just thought we could wing it.

So we want to share the things we learned with you so you can have the best experience of this amazing natural wonder in Kentucky! Here are our dos and don'ts for Mammoth Cave National Park.

1. Don't Show Up Without A Tour Reservation

This was our first big mistake! We didn't know that the only good way to see Mammoth cave is through the ranger guided tours. Unfortunately, when we arrived, all these tours were completely booked for four days straight, so the only option we had was a self-guided tour. We figured that would be just fine since we did the self-guided one at Carlsbad Caverns and loved it! Boy were we wrong!

The self-guided tour is only about .25 miles in a part of the cave that is quite large, but incredibly short, and there are maybe 4 informational signs at best to guide you through. The whole tour took us a total of 20 minutes and that was with much lingering and asking rangers various questions. We couldn't believe that we just drove 5 hours for 20 minutes of a National Park!

The first part of the self-discovery tour shows old civil war relics from when Mammoth Cave was a saltpeter mine for gunpowder. Pretty cool!

The self-discovery tour definitely shows the massiveness of Mammoth Cave

Luckily we were given a good tip to get up early and hope that another tour had some cancellations. We did just that and were fortunate enough to book the Frozen Niagra Tour in the afternoon! We were 15th in line and by the time we got to the teller, all the morning tours had already been booked up.

So make sure you book your tours online BEFORE you arrive! We sure wish we did!

2. Do Book As Many Tours as Possible

This is a must because even the ranger-lead tours are very very short. The Frozen Niagra tour was incredible and very impressive, but were only in the cave for about 30 minutes. We couldn't believe it was over when the ranger told us it was time to go back to the bus. Our tours in Carlsbad were at least an hour in the cave, so we were a bit disappointed.

This is the feature that gives the 'Frozen Niagra' tour its name! This formation looks like a frozen waterfall but in fact it's calcium carbonate formed over millions of years from a slow dripping water source!

This wouldn't have been an issue if we had multiple tours booked. But unfortunately we did not, so we felt like we missed out on much of the cave and we wanted to stay longer. Avoid this by booking in advance as many if not all the tours so you can get the full experience we wish we had!

More amazing formations on the Frozen Niagra tour.

3. Don't Think You'll See More than 1% of the 400 miles of Cave

Even with booking every tour available, don't count on seeing much of the 400 miles of cave system that makes up the longest cave in the world. Even if you do the 6 hour Wild Cave tour, you are still only getting a small sampling of the 'Mammothness' (that's a word, right?) of the park.

This was a bit disappointing for us as we were anticipating some intense hiking for hours through the cave. However, the park tours are set up much more as a 'taste' of the wonder rather than an experience of it. So make sure your expectations are set right before you go and you will have a great time.

4. Do Dress For 58 Degree Temperature

Yes that is right! Its cold in the cave! We did not expect this and did not dress appropriately the first day on the self-guided tour. Other caves like Kartchner are very warm and humid inside, so we had wrongly assumed Mammoth would be the same. But Mammoth is very cold, wet, and chilling.  After being inside for more than 15 minutes I started to feel it and wished I had brought a jacket.

I wonder if this is one reason why the tours are so short? To protect people from the cold? Idk... In any case, make sure you bring a jacket to keep you warm!

5. Do Camp at the Campgrounds

We absolutely loved the campgrounds here! Each site is very far from the next one and it was very easy to maneuver our big rig in and out of our spot. They even have a large number of pull through sites and it's always a welcomed luxury when you don't have take off the tow car!

View from our campfire one night at the Mammoth Cave campgrounds

View of our campsite backed up to a forest :)

Our site backed up into the forest and we didn't have a neighbor the whole time on either side. It was strange that the campground was so vacant when the park itself was so busy. I guess this park has many more day visitors than other destinations.

The campgrounds don't have hookups, but there is a dumpstation with potable water. The bathrooms were heated and very clean. We really enjoyed our stay.

6. Don't Think You Will Be Attacked By Bats

This is a silly one for us, since we are seasoned tourist cavers, but we overheard many of the visitors worry about bats attacking them. We didn't see many bats on our tours and the ones we did see were as big as your two first fingers pressed together (very tiny). Not the bloodsucking predators you would imagine. A ranger pointed two out to us way up on the ceiling (about 50 feet up) and they looked like little specs from our perspective.

So don't worry about these harmless animals and just enjoy the cave!

7. Don't Expect To Get Great DSLR Photos

This was a super bummer for us because we love taking photos with our Nikon D300 and sharing them with the world. Unfortunately there are no tripods allowed in the cave, and since the cave is so dimly lit it makes it almost impossible to get good shots by hand holding. A few times we were lucky enough to place the camera on a railing or such, but for the most part we had to rely on our Samsung Galaxy S7 camera phone to get clear pictures.

This was taken with the Samsung, not the Nikon, but you can see just how crowded the tours are and how hard it would be to get a good DSLR shot!

Also, since the tours are very crowded and fast moving, its hard to take a breath, let alone a moment to take a shot. Our advice, leave the DSLR at home and take camera photos or better yet, just enjoy the experience without the impetus to record it! We know...we know... almost impossible to do but sometimes you just gotta!

All in all, we really really loved Mammoth Cave- We just wished we knew these things before planning our trip so our expectations were more in alignment with what we would experience. Let us know what you think and if you have any to add!

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DIAMOND CAVERNS

Discovered 1859 – rediscovered daily, cave – gift & rock shoppe – gem mining, 1900 mammoth cave parkway, park city, ky, 270-749-2233.

For over 160 years Historic Diamond Caverns has offered tours of Kentucky’s most beautiful cave. Intricate drapery deposits line the halls with thousands of stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone deposits throughout the entire tour. Knowledgeable guides explain the unique geology and fascinating history of the cave during the one hour long guided tour. The cave is presented by a state-of-the-art lighting system with modern concrete trails and safety hand railings throughout. Browse the caverns gift shop featuring Kentucky Collection crafts, rocks, minerals, fossils, souvenirs, books and more.

Open year-round. I-65 at Exit 48

http://diamondcaverns.com

ONYX CAVE & ROCK SHOP

93 huckleberry knob road, 270-773-2323, seasonal hours: march through december.

Onyx Cave offers 30-minute cave tours, your underground experience includes views of beautiful cave coral, a wall of cave bacon, and a 40′ tall column. Cave tours are led by experienced, knowledgeable guides that will point out the many cave formations. There are few stairs and the cave stays at a cool 60 degrees year-round! Photography is allowed and encouraged. Browse the Onyx Cave Rock Shop for a variety of minerals, rocks, fossils, jewelry, home décor and paintings by local artists. Don’t forget to purchase bag of gems for gem mining in our unique sluice.

www.onyxcave.com

OUTLAW CAVE

Jesse james riding stables & outlaw cave, 3057 mammoth cave rd, 270-773-2560.

OUTLAW CAVE offers a 35-minute non-strenuous, guided tour filled with beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and other breath taking formations. Area legend has it that famous outlaws such as Jesse James, hid out in OUTLAW CAVE and as well as other area caves. A tour in OUTLAW CAVE is perfect for the whole family, where its short length, few stairs, and affordability makes it easily accessible to all. OUTLAW CAVE offers a lantern tour daily as well as normal tours. Outlaw Cave is part of  Jesse James Riding Stables and Mini-Golf. Open Seasonally – For rates or reservations please call 270-773-2560.

CRYSTAL ONYX Cave

Show cave, gift/rock shop, gem panning, picnic area, 425 prewitt’s knob rd, 270-773-3377.

Crystal Onyx offers 2 separate 1 hour, 1/2 mile, unscripted guided tours of one of the regions most beautiful formation filled caves. Focusing on family, fun, education & entertainment. Crystal Onyx is family owned and operated with a unique ‘route 66’ above ground theme. Many photo ops are available with statues & oddities nestled in a secluded woodland setting, high atop the knob. The caves meandering trails have recently been renovated with groomed crushed limestone, new stairs, bridges, handrails and are exceptionally well lit. Reservations are available but not necessary. Crystal Onyx Cave is a seasonal attraction, Trip Advisor calls us Cave City’s #1 Tourist Attraction several years in a row!  I-65 exit 53, 3 miles east, come see us at CRYSTAL ONYX Cave, established in 1960. Open Seasonally –  call 270-773-3377.

www.crystalonyxcaveky.com

HIDDEN RIVER CAVE

Cave – american cave museum – gift shop – gem mining, 119 e main st, horse cave, ky, 270-786-1466.

Guided tours descend 150′ underground. View the remains of a turn of the century hydroelectric system, walk above the Hidden River and witness awe-inspiring chambers. Walk across the longest swinging bridge to see Sunset Dome!

Cave tours last 45-60 minutes and are scheduled upon visitation; roughly 45 minutes apart. Reservations not required. Visitors descend and climb 230 stairs and navigate an outside trail. Group rates are available for groups of 10 or more. The American Cave Museum is a self-guided museum with two floors of exhibits dealing with caves, groundwater and pollution. OPEN YEAR-ROUND

www.hiddenrivercave.com

MAMMOTH CAVE

World’s longest cave – over 400 miles, 270-758-2180.

Mammoth Cave National Park was established to preserve the cave system, including Mammoth Cave, the scenic river valleys of the Green and Nolin rivers, and and hilly karst terrain typical of south central Kentucky. Beneath the sandstone-capped ridges of Mammoth Cave National Park lies the most extensive cave system on earth, with over 400 miles of passageway mapped and surveyed. And yet after 5,000 years of intermittent exploration, the full extent of this water-formed labyrinth remains a mystery. Join us on this journey. You do need advance reservations for Cave Tours. Exit 48 off I-65. Open Year-Round.

http://www.nps.gov/maca

LOST RIVER CAVE

Kentucky’s only underground boat tour, 2818 nashville rd, bowling green, ky, 270-393-0077.

Lost River Cave has one of the largest cave openings in the Eastern United States. The cave has a long rich history including Native American Indians, Civil War encampment, power generation, milling and an “Underground Nite Club”.

A Tour of the Cave and Valley includes a 20-minute Historical River Walk to the Cave opening emphasizing history, geology/hydrology, and folklore; followed by a 20-to-25 minute Boat Tour into the cave. The boat tour enables the visitor to view the large rooms of the cave and its other interesting features. Open Year-Round – I-65 at Exit 22

www.lostrivercave.org

Mammoth Passage Tour

Mammoth Cave National Park Tours

An introductory guided- tour into the Historic Entrance, this section of cave houses many great artifacts left behind by historic and prehistoric people. Staying along broad walkways in some of the largest rooms in Mammoth Cave, this tour is ideal for those who do not like tight spaces, have small children, or anyone looking for a tour with limited steps. This tour is the guided version of the self-guided Discovery Tour. 

This tour will be available daily from October 30, 2023 through November 30, 2023 with half of the tickets being reservable through recreation.gov and the rest of the tickets being purchased at the Visitor Center the day of. You may call the visitor center at 270-758-2180 on the day of your visit to check its availability.

Select a date to see a list of times

Need to Know

All tours begin at the Visitor Center. Tickets must be picked up 30 minutes prior to tour time. No refunds for no shows or late arrivals.

Includes a steep outdoor hillside trail to and from the cave's Historic Entrance. Visitors with known heart or respiratory conditions, poor circulation or difficulty walking long distances and negotiating stairs, should carefully consider their limitations. Evacuation from the cave to a hospital for medical attention could take several hours.

Mammoth Cave National Park is located in the central time zone and observes daylight savings time.

Note: Do not rely exclusively on your mobile GPS, Google Maps, or similar automated navigation systems to get to the park Visitor Center in time for your cave tour. Routes can be misleading and incorrect. Directions from the North: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 53 (Cave City Exit). Turn right onto KY-70. Follow 70/255 as it becomes the Mammoth Cave Parkway in the park. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center. Directions from the South: Take Interstate 65 to Exit 48 (Park City Exit). Turn left onto KY-255 and follow 255 as it becomes the Park City Road into the park. Follow Park City Road until it joins the Mammoth Cave Parkway; turn left. Follow the Mammoth Cave Parkway to the Visitor Center.

Children 5 and under do not require a reservation or ticket. Youth under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older on all tours. Interagency Senior and Interagency Access ticket pricing applies to Interagency Senior and Interagency Access Pass holders only. The Interagency Annual Pass is NOT accepted for tours or camping.

Mammoth Cave may not offer the Mammoth Passage Tour year-round. Please check the current program schedule. 

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Discovery Self-Guided Modified

Mammoth Cave National Park

Location: LAT/LONG: 37.187140, -86.101410

Repeating event, type of event, description.

Many people visiting Mammoth Cave ask, “May we visit the cave without a guided tour?” The answer is yes! This self-guided tour requires a ticket, and proceeds into the Historic Entrance. Focusing on early history and prehistory of the cave, this section of cave houses many great artifacts. This tour is ideal for people wanting to move at their own pace or are looking for a cave experience without much time commitment. This tour is the self-guided version of the guided Mammoth Passage Tour. Includes part of the Historic Modified Tour and all of the Mammoth Passage Modified Tour routes.

Reservation or Registration: Yes

Carlsbad Caverns vs. Mammoth Cave: Which is Better?

When comparing Carlsbad Caverns to Mammoth Cave, it can be difficult to determine which of these national parks is better.

While both have incredible caves at the heart of the parks, each one has its own specific reasons why you should visit.

My family and I have explored both, so I’m breaking down everything you need to know about each park below, including highlights of what to see and do, which tours to take, and more.

With Mammoth Cave National Park located in Cave City, Kentucky, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park located in Carlsbad, New Mexico, you’ve got options on both sides of the United States!

Let’s dive into what these cave-based parks have in common, and what makes each of them stand out.

Highlights in Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Located in southeastern New Mexico—just a few miles from the Texas border—Carlsbad Caverns offers up incredible hiking above ground in the Chihuahuan Desert and miles of pathways 600 feet below the ground.

While your Carlsbad Caverns itinerary needs a full 2 days to truly appreciate the entire national park, the heart of this property is in its intricate caverns.

NOTE: You will need a reservation to enter the caverns, a process that comes with a $1 fee per person. This fee is in addition to your entrance fee and any tours you choose to go on.

Desert Beauty in an Ancient Seabed

It’s hard to believe now, but this area of New Mexico was once covered in water.

Back when the continents were squished together in Pangea, that sea was somewhere near the equator.

The salty, warm sea ultimately created a massive reef, which eventually fossilized, leaving behind the incredible formations that we can now tour inside Carlsbad Caverns.

While the cave was officially discovered by Jim White in the late 1890s, this expanse of desert had been occupied for more than 14,000 years by local Native American tribes, meaning that the park has a rich history .

White, who was a teenager at the time of his discovery, was a pioneer in New Mexico caving, and is largely responsible for bringing tourism to this cave.

Even today, that spirit of exploration continues for visitors who choose to walk the same route as White’s first journey into the cave.

That walk into the Natural Entrance of the cave provides some scale as to the vastness of this place, and it is an excellent way to start your visit to the caverns.

Exploring the Park

Carlsbad Caverns has plenty to do above and below ground, so plan to spend 1-2 full days here.

If you’re just interested in the caves, you should do the self-guided tour of the Big Room and the Natural Entrance.

These tours provide a great overview of the layout of the caverns and allow you to see the gorgeous and intricate cave formations here.

I’d also highly recommend the Carlsbad Caverns King’s Palace Tour , which (at the time of this writing) was the only ranger-led tour available at the national park.

This 1.5 hour tour gives you access to areas off-limits to the self-guided tour folks, and you’ll have an experienced and knowledgeable ranger to share fascinating details about the cave’s history, biology, geology and more.

There are several excellent surface hikes, the Bat Flight program, and the Junior Ranger program.

The closest town is Carlsbad, New Mexico, which offers up a variety of restaurants, shops, and big box stores.

If you have another day or two, Guadalupe Mountains National Park is just across the Texas-New Mexico border!

Carlsbad Caverns National Park with Kids

While both Carlsbad Caverns and Mammoth Cave are both fascinating for kids, we found that Carlsbad Caverns had a bit more of a wow factor to it.

This is largely because of the sheer number of stalactites and stalagmites that decorate every inch of this cave.

The Big Room in particular is stunning in its vastness and rock formations: this room alone has a 1.5 mile loop trail, where you’ll see cave pools, rock formations, draperies, and more.

Yet, this cave is incredibly accessible, meaning that families with small children and those with disabilities can still explore fully.

The entire self-guided tour has a wide, paved path with clearly marked handrails and signage.

I found this tour to be one of the most accessible in all of the national parks that we’ve toured so far.

To get to the Big Room, you have 2 choices:

You can choose to go down elevators through several hundred feet of bedrock, which is an adventure of its own for younger kids, or

You can walk the 1.25 miles down through the Natural Entrance. For older kids who don’t mind the extra walking, this is the way to go thanks to the awe-inspiring (and huge!) entrance into the side of the cliff face.

Other kid-friendly things to do here include the excellent ranger program, the interactive visitors center exhibits, and the short surface walks.

Best of all, we found many other things to do in and near Carlsbad, New Mexico, for my family when we were outside of the park.

One of our favorites was exploring Lake Brantley State Park, which has one of the best campgrounds in New Mexico !

Highlights in Mammoth Cave National Park

Over on the other side of the United States is Mammoth Cave National Park, which is hidden away in pine-covered hills just off of I-65.

Located about halfway between Louisville, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee, this beautiful national park is a great road trip stop or a long weekend destination from either city.

Mammoth Cave National Park is such an important site that it was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, providing further protections for this national park.

Much like Carlsbad Caverns, you’ll need 2 days to full appreciate this area, but Mammoth Cave can be done in 1 day if you’re in a rush.

NOTE: You do NOT need a reservation time for this national park at the time of this writing. You will need to pay the entrance fee and for any tours you plan to go on.

You’ll need to book those tours ahead of time to ensure that you get the time, date, and tour that’s best for your family.

History in the Rolling Hills of Kentucky

Unlike Carlsbad Caverns which was never used directly for human habitation, Mammoth Cave National Park has been in use by humans since at least 5,000 BCE.

During that time, native tribes used it for shelter, for mining, and for food preservation.

When the first Europeans made contact with the cave, they continued to explore the massive underground caverns and to seek out new ways to use the resources they found within.

Today, visitors can walk in the footsteps of all of these explorers on the self-guided tour or one of the many ranger-led tours.

While this cave doesn’t have the massive entrance that Carlsbad Caverns has, the descent down into the dark cave mouth is still fascinating.

All of the tours begin here and require visitors to walk down several sets of steep stone stairs.

Unlike Carlsbad Caverns, Mammoth Cave has many areas that aren’t great for very young children or those with mobility issues.

The stairs at the entrance and exit points are both steep (and numerous!), and several passages, including the Fat Man’s Misery, are impassable for those who can’t manuever their way through tight passages.

Visiting during the spring and fall are the best times as the crowds are lighter and the weather is perfect for those surface hikes.

October visits also have the added bonus of gorgeous fall foliage through this area of Kentucky.

The closest town to Mammoth Cave National Park is Cave City, Kentucky. While it is small, it offers up several chain hotels, a few restaurants, and the historic Wigwam Village motel , which is our choice for where to stay.

Kids will also enjoy the nearby Dinosaur World, which is kitschy in the best way.

Mammoth Cave National Park with Kids

Instead of—or in addition to—the self-guided tour, you’re going to want to take a ranger-led tour while at Mammoth Cave.

We love doing these walks with the rangers at national parks because the experience provides so much history, science, and culture that just isn’t possible with a brochure and signage.

The best Mammoth Cave tour for kids is the Historic Tour, which my family and I loved.

On this tour, your ranger guide will show you many fascinating features of the cave, including the Bottomless Pit, the old saltpeter mining equipment, the treacherous path taken by the earliest European explorers, and Fat Man’s Misery.

The 2 hour tour allows families to go in depth within the cave’s history without letting kids get too fidgety.

Elsewhere in the park, kids should complete the free Junior Ranger program to earn a badge—a favorite of the Camping Kiddos!

We also enjoyed the beautifully done interpretive exhibits in the visitors center, which is well worth a half an hour or so.

If the weather is nice, head out onto one of the many surface trails that crisscross the park to get a feel for what this area is like above and below ground.

Final Thoughts: Carlsbad Caverns vs. Mammoth Cave

Since both national parks are incredible, much of your decision will come down to your choice of location. Would you rather explore an otherworldly, remote desert location or a more conveniently located forested location?

Of the two cave systems, Carlsbad Caverns is the more visually stunning, thanks to the vast number of intricate rock formations.

Carlsbad Caverns also wins for the best cave entrance, thanks to the massive Natural Entrance.

Plus, Carlsbad Caverns has the Bat Flight program , which is unique. While Mammoth Cave has more than a dozen types of bats that live there, you’ll only find the nightly bat flight at Carlsbad Caverns during the late spring and summer.

Mammoth Cave, however, truly lives up to its name, particularly in areas like the Rotunda Room, which could easily fit several houses inside of it with room to spare.

Mammoth Cave has fewer stalactites and stalagmites than Carlsbad Caverns, but the rock features—and the sheer vastness of the caves—more than makes up for that lack of decoration.

Mammoth Cave also has a longer human history timeline, which could be a consideration for those more interested in the historical over the geological.

I appreciated that Mammoth Cave had more ranger-led tours available, but I’m also hoping that Carlsbad Caverns will reinstate more of their programs in the coming years.

We loved the difference experience we had at both of these incredible national parks, and I hope that you’ll be able to visit one—or both—of these with your family soon!