MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK

EDMUNSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY: Visited December 2023

Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941. The park is just over 82 square miles above ground. However, the highlight of the park is it’s cave system, carved out by rivers millions of years ago. The cave system, which spans over 400 miles and has about 7 floors, is the largest cave system in the world. Although there is hiking above ground throughout the park, underground is where the real adventure is!

CAVE TOURS

Although the park and its trails are free, you must have a ticket in order to enter the caves. There are lots of tours to choose from depending on the season. I would highly suggest booking ahead of time, especially during the summer season. But no matter the time of year or the weather outside, the caves remain about 62 degrees.

HISTORIC TOUR

Distance: 2 miles

Total Stairs: 540

Estimated Time: 2 hours

This tour is one of the most popular tours in the park. It is **$20** a person. This entrance to the cave is one of the only “natural” openings. The tour is about 40 people with a tour guide in the front, who stops every so often to give a well informed history lesson, and a guide in the back to push along stragglers.

This tour is great because it gives you well rounded look of the natural beauty of the caves as well as mans influence on them.

Immediately when entering the cave, there is evidence of the saltpeter mining operation from the 1700s and 1800s.

Salt peter was mined here and used for gunpowder. Artifacts from this operation still remain in tact including tools, buildings, and structures.

As the tour leads you deeper into the caves, the pathway is always lit and paved.

You will see “graffiti” dating back to the 1800’s. These name were burned into the rocks using nothing but torches. A famous tour guide, Stephen Bishop, was an enslaved worker in the cave. At the time, he had explored and discovered more of the cave then anyone else. Eventually he would give tours to people who wanted to see the caves (and the mummies!) themselves. He would write their names on the wall as a way to learn to read and write.

While one the tour, there a couple of “difficult” places to cross. There are bridges over deep pits, tight spaces, the most famous being “Fat Man’s Misery”, and places you will need to crouch, like “Tall Man’s Misery”

Overall this cave tour was a great jumping off point to understanding the caves and their history. Sadly, due to time, this was the only tour I did, but I look forward to going back to see more soon!

EXTENDED HISTORIC TOUR

Distance: 2 miles

Total Stairs: 540

Estimated Time: 2.5 hours

This tour is the same as the Historic Tour with a “bonus” that will only cost $3 extra (**$23** total)

On the extended tour, you will get to see the little “village” where they tried to treat patients of “consumption”, or tuberculosis. In 1842, Dr. John Croghan believed the damp, controlled, cool climate of the caves would help alleviate if not cure those suffering from consumption. He purchased an area of the cave and build limestone buildings (some of which are still standing) to house his patients. Patients did begin to see vast improvement, though they could never leave the cave. They had to be brought food, water, and sometimes a newspaper to know what was happening in the world.

However, after a while, conditions began to worsen. Believe to be caused by the inhalation of smoke and ash from lamps and fire as well as “too much” damp air made the lungs give out. It is believed by some, because of all the deaths, this area of the cave is haunted! If it tickles your fancy to learn more about the paranormal side of mammoth caves, I suggest listening to the podcast “And That’s Why We Drink” episode 322.

And That's Why Drink Episode 322