In the middle of Kentucky, an easy day’s drive from a HUGE swath of the United States, lies Mammoth Cave National Park. The park is world’s longest known cave, encompassing over 400 miles of explored caves. In addition, it includes over 53000 acres of forest, and about 70 miles of trails, so even if you are a bit iffy about going underground into a cave, this park has a lot to offer!

I arrived in Mammoth Cave National Park on the afternoon of Saturday March 31, which is significant, because the next day was Easter. As such, the park was pretty much deserted by about 5pm. This visit was near the end of a 9-day road trip starting in Milwaukee and going as far south as Congaree National Park in South Carolina. I decided that I would stay AT the park, rather than find a cheap hotel nearby. I checked in to the cabin that I had rented for the night.

I normally start my stay in a park with a visit to any National Park Service property at the visitor center. I have a personal rule to watch the movie they offer, as it usually gives an outstanding overview of the area, its history, and what you are likely to see. I did that and was not disappointed. The rangers there, as they are at most parks, were helpful, and helped me select a short hike to do, since it was late, and I was tired. I hiked down to the Green River, and to a spring. The hike was quiet, with very few other people on the trail. The place was teaming with birds, and plants and it was nice and serene.

The cabin, as seen in the photos, is one of 9 cabins that are located across the parking lot from the visitor center. The cabin is about 15' x 15', and has nothing more than a bed, fridge, bathroom and a small table. It seems very nice and cozy, but no TV. I guess when you are in a National Park, you don't really need a TV, but when you are on day 7 of a 9 day road trip through National Park Service Properties, it would be nice to just sit back and watch some stupid TV for a bit.

In the morning, I had a tour scheduled for 10am to see the cave. I walked to the visitor center and met up with the guide and other guests. We took the short walk to the mouth of the cave, and the guide was informative and gave some history of the cave while we walked. At the mouth of the cave, you can feel the cool air coming up from the mouth. It is a bit eerie descending the steps, as you feel like you are entering a different time and place. The lighting, temperature, scenery, EVERYTHING changes within just a few steps. The cave was interesting, there are over 400 miles of cave that they have surveyed so far, and they are confident that more will come. The cave itself has been used over the years for mining, and military hideouts, and lots of tours. The tour I took was about 2 hours long, and traveled through only about 1.5 miles of cave, yet it gave a good indication of just how narrow some of the passages could be. Some of the rooms were huge and could have held a few houses in there in the past... crazy stuff.

I enjoyed my visit to Mammoth Cave and would like to do some additional hiking there some day, I was definitely impressed by how many trails they had. Next time!