Mammoth Cave National Park guides
11 in-depth guides to Mammoth Cave National Park, in reading order: what to see, how to get around, and what to know before you go. Back to the Mammoth Cave National Park overview.
Summer or Winter: Touring a 54°F Cave
Inside Mammoth Cave, the air holds a steady 54 degrees all year long, so the temperature underground in July matches January.
Mammoth Cave Tours: From Easy Walks to Crawls
Ranger-led cave tours are the only way to see the underground side of Mammoth Cave, the world's longest known cave system, with more than 400 miles explored so far.
420 Miles and Counting: Mapping the Longest Cave
Beneath Mammoth Cave National Park lies the largest cave system on Earth, and no other known cave is even half its length.
Paddling the Green River National Water Trail
Visitors can paddle more than 30 miles of the Green and Nolin Rivers as they wind through the park.
Karst Country: Sinkholes, Springs and Carbonic Acid
Mammoth Cave sits in a landscape of eroded limestone known as karst topography. The Mammoth Cave area is a classic example of this kind of terrain.
Life in the Dark: 130 Cave-Dwelling Species
About 130 kinds of life live in Mammoth Cave, and most of them are small. Biologists sort them into three groups.
Lost John and the Prehistoric Cave Miners
In 1935, the body of an adult man was found under a large boulder inside the cave. He was later named Lost John.
Old-Growth Forest Remnants and Beech Ravines
Most of the park's forest is second-growth woodland. Scattered through it are small patches of old-growth forest that have seen little disturbance, a type that is uncommon in Kentucky.
Staying the Night: Lodge, Cabins and Campgrounds
Camping at Mammoth Cave centers on Mammoth Cave Campground, one of three developed campgrounds in the park.
North of the Green River: Backcountry Trails
The backcountry trails north of the Green River cover the northern side of the park, with more than 60 miles of trails to explore.
Visitor Center Trails: Springs, Sinkholes and River Views
The park visitor center sits among 7.2 miles of trails that pass along ridgetops and river views while also reaching sinkholes, cave-fed springs and historic sites.
