Mammoth Cave NP (Bowling Green, Cave City: motels, to buy, high school)

[JEM91]

This is pending, but planning a trip to Nashville TN soon, and thought about going up to Mammoth Cave NP to see it.

For those who have visited the area (this will be my first time in Kentucky) - is the best way to see the cave through the National Park itself, or is there a better tour you suggest?

Are there any hidden gems/interesting stops in the area to see while in that area?

[kygman]

Hope you check on the tours before you just drive up and are ready to go. Here's from the National Park Service web site on Mammoth Caves.
"In response to COVID-19 and following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Mammoth Cave National Park is offering a revised tour schedule. The schedule will be comprised of limited guided tours. Space will be limited. Due to the cave's popularity, tickets to Mammoth Cave often sell out and tours may be already booked upon your arrival unless you have placed a reservation. Reservations are strongly recommended and are the only way to ensure you have a spot on the tour."
Don't know about other cave tours. Haven't been since '73, my junior high school year. We were only interested in the ones in the park at that time.
On your way to Cave City, you'll see the Corvette Museum and plant just off I-65. Plant tours are closed because of Covid, but you might want to check out the museum.
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/visit/plan-a-visit/

Have a safe trip and enjoy!

[JEM91]

Thanks for the reply,
I've visited the website and was going to book a reservation if that is what we plan to do, - wasn't sure if there were other ways of seeing the cave, so it looks like we will book straight through the NP Service if we plan to go.

I am aware about COVID so we aren't planning much at this time, we shall see how it looks in a couple of months.

[CraigCreek]

The National Park Service tours are the only way to visit Mammoth Cave. In addition to overnight accommodations, there's a good small museum, gift shop and standard restaurant in the Visitors' Center near the Historic (cave) Entrance to the cave. Cave temperature will be around 50 degrees, so a light jacket will be comfortable, along with good walking shoes. The Frozen Niagara tour is one of the more scenic, while the Historic Tour is excellent for well, history.

You can walk several yards into the (natural) Historic Entrance without having to buy a ticket, for those who just want to say they've been inside Mammoth Cave (the world's longest cave), but for a fuller, more memorable experience, tours are the way to go.

The park itself is scenic, heavily wooded and rolling. There are many good hiking trails and a lot of wildlife - look for deer and wild turkeys in particular. Admission to the park itself is free, but you'll pay for cave tour tickets. Parking is also free.

If your visit is scheduled for mid to late March, you may see some early spring wildflowers: bloodroot, rue anemone, twinleaf, perhaps trout lilies and woodland phlox.

There are many other scenic caves in the area, privately owned and operated. You'd need to find out ahead of time which ones are presently open, etc. In addition, there are lots of rock shops, antique shops, fast food and other chain restaurants and motels, all of which cater to tourists.

The Corvette Museum is outstanding and much worth visiting, even if you're not a sports car buff. You'll see it from the Interstate, on the edge of Bowling Green: look for the big yellow cone with the top lopped off.

Enjoy your visit!

[nalabama]

Some parts of the cave tours can be physically challenging according to older friends who have regretted their choices. I would recommend inquiring in advance regarding what your tour will include.

[kygman]

Originally Posted by nalabama

Some parts of the cave tours can be physically challenging according to older friends who have regretted their choices. I would recommend inquiring in advance regarding what your tour will include.

My wife checked that out before our trip about 20 years ago. On this page I'm posting, scroll way on down to "Descriptions of Currently Offered Cave Tours." It tells you which tours are open and the time, distance and how many steps you'll be going up and down.
I remember going with a group while in high school. We took the long tour, up to 4 hours I think, which included lunch in the dining room in the Snowball Room, 250 feet or so below the surface.

https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/cave-tours.htm

[marino760]

Originally Posted by kygman

My wife checked that out before our trip about 20 years ago. On this page I'm posting, scroll way on down to "Descriptions of Currently Offered Cave Tours." It tells you which tours are open and the time, distance and how many steps you'll be going up and down.
I remember going with a group while in high school. We took the long tour, up to 4 hours I think, which included lunch in the dining room in the Snowball Room, 250 feet or so below the surface.

https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/cave-tours.htm

Thanks for posting the link. I've only been there once also about 20 years ago and it was a great experience. I hope to see more of the caves this year.

[JEM91]

Thanks for all of the information!

[flashfearless]

I was probably last through there 30 years ago. I thought my then obese wife wasn’t going to finish. So consider that.

[hogsettfinancial]

We really enjoyed the "Wild cave tour". Also known as the "I can't believe people are nuts enough to book this" tour. - Worth every penny.

At lunch, there is an elevator to the surface that gives persons an option to leave. 2 people chose to bail as they barely made it that far. Lots of crawling on your stomach. I have a thin athletic build and was beat at the end of the day.