The weather forecast called for rain. Lots of it. ~And we drove through five hours of a steady downpour to get to our drenched destination! Not the ideal start for a spring break get-away, maybe, but when you’re headed underground anyway, weather becomes an irrelevant and incidental detail.
Each time we ventured underground at Mammoth Cave National Park, we knew exactly what to expect: Slightly damp and 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Above ground, we never knew. Our first afternoon we started hiking the River Bluff trail in a drizzle. By the time we gained view of the Green River though, the rain had slowed to occasional drips that added a pleasing glisten to the striking colors of the woods.
“Green” varied from almost white lichen to springy yellow-green moss to edgy shades tinged with black.
Stone and tree accentuated one another with contrasting grays and browns, and a spread of fall leaves framed insistent spring flowers.
We found ourselves adding one more trail, and then another, until we’d covered most of the terrain surrounding the Visitor Center area. Highlights included misted views of the meandering Green River and of a one time steamboat landing that had delivered visitors to Mammoth Cave in the early 1900’s.
We also found hints of the grandeur below: The icy blue green waters of the subterranean River Styx that spilled free of the cave into a nestled pool before flowing on to the Green River. And the Mammoth Dome Sink, one of many unremarkable looking bowl-shaped depressions that funnel surface water into the caves below.
We wondered who might be walking far below us on a cave trail; it was a strange sensation to know a labyrinth lay just below our feet.
Mammoth Cave National Park Map and Visitor Information
Miles of trails both above and below ground.
Hiking, biking, kayak/canoe, horseback riding, hunting/fishing, camping…
“Yes” for pets (not in Cave; kennel available within park)
Park Fees: None for park entry. Cave tours range from $5 – $48.00 with discounts for youth and senior citizens.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7; Mammoth Cave, KY 42259
Phone: 270-758-2180
Directions: Travel south on I-65 from Louisville, KY. Take Mammoth Cave/Cave City exit 53 and follow the signs to Mammoth Cave NP.
Park Website
View Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky in a larger map
Tags: 1 Adult/3 Children, Caves, Hiking, Kentucky, Mammoth Cave National Park by Heather Dugan
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