Mammoth Cave State Park in Kentucky offers a variety of guided tours that cater to different interests and physical abilities. Whether you’re a seasoned cave explorer or a first-time visitor, there’s a tour that will suit your needs and provide an unforgettable experience.
Accessible Tour
This tour is designed for visitors with limited mobility, using the Elevator Entrance and passing through historic Cleaveland Avenue. It features decorated walls and geological formations, allowing you to witness the cave’s beauty without navigating stairs.
Broadway Tour
The Broadway Tour follows the path used during nearly two centuries of touring, entering and exiting through the Historic Entrance. It visits iconic landmarks such as the Rotunda, Broadway Avenue, Methodist Church, Booth’s Amphitheatre, Giant’s Coffin, and the Tuberculosis Huts.
Cleaveland Avenue Tour
If you’re interested in geology and history, the Cleaveland Avenue Tour is for you. This tour focuses on the unique geology and history of Cleaveland Avenue, showcasing sparkling walls of gypsum and tube-shaped passages.
Discovery Tour (Self-Guided)
The Discovery Tour is a self-guided option, available daily between 10:00 and 2:00 during the month of July. This tour allows you to explore the cave at your own pace and discover its wonders on your own.
Grand Avenue Tour
The Grand Avenue Tour explores the history of Mammoth Cave, visiting iconic landmarks such as Giant’s Coffin, Bottomless Pit, Tuberculosis Huts, River Styx, and Mammoth Dome. It includes a steep outdoor hillside trail and uses lanterns during portions of the tour.
Grand Historic Tour
The Grand Historic Tour is a comprehensive exploration of Mammoth Cave’s history, covering the same iconic landmarks as the Grand Avenue Tour. It’s a longer tour, spanning 4 hours and covering 4 miles (3.2 km) with 640 stairs.
Historic Tour
The Historic Tour is a classic option that visits historic areas, including tunnels used for thousands of years. It’s ideal for those with an interest in history and a sense of adventure, as it involves hundreds of stairs and steep inclines.
Star Chamber Lantern Tour
The Star Chamber Lantern Tour is an evening tour that explores historic sections of the cave in the lighting of the earliest explorers. It focuses on early history and includes a trip into Gothic Avenue.
Other Tours
In addition to the tours mentioned above, Mammoth Cave State Park offers an “Introduction to Caving Tour” and a “Mammoth Passage Tour,” as well as the “River Styx Tour,” which has varying fees.
General Information
- Reservations are recommended and can be made up to 6 months in advance through Recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777.
- Refunds are available if canceled before the tour time and date, with a $1 per ticket charge.
- Visitors with limited mobility should review tour descriptions and consider their limitations when choosing a tour.
- Flash photography, camera tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks are prohibited, and visitors must walk on bio-security mats at the conclusion of the tour to protect the spread of a fungal disease threatening cave-hibernating bat populations.
Contact Information
- Phone Number: 270-758-2180
- Website: www.nps.gov/maca
References:
– Mammoth Cave National Park – Other Cave Tours
– Recreation.gov – Mammoth Cave National Park
– Recreation.gov – Mammoth Cave National Park Facility
– Mammoth Cave National Park – Fees
– Mammoth Cave National Park – Cave Tours