Mammoth Cave National Park

We stayed in Park City, Kentucky, just a few miles from Mammoth Cave. The whole area is a maze of caves all around. Everywhere you go there are signs about another cave. Across the street from our RV park was Diamond Caverns. We were going to go there but they said there were about 360 steps on the tour. Well… that was definitely not for me. I was disappointed because I really wanted to go into a cave. When I called Mammoth Cave Services I was told that the minimum amount of steps was 60 down and then the same 60 up… Well, here again I was disappointed.

But, when we went to the visitor center we were told they did have an accessible tour which went down via elevator. So we decided to go on that tour. I was thinking they would take us down and then we would see all the beautiful caverns. Boy, was I wrong! The area we went to was really plain compared to some of the other areas of the caverns. However, we did get to see at least part of the cave. They turned off the lights and we experienced the total darkness of the cave.

The guides were fantastic and we learned a lot about Mammoth Cave. There had been a cafe in the section that we saw. When they needed water they tapped into the water in one of the cave levels above the cafe. This is the only place where water has been pumped down instead of up. The cafe is no longer open but the pipe they used is still there. See the picture below. They told stories about famous people who had come to the caves. We saw a section of the cave where Jenny Lind sang and that was named after her. Other famous people had part of the cave named after them and they never even stepped foot inside the cave.

Mammoth cave has 412 miles that have been explored and mapped. Yet there is a lot more of the cave that has not even been explored. It has many levels and is quite a maze. All these explored miles are within the boundary of the park which is about 26 square miles. Amazing, isn’t it??

Here are a few of the pictures that we took. It was not possible to get real clear pictures due to the darkness. The cave is so much more beautiful than what we saw. I included a picture that shows the different levels of the maze that makes up the Cave. Also picture of the names written on the wall. Years ago people paid money to the guides for the privilege. Look it up online and check out the beauty that God created in the mammoth cavern.

After our cave tour we rode around the park to see the other sights. At one point we crossed the river on a ferry. We also drove down a gravel road to see an old Baptist church and cemetery. We also saw some of the beginning fall colors along the way. It was a great ride.

The next day we went to the Mammoth Cave Wildlife Museum. It was really awesome. Real stuffed animals in life-like habitats. I have included just a few of the pictures that we took. Hope you enjoy.