Mammoth Cave National Park Is More Than Just a Cave. Our Writer Proved It.

“Can you help me find my parents?” said the boy.

The frightened 10-year-old approached us on a trail beneath towering trees in a lush bottomland forest. We were hiking through the front country on our first day at Mammoth Cave National Park in south-central Kentucky. Not far away, the Echo River bubbled from an underground spring into a tributary branch of the Green River.

The boy explained he’d been searching for what felt like forever after becoming separated from his family. After asking my wife and the boy to be silent for a moment, I grasped the situation. Muffled by the dense woods, we could hear the faint sounds of people yelling.

“You have to stop walking,” I said.

The boy nervously shook his head, so I explained. He and his family were both moving counterclockwise around one side of a figure-eight loop. Unless he stopped, they’d continue circling or possibly turn away from each other. We walked the boy over to the nearby trail junction to wait.

It was the type of minor incident that sometimes escalates in big national parks like Great Smoky Mountains or Yellowstone. Not necessarily something I would have expected at Mammoth Cave. But I was starting to realize there was a lot more happening at this misunderstood national park.

Once the boy’s parents arrived, my wife and I continued our hike past intriguing surface features of the karst landscape. At the base of the bluffs, we viewed the dripping maw where the River Styx emerges. Ascending the bluffs above the Green River, we noticed sinkholes and natural entrances that allowed storm runoff to flow into the limestone caverns below. It was a perfect introduction for when we later ventured inside the caves. But for now, there was plenty more to explore on the surface.

A Forgotten Forest
For years, this part of Kentucky was a blank spot for us. I’d passed around it on all sides. To the north, driving I-64 with St. Louis friends to paddle rivers like the New, Gauley, and Russel Fork. To the west, on the way toward Nashville. To the south and east while exploring the Appalachians and Cumberland Plateau. Whenever we saw signs for Mammoth Cave NP, we were curious but un-swayed. We’d been to Onondaga Cave and Meramec Caverns. Why detour for another underground tour when there were mountains to hike and trail systems to bike?

Once we began road-tripping with a travel trailer, I started researching new places to camp. A few details about Mammoth Cave caught my eye. While most of the half-million annual visitors head below ground during a day trip, 82 square miles of rugged surface seem almost forgotten. Located in a transitional ecosystem, the park’s forests are a mix of Midwestern hardwoods like oak and hickory and Southeastern species like tulip poplar, red cedar, and Virginia pine.

In a karst region known for famous caves and rolling hills, there was more than just hiking and camping. There was a backcountry area with two purpose-built mountain biking loops. Plus, river paddling and gravel cycling. There was a microbrewery in nearby Bowling Green. It sure sounded like a national park worth checking out. So, in late May, on a month-long road trip, we set up our camper for four nights, hoping to explore it all.

Backcountry Mountain Bike Trails
On road trips, our focus includes biking, paddling, and hiking. It’s rare to find campgrounds offering immediate access to worthwhile options for all three. Since national parks are not typically known for singletrack mountain biking, I was curious how good the trails could be.

On our second day, we rode the paved road away from camp. Next came a fast and steep descent with about 500 feet of elevation loss in the final mile approaching the river. There was something really fun about riding bikes onto the deck of the park’s two-car ferry. We had the short ride across the Green River to ourselves. On the other side, it was not nearly as fun climbing an equally steep paved road into the park backcountry.

After turning off toward Maple Springs Group Campground, we reached the official trailhead. My wife took one sweaty look at the empty parking lot and offered some fair feedback about my trip planning.

“Wait, we could have driven here?”

“But then we wouldn’t have discovered how difficult it is to bike here,” I replied. “For research purposes.”

“So happy for you,” she said.

A little over a mile on the flat Maple Springs trail led to the Big Hollow trail system. There’s around 11 miles of singletrack, with 600 feet of elevation gain and the same amount of drop. We started with the easier North Loop, using a shortcut connector to ride the best sections in both directions. This was a well-made cross-country trail, fast and flowy along the bluff tops.

With the heat rising, my wife decided to skip the harder South Loop, offering a pointed reminder about the paved ascent back to camp. I agreed to teach myself a lesson by further tiring my legs before attempting the road climb. The three-mile South Loop was a bit more technical, with some optional jumps and rocky sections to navigate. All told, this was a surprisingly solid trail system. A good choice for novice bikers, families, and fitness riders.

While cooling off on the breezy downhill, I passed my kind of sign: “ROAD ENDS IN WATER 1 MILE AHEAD”

Paddling the Green River
“The current moves about five knots,” warned a visitor center staffer when I stopped by for river info.

Equivalent to just under 6 mph, this claimed speed would make Kentucky’s Green River one of the fastest in the world, possibly second to only the mighty Amazon. Another ranger said to expect solid Class II-II+ water that borders on Class III at higher levels. This didn’t match what I’d read.

Meanwhile, a friendly family in the campground had described a pleasant float stream with decent current. Regardless, the two officials rattled me enough to not only wear a PFD but bring a throw rope. We briefly considered but ultimately skipped taking helmets.

Conflicting information like this is common when exploring new places. Not every NPS employee actually knows their vast parks that well. The result is people in uniform dishing out inflated claims and discouraging visitors from trying anything out of the ordinary. At a cave-focused park like this one, they seemed particularly unfamiliar with paddling.

Of course, the campground family was right. For paddlers experienced with Class I-II float streams, this was a mellow and scenic section. The Dennison Ferry put-in involved some steep steps, but it was manageable. Just downstream, we paddled inside a cool river-level cave. Continuing, we encountered occasional spring inflows and grassy islands. Frequent wildlife included two bald eagles, dozens of ducklings, and some very big turtles.

“Don’t shell-shame the turtles,” my wife joked.

We took out above the ferry and locked our kayaks to a boat rack. After walking back to camp, I biked a hilly shuttle to retrieve the truck. When it came to moderate adventures, this hidden gem of a park seemed on point.

Drinks and Dinner in Bowling Green
The college town of Bowling Green was a 30-minute drive from camp — within striking distance for a memorable Saturday night. However, when we walked inside what Google Maps claimed was White Squirrel Brewery, we weren’t so sure. The beer taps had no handles, and sitting at the bar were five friendly regulars who seemed equally surprised by our arrival. The young bartender explained that the brewery was moving to a new location. Then she told her regs to yell if they needed anything, and she joined us on the patio.

“Nice to have some new faces,” she said.

We talked about the region and the town and the wackiest character in the place. The tall fella eventually came outside, toting a large telescope that, according to the bartender, he frequently misplaced around town. He was a jack-of-all-trades — actor, filmmaker, and autism expert. He had appeared in an episode of “Breaking Bad” before moving home to care for his ailing grandfather. Recently, he had completed a documentary about Hunter S. Thompson. At some point, everyone came outside. Then, we went inside with everyone. It was a great night, and we’d probably still be there if we hadn’t had a cave tour reservation the next day.

Later that fall, while passing through, I managed to stop by White Squirrel Brewery. The new taproom was open inside the brewery warehouse. The beers were excellent, especially the pale ale and amber. During an interesting conversation at the bar, I learned that Bowling Green is debating its future. Some residents want it to become a small-town Nashville, with a neon strip of country music bars. Others envision something more like an Appalachian outdoor town: greenway paths, hiking areas, and mountain bike trails. Time will tell what happens, but if the surface adventures above Mammoth Cave are any indication, the region could definitely support the latter.

Gravel Biking and Cave Touring
In addition to surface activities, my wife and I made sure to go inside Mammoth Cave. Guided tours are what most visitors come for, and these often sell out ahead of time. Online reservations using recreation.gov are strongly recommended. Tours range from short walks on paved paths to rugged hikes through undeveloped sections.

Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system in the world, with over 425 miles of passageways currently mapped and further extensions being discovered each year. Due to an impermeable caprock, water inflows are limited to scattered sinkholes that feed underground streams. Otherwise, the cave is mostly dry, known for long corridors and vast chambers that formed over millions of years.

The toughest tour is the six-hour Wild Cave Tour, involving crawling through tight passages to reach remote areas. Another active option is the popular Violet City Lantern Tour. There weren’t any spots available for the latter during our first trip, so later that fall I snagged a ticket when passing through.

That morning, I rode my gravel bike on the park’s Railroad Bike and Hike Trail, which roughly follows the route of a tourist train that operated from 1886 to 1931. Today, nine miles have been converted to a gravel rail-trail. I started riding the wooded path from near the visitor center, where a historic steam engine and passenger car are on display. This was a solid ride. The hills were better than expected, and I stopped for a scenic side-stroll around the boardwalk at Sloan’s Crossing Pond.

At 1 p.m., I met up for the Violet City tour. Using only lantern light, about 30 of us left behind the developed chambers and followed dirt paths deep inside the underground labyrinth. For three hours, we explored about three miles of caverns, switchbacks, rock formations, and underground waterfalls.

Finally, we reemerged on the bright surface of this forested park. A place that’s filled with hidden adventures, both below ground and above.

***

Above Ground at Mammoth Cave National Park

Biggest surprises: 82 square miles of rugged forest with many miles of front-country and backcountry hiking trails. Plus, 11 miles of fun mountain biking, a nine-mile gravel rail trail, and an eight-mile float trip.

What to bring: Hiking shoes, mountain bikes or gravel bikes, and canoes, kayaks, or paddleboards.

When to go: Cave tours are offered year-round, but for above-ground adventures, aim for the milder seasons of spring and fall.

How far: A five-hour drive from St. Louis.

Where to stay: Mammoth Cave Lodge has rooms and cabins. Mammoth Cave Campground has spots for tents and RVs, but no hookups. Both options are centrally located near the surface activities. Additional lodging and house rentals can be found outside the park.

What to do: Why not do it all?

Author: Mike Bezemek is a frequent contributor to Terrain.

Top image: Mike Bezemek.