Chicago Camping, Canoeing, & Outdoor Adventures Group

Let's Camp: Mammoth Cave National Park, KY

Thu, Apr 16 · 7:00 PM CDT

Mammoth Cave National Park, 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway, Mammoth Cave, KY, US

Let's Camp: Mammoth Cave National Park, KY

We are heading to Mammoth Cave National Park for a great weekend of camping, hiking and touring caves. Mammoth Cave is about a 6+ hour drive from Chicago.

FYI: Average Temps: High 72, Low 46, Sunrise: 6:06 CDT, Sunset: 7:20 CDT

Visitor Center Area Map: https://www.nps.gov/npgallery/GetAsset/b7b020c3-a5df-45b7-8943-bf16ddf3858f
Mammoth Cave National Park Map: https://www.nps.gov/npgallery/GetAsset/b04c5c0e-fe2e-4830-b99b-ef953e9796f0

Post in the comments if you are looking to share a ride and/or a campsite.
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My Tentative Schedule (You may join us or not.):
Thursday Night: Arrive and setup camp. Maybe an evening hike around trails by campsite. Enjoy the campfire.
Friday Morning: Extended Cave Tour
Friday Afternoon: Hike out and back on the McCoy Hollow Trail. Since it is out and back, the number of miles is up to you.
Friday Evening: Enjoy the campfire.
Saturday Morning: Grand Avenue Tour
Saturday Afternoon: Hike around the visitor center area (about 5 miles).
Saturday Evening: We will have a potluck Saturday evening. Please bring a dish to pass.
Sunday: Pack up and head for home.
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Camping:

We will be camping at Mammoth Cave Campgrounds. They do have showers and flush toilets. The sites don't have electricity. The sites are $25 per night. (If you have the America the Beautiful Pass, the cost is $12.50 per night.) You can have a max of 2 vehicle at the site. You may have up to 8 people on the site. I believe you can have as many tents that can fit on the site.

I am in Loop C, on site #82. (Campground map is in the photo section below.)

To reserve a site: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232467

More information on the campgrounds: https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/macacampground.htm

If you are not interested in camping, there are hotels in Cave City that are less than $75 per night. Go to https://www.booking.com/ to find prices. (Cave City is about 20 minutes from Mammoth Caves Campground.)

Cave Tours:

I am planning on doing the Extended Historic Tour ($27) on Friday at 9:15 and the Grand Avenue Tour ($42) on Saturday at 9:45. It is a 4 hour tour.

Note: If you have the America the Beautiful Annual / Senior Pass, you can purchase you tickets online at full price then present your card in person when you check in for the cave tour to have half the price of your tickets refunded!

Here is a link for information on all of the tours: https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/cave-tours.htm

To reserve tour tickets, go to: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/234640

Grand Avenue Tour
At 4 hours long, this lengthy tour explores the geologic diversity of what Mammoth Cave has to offer. Going through slot canyons, tubular passageways, tall canyons, and tunnels sparkled with gypsum, this tour is the longest walking tour we offer. This tour also encounters hundreds of steps and ascends and descends many tall, incredibly steep hills. Covering a wide variety of the history and geology of Mammoth Cave, this tour is ideal for those wishing for a lengthy, half-day hike inside of the cave. This tour has 1521 mandatory stairs with an optional 98 stairs in the drapery room.

Extended Historic Tour
Discover the fascinating story of Mammoth Cave on this extended version of our classic Historic Tour. Explore the immense chambers that gave Mammoth Cave its name before descending into much tighter passageways deep inside the cave. Be prepared for a physically challenging experience, as this tour involves hundreds of stairs and steep inclines without alternative routes. This tour also includes a visit to the site of an 1840s-era underground tuberculosis hospital experiment. Ideal for history enthusiasts and adventurers alike, this tour is a great option for those wanting to delve deeper into the cave’s rich history!

This is a great trip. I hope you can make it.

Kevin

Let's Camp: Red River Gorge, KY

Thu, Apr 23 · 7:00 PM CDT

Koomer Ridge Campground, Pine Ridge, KY, US

Let's Camp: Red River Gorge, KY

I am planning on doing a lot of hiking. You may join me or chose you own activities.

Red River Gorge is about a 6:30+ hours drive from Chicago.

We will be camping 3 nights at Koomer Campgrounds.

FYI: Average Temps: High 72, Low 52, Sunrise: 6:45 EDT, Sunset: 8:19 EDT

Post in the comments if you are looking to share a ride and/or a campsite.

I am on Site #7. (There is a campground map in Photo's below.)
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Tentative Schedule (You may join us or not.):

Thursday: Arrive, setup camp.
If time, Hike to Silver Mine Arch (2.8 miles) and Hidden Arch (2.3 miles) from the campgrounds. If not enough time, we will doing it another evening.

Friday Morning: Hike (7.3 miles) Double Arch, Star Gap Arch, Arch of Triumph, Auxier Ridge, and Courthouse Rock Loop

Friday Afternoon: Drive River Gorge Scenic Byway. We will be checking out arches near the roadway and Nada Tunnel.

Friday Evening: Relax by the fire.

Saturday Morning: Hike (5 miles) Indian Staircase and Cloud Splitter. This is one of the more challenging trails in are area. You will be proud of yourself when you finish this hike.

Saturday Afternoon: Go the Natural Bridge State Resort Park for a hike (The State Resort Park is 10 miles from the campgrounds.). If like, you can take a sky lift to the top of Natural Bridge ($11 one way or $17 round trip). I will be walking it. We will be hiking the the Natural Bridge and Battleship Rock Trails (5.5 miles)

If we have interest, we can also hike the Whittleton Arch and Henson's Arch Trail (3.79 miles) from the State Resort Park.

Saturday Evening: Potluck. Please bring a dish to pass.

Sunday Morning: Pack up and head for home.
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The Red River Gorge is a unique, scenic natural area that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Spectacular rock features, including sandstone arches and towering cliffs, are just part of the attraction. Outdoor enthusiasts come to the gorge year-round to enjoy hiking, camping, canoeing, wildlife viewing and other recreation opportunities.

Red River Gorge NPS website : https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/danielboone/recreation/red-river-gorge
Hiking Map: https://redrivergorgetourism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/red-river-gorge-hiking-map-summer-2025.pdf

Camping:

We will be staying at Koomer Ridge Campgrounds. There are showers and flush toilets but no electricity. Half the sites you can reserve and half are 1st come 1st serve. The cost is $35 per night. ($17.50 per night if you have the America the Beautiful pass.)

Make reservations at: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10311270

Koomer Ridge Campgrounds Map: https://usfs-public.app.box.com/s/uv28hc08gky5zkaw4bzowmqk1jbiqgs3

If you are not into camping, I would suggest Black Bear Lodge Motel (< $100 per night) or Natural Bridge State Resort Park ($136 per night).

This is a great trip. I hope you can make it.

Kevin

Camping @ Allegan State Game Area, MI - Ely Lake Campground

Fri, May 1 · 5:00 PM CDT

Ely Lake Campgrounds - Allegan State Game Area, 5020 116th Ave., Fennville, MI, US

Allegan State Game Area, MI - Ely Lake Campground

Are you ready for a campfire? You can get the sites when you get there.
We will be staying at Ely Lake Campgrounds on Individual Sites at Allegan State Game Area for 2 nights. Pit toilets only. No showers or flush toilets and no electricity. The campsites are $17 per night. ($8.50 per night if you are over 62 with ID. Make a copy of driver's license and place in envelope when you pay.) You can have 4 people, 2 tents, and 2 cars per site.

FYI: Average Temps: High 65, Low 45, Sunrise: 6:35 EDT, Sunset: 8:44 EDT

We will have a potluck Saturday evening. Please bring a dish to pass.

You may come for 1 or 2 nights.

We are trying to get sites from #31 to #41.

If interested, we will be hike 11 miles (with a 5.5 miles option) hike on Saturday around Swan Creek.

We are close to Fennville (8 miles), Allegan (12 miles), Saugatuck - on Lake Michigan (18 miles), and Holland - Tulip Fest is happening (22 miles).

Ely Lake Campgrounds:
Ely Lake Campground's Address: 5020 - 116th. Ave., Fennville, Michigan 49010 GPS: 42.533933, -85.829832
Campground Information, click here.
Campground Map, click here.

About Allegan State Game Area:
Nearly 50,000 acres of family fun. Pitch your tent beside a cold-running stream or deep-woods pond and relish in the tranquility that surrounds you. One campgrounds with over 20 miles of hiking trails. Bird watchers can enjoy the spring and fall migrations of waterfowl, warblers and many other species. There are canoe routes, much of which passes through country little changed from the days when it was home to the Ottawa, Potawatomi and Chippewa Indians.

Hiking Trails Map, click here.

This is a great trip. I hope you can make it.

Kevin