Let's Camp: Mammoth Cave National Park, KY

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