This Cave is Mammoth!

On the third day of their cross country trip Black Cloud and Worse Luck woke to another rainy day... they were bummed because they were pretty sure that the weather would ruin their plans for the day. But they headed into Kentucky and checked out Mammoth Cave National Park anyway. And it was amazing!!

The caves are full of interesting stalactites and other formations.



While the dynamic duo usually prefers self-guided tours, they signed up for the Frozen Niagara Tour. This involves a short bus ride to the cave, followed by an hour long, 1/4 mile, easy walk through the cave with a Park Ranger. **Spoiler Alert!** This is what the namesake, Frozen Niagara formation looks like. It is accessed by an optional flight of 90 or so steps. It is so worth it!!

 

 

Roadtripper Wisdom: When the Ranger says, "watch your head," or "mind the uneven floor," be sure to pay attention. Worse Luck is tall and he almost whacked his head several times. Plus, our guide told us some horror stories about people needing stitches because of serious injuries in the cave.

 

While the Frozen Niagara Tour is less claustrophobic than the other cave tours, it does have a few tight spots. The caves are kind of chilly so bring a jacket, wear good sneakers or hiking boots, and don't look up if you don't like the thought of Cave Crickets inches from your hair!

 

 



The cave is the main attraction, but there are also some things to see above ground. There is a nice gift shop, camp sites, hiking trails, and Ranger Tours of the grounds... don't miss the opportunity to see some beautiful wildlife. In the summer of 2011, there were turkeys everywhere.

 

 

Park information: Reservations are recommended for tours, call 877-444-6777. The park is located at: 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway, Mammoth Cave, KY 42259. Our GPS (for once) had no problem guiding us right there. For latest hours Click here. The Park is on Central Time (so if you show up on Eastern Time you'll have to wait around for a while). Of course, that's what Black Cloud and Worse Luck did, so they spent some quality time in the parking lot.