he earliest explorers to probe the dark recesses of Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave didn’t believe they would ever find an end to

it. Passageways stretched for miles, past cathedral-like cave formations and caverns sparkling with gypsum crystals, underground rivers and vast canyons. In the end, their best measurements were still impres-sive: Mammoth Cave wanders at least 350 miles below the earth’s surface, and is thought to run about 379 feet deep.

Exploration continues. Some geologists believe Mammoth Cave could well have another 600 miles of uncharted passageways, yet to be discovered.

The sheer girth and eerie depths of this mag-nificent hole in the ground have intrigued visitors for decades, sparked imagina-tions and stood the test of time as a top vacation destina-tion. It remains, for many, one of America’s great must-see attrac-tions. Visit with the crowds who gather here — throngs of people in the summer — and you hear the same stories, time and again from those who remember visiting here as a kid, now returning to experi-

ence it with their own families.

“The last time I was here was as a young teen-

ager,” recalled Dorothy Massey, of Jacksonville, Fla., who returned to the park in May with her husband Wendell as part of a journey both sentimental and practical. “This time, we just picked up our new RV, a Phoenix Cruiser, in northern

Indiana and we’re wandering our way back home,” she explained. “It’s fun to come back here and share this together.”

Today, Mammoth Cave National Park sits at the epicenter of a rec-reational haven, with ample camp-ing, hiking, fishing, horseback rid-ing and caving opportunities to please the most diverse palates. And Mammoth Cave is just the beginning of the region’s under-

Kentucky’s Cave Country offers a world like no other, from spectacular underground

attractions to aboveground adventure

ROUTE 66 Road Trip By Kimber Williams

�Scenic Route

Vol. 2 / No. 3

Kentucky is a land of

obvious charms, from

sprawling fields of native

bluegrass to lush, tree-

covered ridges and steep

limestone bluffs. But

what’s hidden just below

the surface attracts thou-

sands of visitors each

year — miles of subter-

ranean wonders tucked

out of sight. Welcome

to Cave Country, one of

the nation’s most dense

concentrations of spec-

tacular wet and dry cave

formations, a showcase

of magnificent geological

architecture culminating

in the granddaddy

of them all, Mammoth

Cave National Park.

T

deepinto the

Masseys

(left to right) Mammoth Cave National Park Visitor Center is your first stop to caving adventure. Cave tours vary in length and intensity; pick the right one for you. Knowledgeable guides share on-the-spot lessons in cave history and geology. Participants in the Wild Cave Tour must be ready for an extreme physical challenge.

ROUTE 66 Road Trip

ground wonders. It’s one of nine “show caves” open to the pub-lic, each with its own distinctive personality.

From crystalline draperies to majestic onyx pillars, from cas-cades of colorful calcite deposits to delicate gypsum flowers, getting down and dirty in Kentucky’s sub-terranean scene is a cool journey, in more ways than one.

A Mammoth Adventure

The world’s longest known cave is many things: sculpture garden, time capsule, dark frontier and endless playground.

It’s also a living history lesson. Formed over the last 350 mil-lion years, what is now Mammoth Cave was created from a geologi-cal recipe of sand, sea and lime-stone within a landscape simply ideal for forming caves. Today it remains a scientific treasure.

While evidence suggests indig-enous people first traveled within the cave between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago using cane torches, local legend holds that the cave was “rediscovered” in 1791 by a hunter chasing a bear.

When the cave was found to contain salt peter — a critical component in making gunpowder — a commercial salt peter leaching factory was established there during the War of 1812. Remnants of those operations are still visible today.

Public interest in the cave also began to grow. By 1838, a regu-lar guide force was established. In 1839 Dr. John Croghan, a new owner, opened the cave as a commercial tourism operation, promoting it as “one of the great wonders of the world.”

Mammoth Cave was fully established as a national park in 1941, with only 40 miles of mapped passageways.

Today, the cave system is known to extend well beyond park bound-aries. And it’s easily reached on good paved roads, about 10 miles west of I-65, via Ky. Route 70 (exit 53) or Ky. Route 255 (exit 48).

Above all, it’s an enormously popular tourist stop. So unless you’re visiting off-season — and there is

much to be said for that option — you really need to plan ahead.

For visitors, the National Park Service has wisely divided the cave into over a dozen different tours, each focusing on a slight-ly different aspect of Mammoth Cave, from its human history to its strange animal life and geological attractions. (See sidebar). Entrance to the park is free, though there is a fee for cave tours.

The trick is choosing a cave tour that best matches your inter-ests and abilities.

Are you an avid shutterbug? Check out the new “Focus on Mammoth Photo Tour,” the only tour that allows you to bring in camera cases and tripods.

Interested in a quick overview? Consider a guided “Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour” or the “Historic Tour,” which will take no more than two hours.

Want to learn about prehistor-

deep

Photo courtesy of the National Parks Service.

Caves of Central Kentucky:1- Diamond Caverns, (270) 749-22232- Crystal Onyx Cave, (270) 773-23593- Hidden River Cave, (270) 786-14664- Kentucky Caverns, (800) 762-28695- Lost River Cave, (886) 274-22836- Mammoth Cave National Park, (270) 758-21807- Onyx Cave, (270) 773-35308- Outlaw Cave, (270) 773-2560

Where To Stay:Barren River State Park, Lucas, (800) 325-0057Cave Country RV Campground, Cave City, (270) 773-4678Cedar Hill Campground, Park City, (270)749-2891Crystal Onyx Cave & Campground, (270) 773-2359Jellystone Park Campground, Cave City, (800) 523-1854 / (270) 773-3840KOA Campground, Bowling Green, (270) 843-1919KOA Campground, Horse Cave, (270)786-2819Mammoth Cave Campground, Mammoth Cave National Park,(800) 967-2283Nolin Lake State Park, Bee Spring, (270) 286-4240Singing Hills Campground, Cave City, (270) 773-3789

1 2

3

4

5

6

78

Pho

to c

ou

rte

sy o

f th

e N

atio

na

l Pa

rks

Serv

ice

.

�Scenic Route

Vol. 2 / No. 3

ic cave users? The “Violet City Lantern Tour” or “Star Chamber Tour” are good bets.

The “Great Onyx” and “Frozen Niagra” tours are also excellent for providing a good sampler of dramatic cave formations. And children ages 8 to 12 can even enjoy their own “kids-only” cave experience on the “Trog Tour.” Parents or guardians remain for a 15-minute introduction and stay behind, greeting children upon their return from the 2.5-hour jour-ney. Child-size helmets and lights are provided.

Die-hard spelunkers flock here for the six-hour wild cave tours, a true physical challenge, with lim-ited openings, for the very fit.

Also, be aware that Mammoth Cave truly is a national treasure, so security is a big deal. If you are tak-ing a cave tour, leave purses, back-packs, camera bags and tripods, and strollers in the car, no exceptions.

Lockers are available for valu-ables. Sturdy shoes are a must and bring a light jacket or layer your clothes — the average cave tem-perature is around 54 degrees.

Tours vary in physical demands and time commitment — most run two to three hours — but you can bank on the fact that the most popular will sell out fast.

That means it’s a long drive here only to have a trailer full of disappointed kids. So your best bet is to reserve tick-ets well in advance. You can do that through calling the National Park Reservation Service at (800) 967-2283 or going online.

For a complete listing of tours, check www.nps.gov/maca and click on “cave tours.” If you already know what you want, go to http://reservations.nps.gov/.

Tickets may be picked up or purchased at the Mammoth National Park Visitor’s Center.

If you’re feeling lucky and just want to take your chances, be prepared to arrive early and wait in line. There is plenty on-site to entertain and educate, from stroll-ing nearby hiking paths to grab-bing a bite to eat or enjoying an informational film or ranger-led talk. RV parking is no problem.

RVers will definitely want to check out the park’s Headquarters Campground, located a scant half-mile from the Visitor Center, with links to area hiking trails. This serene, forested setting offers 109 sites with a paved parking area, picnic table and fire grate. There are no hookups for sewer or elec-tricity, but restrooms, fresh water and a dump station are available. If you don’t mind a self-con-tained experience, it’s really the way to go. In a pinch, you’ll find shower facilities at the Service Center Camp Store.

Though the campground is busiest in peak summer months, a weekend visit in early May revealed less than 10 trailers and motorhomes, making for lots of leafy privacy. A nearby camp store is at hand for those forgotten sup-

plies, but that’s about it; make sure you’re well-stocked on the way in.

Beverly and Phil Fraser, of Orangevale, Calif., decided to give the campground a try, sight unseen. They

tucked their 36-foot Tropical RV motorcoach into a cozy spot near the campground entrance and weren’t disappointed.

“This was one national park we hadn’t been to. And we’ve always wanted to do the Kentucky Derby, so we decid-ed to combine the two,” said Beverly Fraser, who has been a full-time RVer with her husband for about seven years. “We love it. It’s beautiful here. Everything is so green and lush,” she added. A note of caution: Without water hookups in the campground,

10Scenic Route

Vol. 2 / No. 3

Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour:• Brief overview tour. Focus on

common cave landmarks.• Good for those with little time.• 1 1/4 hours (guided). 3/4 mile.

120-180 stairs. One steep hill climb.

Historic Tour:• Large trunk passages, oldest

tour routes, cultural history.• 2 hours. 2 miles. 440 stairs.

Some steep hill climbs.

Frozen Niagara Tour:• Deep pits, high domes, dry

and wet cave passages.• 2 hours. 3/4 mile. 500 stairs.

Steep hill climbs.

Travertine Tour:• Easiest tour. Emphasis on cave

formation. Some flowstone formations. Best suited for slow walkers, those who need canes, visitors with small children or infants.

• 1 1/4 hours. 1/4 mile. 13 stairs. No steep hill climbs; short ramp at entrance/exit.

Violet City Lantern Tour:• Nostalgic lantern light cave

experience; focus on prehistoric cave users, early cave explora-tion/tours, commercial uses.

• 3 hours. 3 miles. 160 stairs. Many steep hills, up and down. No children under 6.

Great Onyx Lantern Tour:• Mammoth Cave community

life from 1841-1941, dripstone formations by lantern light, park surface features.

• 2 1/4 hours. 1 mile. 40 stairs. No steep hill climbs. No children under 6.

Star Chamber Tour:• Lantern light tour retraces the

oldest tour trails past notable landmarks.

• 2 1/2 hours. 1 1/2 miles. 200 stairs. One steep climb, to and from cave entrance.

Trog Tour:• Kids only! Explore the connec-

tions between the sunlit world and the cave world.

• 2 1/2 hours. 1 mile. Some eleva-tion change, crawling through dust and over rocks is required.

Focus on Mammoth Photo Tour:• A short evening tour for amateur

photographers past many popular landmarks.

• 2 hours. 1/4 mile.13 stairs. No steep hill climbs.

Introduction to Caving Tour:• Beginners learn safe caving

techniques, natural cave environ-ment, cave exploration. Climb and descend cave walls, belly crawl, walk in crouched position, hand and knee crawls over rough rocks and dirt. Chest and hip measurement may not exceed 42 inches. Helmets, lights, kneepads provided. Reserve tickets must be picked up 30 minutes prior to departure or they will be sold to others.

• 3 to 3 1/2 hours. 1 1/4 miles. Physically challenging.

Wild Cave Tour:• Focus on safe caving techniques,

environmental concerns, past/present cave exploration, team building. Free climb cave walls, long crawls through areas as tight as 9 inches high, hand and knee crawls over jagged rocks and dirt, crawling through wet areas. Chest and hip measure-ment may not exceed 42 inches. Helmets, lights and knee pads provided.

• Reserve tickets must be picked up 30 minutes prior to departure or they will be sold to others.

• 6 to 6 1/2 hours. 5 1/2 miles. Extreme physical challenge.

(Note: Tour offerings can change seasonally. For current listings, go to www.nps.gov/maca/.)

North

0

0

0.3 Mile

0.3 Kilometer

GR

EEN

RIV

ER

Echo River

River Styx

Hiking trail

Paved hiking trail

Wheelchairaccessible trail

Bicycle trail(gravel)

Cottages

Scenicoverlook

Parking lot

Green

River

Blu

ffsTrail

Miss Green RiverBoat Dock

Green RiverFerry Whites

Cave

MammothDomeSink

CampfireCircle

Amphitheater

Service Center

Hercules Train

Mammoth Cave Hotelrestaurant

Visitor CenterPark Headquarters

SunsetPoint

HistoricEntrance

DixonCave

WoodlandCottages

CAVEIS

LAND

EATON VALLEY

Entrance Rd

Flint

Ri

dge Road

River Styx Spring Tr

Echo

River

Sprin

gTr

ail

Mammoth Dome Sink

Trai

l

Dixon

Ca

veTr

HeritageTrail

Jopp

aR

id

ge

Roa

d

Green

RiverFerry Road

SouthEntrance

Road

(unp

aved

)

North

Frasers

Photo courtesy of the National Parks Service.

11Scenic Route

Vol.1 / No. 6

We serve up memories hot off the griddle.

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the Frasers do suggest filling up before you arrive. The couple also brought along a tow car for regional exploration, something they would recommend.

There is as much to enjoy aboveground in the park as there is below — poking about pioneer cemeteries, ducking into muse-ums, and crossing the Green River by ferry to enjoy northwest portions of the park. Anyone who is capable should try and take at least one of the cave tours, they urged. “We’ve been in a lot of caves, and this one was really interesting,” said Phil Fraser, who recommends the Great Onyx Lantern Tour.

The Land Down Under

The great thing about Kentucky Cave country is that you’ve got plenty of caves to choose from.

So if the lines are too long at Mammoth Cave, follow Mammoth Cave Parkway to near-by Historic Diamond Caverns. It’s affordable and an excellent exam-ple of dramatic wet cave forma-tions tucked into a compact area.

Diamond Caverns is the fourth oldest “show cave” in the coun-try, well-lit with modern con-crete trails, and open year-round.

As with most “wet caves,” they showcase fantastic stalactites, stalagmites and eerie flowstone formations. But beware: if it’s raining above, wet caves grow even wetter. Watch your step and dress appropriately for “cave kisses” — unexpected rivulets of cold water falling upon you.

You can also head over to Cave City, a knot of commer-cial tourist attractions situated just off I-65. Here, try a quick 30-minute tour of Onyx Cave, where a combination of seeping water and calcite crystals lends an unusual shimmering quality to cave walls and dramatic columns. Onyx Cave is open from March through November. You’ll also find Outlaw Cave, which offers a 45-minute nonstrenuous guided tour past classic cave formations. Legend suggests that outlaws, including Jesse James, may have taken refuge here — the natural opening is actually large enough to ride a horse through.

Archeology buffs won’t want to miss Crystal Onyx Cave, which features a working archeological site where ancient remains of Native Americans have been dated at around 680 B.C. Experts believe that over 3,000 years ago Native Americans may have used this cave as a burial tomb. A one-hour tour takes you past an assortment of calcite forma-tions, including some of the larg-est viewable rimstone dams in the area. It’s open every month except January.

If you don’t mind stretching your scope, you can catch even more cave variety within easy driving dis-tance. To

the south, take Kentucky’s only underground boat tour at the Lost River Cave & Valley, in Bowling Green. As a natural shelter, the cave has seen many uses, from a haven for Native Americans to a staging location by both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. In the 1930s and 1940s, this cave was even home to a unique nightclub, which fea-tured some of the hottest big bands of the day. The boat tour is available year-round, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

To the north, bone up on cave lore at the American Cave Museum, located in downtown Horse Cave. Touted as the nation’s only museum dedicated to caves, this attraction merges aspects of cave history, science and cul-ture. It also marks the entrance to Hidden River Cave, an 8-mile labyrinth of passageways linked by an underground river, Hidden River. Take a one-hour guided walking tour of the cave’s down-stream portion or a three-hour Wild Caving Adventure Tour. Though this cave was closed to the public for 50 years due to groundwater pollution, it’s made an incredible comeback.

For one of the most novel cave experiences out there, be sure to check out Kentucky Caverns/Kentucky Down Under, located just off I-65 at exit 58. Here, you’ll find a good example of regional wet cave formations in a tour that won’t take all day. In addition, visitors also can jour-ney into a transplanted Australian outback, strolling an expansive

property filled with inter-active exhibits and oodles of animals. Crikey! What a bargain!

Children will delight at the chance to pet kanga-roos, wallabies and emu, or enter an aviary to find col-orful lorikeets who don’t

hesitate to perch on your

12Scenic Route

Vol. 2 / No. 3

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head. From the Kookaburra Kingdom (we dare you to keep a straight face) to a facsimile of a real Aussie wool-shed (feed a baby lamb!), this attraction is designed to be family-friendly and seemed an enormous hit with kids.

It’s also a sign of the times in Cave Country. One guide confided that without add-on features, many of today’s smaller show caves can’t make a go of it. But Kentucky Caverns/Kentucky Down Under is a commer-cial marriage that really works — plus a great place to stretch your legs and let kids shake off their sillies. And RV parking is no problem.

One more tip: You can usually shave a few dollars off the price of admission at many outlying cave attractions by purchasing tickets via a “Cavelands Passport,” available at the Mammoth National Park Visitor’s Center ticket desk.

A World Beyond the Darkness Once you’ve emerged blinking back into the sun-

light, it’s time to check out Kentucky’s surface world. Kentucky’s Cave Country seems to sit on the road to somewhere, an easy drive from either Nashville, Tenn., or Louisville, Kentucky — both terrific communities to explore. That’s great for RVers like Dave and Diane Duvall, brand-new full-timers who want to make the most of their time out on the road.

“We’re going up to the Kentucky Derby next week,” said Diane Duvall, who brought their Diplomat LE to Mammoth Cave’s Headquarters Campground for a few nights in late April. “We were in Nashville this morning and decided that we wanted to get about halfway there, so this was just perfect.”

Like so many visitors, Diane remembers visiting Mammoth Cave as a girl and was happy to return with more time to explore.

Consider hopping in your rig and getting a visual orientation by cruising the Duncan Hines Scenic Byway, an 82-mile trek that starts at the former home of author Duncan Hines in Bowling Green and loops through several small, quaint communities and Mammoth Cave National Park. Along the way, you’ll witness historic mansions, a one-room schoolhouse, train depots, intriguing old cemeteries, Civil War battlefields and more antique shops than you can count. Be sure to bring a camera.

You’ll also ferry across the Green River — an excel-lent place to put in a rental canoe or kayak, or to explore the waterway on the Miss Green River, a scenic boat cruise along the very river that helped shape the cave system

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13Scenic Route

Vol. 2 / No. 3

Kayak and canoe enthusiasts enjoy exploring the peaceful waters of the Green River, which winds through the heart of Mammoth Cave National Park.

at Mammoth Cave National Park some 3 million years ago. Buy tickets at the Visitor’s Center, grab a picnic lunch, and board the boat at the Green River Ferry landing.

Today, the Green River typi-cally runs wide and shallow, offering a lazy journey past dra-matic cliffs, dense forest, islands and several subsurface springs. The river — which appears a sur-prisingly milky green hue — runs east to west for 25 miles through the park. It contains nearly 100 species of fish, and no fishing license is required within the park; so cast away!

Mammoth Cave National Park also offers 60 miles of hiking trails on the north side, a chance to immerse yourself in the forested solitude of rugged hills, deep valleys and an occasional waterfall. Back country hikers should sign the trail-head registers. Hike up north, park officials advise, and you may not see another living soul all day.

Truly intrepid hikers may want to check out Big Woods, a 300-acre old-growth forest in the park’s extreme northeastern tip, populated with magnificent old trees that tower 100 feet over the forest floor — the very trees seen by Kentucky’s first settlers. To reach it, you’ll need a compass and GPS map, as there are no formally cut trails.

Mammoth Cave National Park is also one of the first national parks to permit mountain biking on select back country trails.

The park’s south side and Visitor Center area feature short-er, easily accessible trails that are great for day hikes, including Sloan’s Crossing Nature Trail, a boardwalk that circles a pond; Cedar Sink Trail, which rambles among various sink holes; and the Turnhole Bend Nature Trail, which leads to Turnhole Bend Blue Hole on the Green River

— at over 50 feet deep, the park’s largest spring.

From the Visitor Center or Headquarters Campground, you can also catch some scenic but nonstrenous trails through mixed woodlands brightened by white and pink dogwood blossoms in the spring. Wildlife abounds, from rich bird life to white-tailed deer that can be seen grazing mid-day. In early May, we were also met with a profusion of gorgeous butterflies, which seemed to flit everywhere you looked, like col-orful bits of origami.

For an easy walk with great views, consider trying the Green River Bluffs Trail and the Heritage Trail; both can be reached from the Visitor Center picnic area. Any hike through the park is a symphonic experience.

Mammoth Cave National Park is home to more than 200 species of birds, including 37 species of warblers, barred and horned owls, pileated woodpeckers, scarlet tana-gers and wild turkey. You might also spot anything from a great blue heron or belted kingfisher to a bald eagle cruising along the Green River, noted for its diverse bird life.

Speaking of water, you’ll find some fine lakes to the north and south of Mammoth Cave National Park — both would make fine des-tinations or side trips. Nolin Lake sprawls across across portions of Edmonson, Grayson and Hart coun-ties just north of the park boundary.

This state park also offers camping and picnic sites and is a favorite for

game fishing, including small-mouth and large-mouth bass, crappie, blue-gill, walleye and catfish. To the south, Barren River Lake covers over 10,000 acres in Barren and Allen counties.Warm water fish species dominate; the lake is stocked with striped bass and rainbow trout can be found below the dam. You’ll also find a swim-ming beach and state resort, complete the dock facilities, boat rentals and a decent lodge restaurant.

If you tire of the natural world, poke into Cave City for a big dose of kitschy fun. Dig for fossils and stroll past over 100 life-sized dinosaurs (OK, they’re statues) at Dinosaur World. Saddle up for guided trail rides through Cave Country at the Jesse James Riding Stables. Or just sit back and enjoy a scenic chairlift to a mountain-top overlook. It’s all here in flashing neon glory.

Nearby Bowling Green is a good place to restock supplies, and don’t miss the National Corvette Museum, featuring clas-sic Corvettes dating back to 1953 when the cars first began to roll off the assembly line. You can even watch workers build the beloved American sports car at the GM Corvette/Cadillac XLR Assembly Plant. Public tours run weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

(For more information about Kentucky Cave Country, check out www.kentuckytourism.com or www.Ky.CaveRegion.org). [

14Scenic Route

Vol. 2 / No. 3

• Scenic boat ride on the Miss Green River, Mammoth Cave National Park

• The National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green

• Duncan Hines Scenic Byway• Buy provisions at Caver’s

Camp Store, Mammoth Cave National Park

• Breakfast at Travertine Restaurant, Mammoth Cave Hotel, Mammoth Cave National Park

• Pet a kangaroo, check out Australian animals at Kentucky Down Under, located near Horse Cave

• Berties Ice Cream, just outside of Brownsville

• Guided trail rides through Mammoth Cave National Park

• Double “J” Stables, at Mammoth Cave Trailhead

• Trog tour, a kids-only 2.5-hour tour in Mammoth Cave

• Nolin Lake, one of Kentucky’s top five lakes for bass, catfish, crappie and walleye

• Live country and gospel music at The Factory, in Cave City

• Visit the American Cave Museum, located in downtown Horse Cave

Don’t Forget

• Sturdy, rough-soled shoes or boots and warm clothing for caving

• Purchase a “cave passport” for discounted entry to sev-eral caves

• Camera with a good flash• Canoe/Kayak/Fishing gear• Kentucky is split into two

time zones; set watches/clocks accordingly

Good Eats, Great Sites:

(clockwise from the top left) Miles oftrails, paved and unpaved, appeal to hikers and bikers. The Miss Green River takes visitors on a leisurely scenic cruise past rugged cliffs, dense forests and natural springs. (Lower) Motorhomes tuck into campsites in the Mammoth Cave Campground, where reservations are strongly encouraged during peak summer months.