Mammoth Cave National Park
Sights To See
There is a lot to do and see at Mammoth Cave National Park, both above ground and below. While the cave itself is the main attraction, make sure to check out all the park has to offer, including its massive old-growth trees, diverse bird populations, teeming rivers, striking karst terrain and wild caves. Recreational activities abound at Mammoth Cave—don't limit yourself to a cave tour. Canoe down the beautiful Green River, hike on the rugged North Side, bike on backcountry trails and camp under the stars.
Big Woods
Don't miss Mammoth Cave National Park's 300-acre old-growth forest that's aptly titled "Big Woods." Many of these magnificent trees—the same trees seen by the first settlers in Kentucky—tower 100 feet above the forest floor. This ancient temperate deciduous forest filled with oak and hickory is a union of past and present, a rare example where nature's will has gone unchallenged and unexploited. Note: This area is not signed and has no trails. If you hike here, you need to use a compass and a topo map or GPS.
Frozen Niagara
A visit to Mammoth Cave is not complete without a glimpse of this massive curtain of flowstone. The incredible formation cascades downward for 75 feet, creating the illusion of a stone waterfall and striking wonder into all that see it. Frozen Niagara is located in one of the few areas in Mammoth Cave with the speleothems that most people associate with caves. To see Frozen Niagara, take the Frozen Niagara Tour, the Grand Avenue Tour, the Travertine Tour or the Wild Cave Tour.
Birds Galore
Mammoth Cave National Park is home to more than 200 species of birds. Spotted thus far in the park: 37 species of warbler (11 of these actually nesting in Mammoth), barred owl, horned owl, pileated woodpecker, scarlet tanager, sparrow and wild turkey. Besides more common park inhabitants such as the great blue heron, the red-tailed hawk, the spotted sandpiper and the belted kingfisher, a number of rare visitors also visit Mammoth Cave seasonally including: the snow goose, the double-crested cormorant, the bald eagle, the osprey and the snowy owl. As elsewhere, the early riser (at sunrise) spots the bird.
A Mammoth Fish
Anglers will find good fishing in Mammoth throughout the year, with spring and summer being most productive. Black bass, crappie, bluegill, muskellunge and catfish—not to mention almost 100 other species—frequent the Green and Nolin Rivers. These rivers support an unusual diversity of fish, as well as over 50 species of freshwater mussels, including seven endangered species. Nolin Lake's tail waters (just north of the park) are stocked with nonnative rainbow trout.
A Wild Cave
Family-friendly tours, such as the half-mile Discovery Tour, highlight Mammoth Cave's history of mining and exploration, as well as the history of its amazing geology. The park also offers wild caving tours for the serious spelunker. Unlike a developed show-cave tour, a wild tour offers no man-made paths and no installed lights. Cavers go fully equipped—flashlights, hard hat, headlamp, boots and knee pads—and get down and dirty, slogging through muddy tunnels and squeezing through cramped crawl spaces.
A Sinkhole
Besides the incredible caverns below, Mammoth's surface acreage includes large tracts of second-growth oak and hickory woodlands, sinkhole-ridden karst topography—the limestone foundation for Mammoth's underground wonders—and modest wetlands. About 70 miles of trails wind through the park, most of them open to hikers and horseback riders. The Maple Spring Trailhead serves as a jumping-off point for a number of the park's North Side backcountry trails, such as Sal Hollow Trail (nine miles), which winds past caves, sinkholes and springs. The North Side's Good Spring Loop Trail (eight miles) traverses the park's rolling, oak-covered hills, running alongside streams and waterfalls and past small caves.
The "Cave Maker" Up Close
Within the boundaries of Mammoth Cave National Park, 25 miles of the Green River and six miles of the Nolin River carry boaters past dramatic bluffs, scenic woodlands and wildlife. Boating from Dennison Ferry to Houchins Ferry down the Green— the very waterway that shaped the cave system of Mammoth beginning some 3 million years ago—is a popular, six-hour voyage. The Green and Nolin Rivers possess one of the most diverse fish (82 species) and invertebrate populations ( over 50 species of mussels) in North America. In addition to the mussels, there are approximately 200 species of benthic macro-invertebrates in these rivers.
Mammoth Cave In Depth
News from the Parks
Park Service Employee Earns a Lifetime of Stories
August 18, 2008 - 4:49pm
Regina Jones-Brake remembers the day she met Lady Bird Johnson. Jones-Brake was 22 and setting type at the Benjamin Franklin print shop in Philadelphia's historic district. "I was called a printer's devil," said Jones-Brake. "I wore a mop cap and 18th century attire. I set type, I inked the ink balls, I wet the paper and I ran it through. I was so excited about the job that I worked on Sundays; nobody else wanted to work on Sundays."
August 18, 2008 - 4:49pm
Regina Jones-Brake remembers the day she met Lady Bird Johnson. Jones-Brake was 22 and setting type at the Benjamin Franklin print shop in Philadelphia's historic district. "I was called a printer's devil," said Jones-Brake. "I wore a mop cap and 18th century attire. I set type, I inked the ink balls, I wet the paper and I ran it through. I was so excited about the job that I worked on Sundays; nobody else wanted to work on Sundays."
Maplewood Boy Scouts Are Evacuated near Grand Canyon
August 18, 2008 - 4:29pm
A group of Boy Scouts from Maplewood on a backpacking and rafting trip near the Grand Canyon were evacuated by helicopter Sunday after an earthen dam failed and flood waters threatened their campsite. The six boys and three adult leaders were among scores of people rescued from campgrounds and tribal lands after days of heavy rains caused flooding along two creeks that flow into the Colorado River. "Some boys had enough time to grab their backpacks and some did not," said Bridget Lai, whose husband Michael and son Kyle, 13, are on the trip. "There's not a whole lot you can do about a dam breaking. There's not a lot you can prepare for."
August 18, 2008 - 4:29pm
A group of Boy Scouts from Maplewood on a backpacking and rafting trip near the Grand Canyon were evacuated by helicopter Sunday after an earthen dam failed and flood waters threatened their campsite. The six boys and three adult leaders were among scores of people rescued from campgrounds and tribal lands after days of heavy rains caused flooding along two creeks that flow into the Colorado River. "Some boys had enough time to grab their backpacks and some did not," said Bridget Lai, whose husband Michael and son Kyle, 13, are on the trip. "There's not a whole lot you can do about a dam breaking. There's not a lot you can prepare for."
National Parks Are Offering Podcasts
August 18, 2008 - 4:26pm
Why go to a national park if you can experience one via an Internet podcast? Park officials across the country are hopeful the podcasts themselves will make people want to visit their parks. But if a trip just isn't possible, podcasts are seen as the next best thing.
August 18, 2008 - 4:26pm
Why go to a national park if you can experience one via an Internet podcast? Park officials across the country are hopeful the podcasts themselves will make people want to visit their parks. But if a trip just isn't possible, podcasts are seen as the next best thing.
Pot Farm Found in Park
August 18, 2008 - 4:21pm
A park service pilot on a routine flight over the North Cascades National Park service area helped discover a large marijuana farm worth nearly $48 million -- the first such grow operation found in a national park site in the state. Officials said the farm, which law enforcement officials raided this week, contained more than 16,700 plants. It was well established and resembled the elaborate grow sites run by Mexican drug traffickers plaguing national parks in California, authorities said.
August 18, 2008 - 4:21pm
A park service pilot on a routine flight over the North Cascades National Park service area helped discover a large marijuana farm worth nearly $48 million -- the first such grow operation found in a national park site in the state. Officials said the farm, which law enforcement officials raided this week, contained more than 16,700 plants. It was well established and resembled the elaborate grow sites run by Mexican drug traffickers plaguing national parks in California, authorities said.
Celebrate Zion Wonders
August 18, 2008 - 4:16pm
Next year will be a big celebration for Zion National Park and all who value the majestic views that can be seen within this natural landmark. Zion didn't receive national park status until 1919, but it was recognized for its beauty in 1909, when it was designated as Mukuntuweap National Monument. According to "A History of Washington County: From Isolation to Destination," by Doug Alder and Karl Brooks, The monument designation came after a survey report by St. George resident Leo A. Snow shared the secret of what has become a place of sanctuary befitting its name.
August 18, 2008 - 4:16pm
Next year will be a big celebration for Zion National Park and all who value the majestic views that can be seen within this natural landmark. Zion didn't receive national park status until 1919, but it was recognized for its beauty in 1909, when it was designated as Mukuntuweap National Monument. According to "A History of Washington County: From Isolation to Destination," by Doug Alder and Karl Brooks, The monument designation came after a survey report by St. George resident Leo A. Snow shared the secret of what has become a place of sanctuary befitting its name.
