*as published in North Canton Living Magazine June 2023
The cave soared above me with a grand cathedral ceiling. I stood at the entrance in awe of the massive space hidden hundreds of feet below the surface. The lights were low and glowing. I had stepped into another world.
Mammoth Cave National Park is the longest cave system in the world. To date, explorers have mapped more than 426 miles of cave passage. They are still discovering new passages and there appears to be “no end in sight.” Mammoth Cave began developing more than 10-15 million years ago and is a solution cave. Solution caves are formed when rainwater picks up carbon dioxide from the air and soil forming a weak acid. This acidic water then seeps through limestone and dissolves it creating a channel in the rock. Over time sandstone settled over the top of Mammoth Cave protecting the erosion below.
The area of Mammoth Cave is an example of a karst landscape. Karst is the type of landscape where sinkholes, caves, and springs form. Just standing on an overlook you can see the swiss cheese of the scenery with its ponds, sinkholes, and rises. About 20% of the United States is a karst landscape and 40% of drinking water comes from karst aquifers.
I was able to take the self-guided tour from the historical entrance next to the visitor center. The self-guided tour included a steep hill and 84 steps. Once within the cave, the walking and exploration was easy with many interesting signs and available park rangers to answer my many questions. Mammoth Cave was important to the War of 1812 when it produced the saltpeter needed for ammunition. During the Civil War, much of the early cave was explored by enslaved guides. The cave has a storied history and at one point served as a hospital.
There are many paid tours available. I choose the self-guided tour and accessible tour. The accessible tour uses an elevator and is the best option for those with limited mobility. I was able to visit the famous Snowball Room and walk Cleaveland Avenue. Our tour guide/park ranger was well-versed in Civil War history and knew the history of the cave. He discovered Jesse James name written on a cave wall – but whether it was Jesse James the outlaw is unknown.
The Wild Cave Tour is the most extreme tour available. It is an all-day adventure with much of it spent on your knees as you crawl through tight spaces. You must be at least 16 years old and wear lace-up boots with an aggressive tread. This tour is six hours in length.
All tours require a ticket. I highly recommend you read through the tours and if you have questions, please call the visitor center. The tours vary by season.
Mammoth Cave is only one and a half hours from Louisville Kentucky. Elizabethtown is only forty-five minutes away. The Mammoth Cave campground is located next to the visitor center. There is lodging at the park and the hotel is currently under remodel and hopes to reopen in the fall.
While I was in the area, I was able to visit Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace located only an hour from Mammoth Cave in Hodgenville Kentucky. There is a memorial with a replica one-room cabin. The visitor center housed an interesting museum with excellent interactive displays for children. I was fortunate enough to be there for a one-time free Shakespeare in the Park performance of Lincoln’s favorite play Hamlet. I sat on the steps of the memorial under the stars wrapped in a blanket sipping hot chocolate watching a sword fight. Perfect.
What I Learned
Mammoth Cave is more like a shallow bowl of spaghetti.
There are a few stalagmites and stalactites in Mammoth Cave. What you can see are “snowballs” or gypsum flowers.
The earliest human history recorded in Mammoth Cave is 12,000 years ago. There is evidence of fragments of river cane torches and petroglyphs.
Abraham Lincoln is the first president born outside of the original thirteen colonies.
Lincoln is also the first president to go from a one-room cabin to the White House.
Due to a land dispute, he only lived in that cabin for two years before moving fifteen miles north.
Descendants of Lincoln’s great-great-grandfather include the Wright Brothers, Robert Frost, President Ford, President Bush, and Tennessee Williams.
Before You Go
All information on Mammoth Cave can be found at www.nps.gov/maca. You will find information on lodging, tours, history, and geology. Please review the tours available in advance. Tour dates and times change daily and availability changes by season. To preserve the cave system, they limit the number of people allowed into the cave. I was only able to purchase tickets the day of and had to arrive when the visitor opened to reserve my place on the tour.
There are few hotels located at the I-65 Cave City. The campground has excellent restrooms and paid showers. For a wide variety of lodging choices, consider nearby Elizabethtown.
I did not need my National Park Pass to enter Mammoth Cave National Park or Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace. However, my National Park Access Pass (for the disabled) did give me 50% off the tours and camping. If you are disabled or senior, consider applying for a National Park pass.
There are lots of out-of-park experiences. Dinosaur World is located at the Mammoth Cave National Park I-65 exit. Other private cave experiences are available. Outside the park, the kitsch factor is high. So relax and enjoy.
Mammoth Cave National Park is only 6-7 hours south of North Canton. The cave system is around 50 degrees year round so visit any time of the year and take a sweatshirt.