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It was a perfect day with blue skies and mild temperatures. But instead of spending the day outdoors, we decided to go underground with a tour at Mammoth Cave National Park.

Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest cave system stretching over nearly 53,000 acres of land. Mammoth Cave became a national park in July 1941. Then in October of 1981 it joined the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. It’s titles also include being an International Biosphere Reserve and an International Dark Sky Park.

History of Mammoth Cave

The history of Mammoth Cave spans across 5,000 years. Several sets of Native American remains have been uncovered in the caves. Archeologists believe these remains are examples of pre-Columbus funeral sites.

The first written account of this cave system dates back to 1797. Two men who pursued a wounded bear through the hills then into the main entrance of the cave. They wrote about the experience and the cave in their journal. A year later the entrance was surveyed and officially registered.

Since then it has served as a military artillery storage facility and a hospital before offering tours through the cave. More and more research is done through the caves. It may be that we learn of other people and purposes that these caves have seen.

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Cave Tour Information

There are a variety of tours into the cave. The range of tours are accommodating to different levels of skill and experience. Different seasons also bring different available tours depending on the access to parts of the cave due to weather. (read more on all available tours at Mammoth Cave here)

We opted for the Domes and Dripstones Tour for our visit. Beginning in a sinkhole then moving down into cavernous domes of rock, this is one of the most popular tours.

• TICKETS: Visitors can get tour tickets on arrival, but it is recommended to reserve the tickets beforehand because they sell out.
  • $30/adult, $25/youth, $8/child
• DURATION & DIFFICULTY:
  • The tour takes about 2 Hours, going for about 0.75 miles
  • This is considered a difficult tour due to the hundreds of stairs down into the cave and some steep inclines within the cave
• CLOTHING: The temperature in the cave is much cooler than outside. Be sure to bring a jacket for the tour.
• WHERE TO GO: Once tickets are purchased go outside to the Shelter Area B. You will be met by a park ranger who will give brief instructions. Then you will board a green shuttle bus to the tour entrance.

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Domes & Dripstones Tour

We drove up through the park and then were dropped off at the entrance to the cave. A metal door set into the hillside greeted us. The ranger explained that we were standing in a sinkhole. From there we would be taking 288 steps further down into the sinkhole to the deepest part of the cave.

The stairs took us through rock slot canyons as we made our way down into the belly of the park. Some parts were cramped and you would need to duck your head or maneuver past an encroaching piece of rock.

At the bottom we came together in the first of the domed spaces that they have called Grand Central Station. Benches had been set out for people to sit on like an auditorium. We listened as the ranger gave some history on the cave.

She talked about the early explorers of the cave. They found their way to the bottom of the sinkhole with a long piece of strong rope and a torch. She briefly turned out the lights in the cave and we were surrounded by complete darkness. There was a great relief when the lights went back on.

We carried on the path through a series of smaller caves. Someone asked about what happens if an earthquake happens while you are in the cave. The ranger replied that you won’t feel the shock waves at all when you are this far below the surface. The shock waves will go through the caves and bounce off the walls. Fortunately we would not have to find out for ourselves as earthquakes here are rare.

After going through the smaller caves we came to the part of the tour dedicated to the interesting formations. Stalactites and Stalagmites covered the area along with rock that looked like drapes and others that looked like popcorn.

While the smaller caves were amazing to behold, the rock formations is really the winning point of the tour. Everywhere you look there is an intricate formation where water has carved its way through the limestone rock. The formations and the details are incredible.

An optional part of the tour that takes you down another 25 stairs behind what is called Frozen Niagara. This rock really looks like a mighty waterfall frozen in time.

Opposite from the waterfall is what they call the Draperies. They did give the feel of a stuffy old house with thick drapes hanging everywhere. It was well worth the extra stairs to get so close to these amazing formations.

Just past Frozen Niagara was Mirror Lake. Visitors can peer down through the rock and see a small pool of water below. One of the more other tours takes visitors down to the waters edge and through the watery passages. This tour requires a more experienced skill level. But I was fine with just seeing the water from above.

The trail began to to slope upwards towards the surface. But they saved the best formations for last. Caverns of formations pointing downward seemed otherworldly and absolutely mesmerizing. It really is amazing what a little water dripping off the rocks can do.

We loved taking this deeper dive into Mammoth Cave. On our first visit a few years ago, we did the Historic Cave Tour. Our first time here a couple of years ago we did the Historic Cave Tour. That tour took us through the large spacious caverns of the main area of the cave.

It was so great to add this other perspective on the cave. It was another piece that makes it such an interesting place. There is no end to what you will discover in Mammoth Cave, every visit brings something new.

Thanks for coming along through the Domes and Dripstones Tour of Mammoth Cave National Park. May your light be strong and guide you through the darkness.

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