Mammoth Cave National Park
Kentucky, February 2017
“This is the world’s longest known cave system, with more than 400 miles explored. Early guide Stephen Bishop called the cave a ‘grand, gloomy and peculiar place,’ but its vast chambers and complex labyrinths have earned its name – Mammoth.” – NPS
We had reservations for the 10:30 am tour of the Mammoth Caves and with the visitor center only eight miles away, our morning was pretty leisurely. Getting there did include a ferry crossing though, so we gave ourselves plenty of time. As we wound our way through the park, signs warned us ‘Road Ends in Water’ and sure enough, it did. The road went straight down the river bank, disappeared into the Green River, and reemerged on the other side.
The ferry, churning back and forth across the river, was simply a small barge with room for up to three cars and it had cable stays to each river bank so that it didn’t have to fight the current. The crossing is very short – I could literally throw a stone across – so why they didn’t just build a bridge is a bit of a mystery. Nevertheless, it was a fun break from the norm!
We got to the visitor center with enough time to catch an earlier tour but they would have charged us a fee to switch. Instead, we perused the gift shops while we waited for our tour to start. Essentially being our last chance for souvenirs, we came away with a lot – puzzle, patch for Katie and me, pin for Elizabeth, crystal nightlights for Maggie and Annie, Ranger vest for Luke. I made sure to get the stamp in my book too. I had missed getting one in the Smokys! I’m not usually into those sorts of things but that was disappointing.
The Domes and Dripstones Tour started under a covered area near the parking lot where our group of about 100 people stayed out of the drizzle and got instructed on the plan and rules in the cave. After our guide impressed upon us the fragile nature of the cave environment and the physical demands of the tour, we all piled into several buses to go to the new entrance (discovered in the 1920s). But not before getting a picture of Luke with our guide . . . Luke!
The tour group gathered again after the short bus ride and we all slowly filed into the entrance, a simple door into the earth at the bottom of a depression in the landscape. Our tour would take us 200 feet underground and through a stretch of cave ¾ of a mile long but that is merely a glimpse of Mammoth Cave, which is the longest cave system in the world with more than 400 miles having been mapped.
There were nearly 300 stairs to descend at the beginning and tight spaces that I could barely fit through with Annie on my chest. I was carrying her in an Ergo on my front. Backpacks or even having the Ergo on my back wasn’t allowed and it was easy to see why. We hung back at the end of the group to begin with but our guide moved us to the front after the first stop so that, as the slower ones, we controlled the pace. One of our favorite moments, was when the guide turned off the lights and everyone remained quiet (even the kids!) – very surreal how silent and pitch black it was!
After the second stop, I hung back to get a few pictures and it was at this point that Annie suddenly threw every ounce of energy into a fit to end all fits. Trapped underground, I frantically tried everything I could to calm her down. Catching up with mommy and the other kids didn’t help and we spent most of the remaining tour with Annie screaming and crying and Katie and I mortally embarrassed. Katie eventually got her to some semblance of calm near the end so that we could quickly take in the incredible Frozen Niagara formations. As soon as we were back to daylight, we tried to vanish from the scene. Later analysis of this mortifying incident determined the likely cause to be a butterfly flapping its wings in South America : )
We had lunch back at the car and then took the short stroll to the original cave entrance. As opposed to the new entrance, it is exactly what you picture when you think of a cave. We snapped some pictures and then headed back. Our visit to Mammoth Caves was short and sweet but it left a big impression. One of the trip highlights for sure!
