Mammoth Cave National Park

There are caves all around the world, but none compare to Mammoth Cave! As the world’s longest-known cave system with 420 known miles of passageways, this natural wonder and UNESCO World Heritage Site should be on everyone’s list of must-have experiences. Mammoth Cave National Park, also an International Biosphere Reserve, is just 30 minutes from Bowling Green, Ky. and can easily be added to any Bowling Green or Kentucky vacation itinerary.

EFFECTIVE February 2021: MASKS ARE REQUIRED IN ALL FEDERAL BUILDINGS AND ON FEDERAL LANDS.

Visitors choose among a variety of underground tours — including an accessible tour designed for persons with a disability or limited physical mobility — that offer a glimpse at 350 million-year-old rocks and fascinating animals adapted to life in the dark. As the second-oldest tourist attraction in America, you can hear remarkable stories of human history including how African Americans played a vital role in developing both cave tours and the visitor experience. With tours designed for a mixed audience, you can take it easy or get down and dirty on a wild cave tour.

Of course, the surreal beauty continues above ground with an abundance of free and paid activities including nature walks, horseback riding, canoeing or kayaking down the Green and Nolin Rivers (recently designated a National Recreation Trail), and campfire programs. All organized tours begin and end at the new Visitor Center designed for gold-level certification as a sustainable, “green” building. Children under six are admitted free.

Additionally, MCNP is a certified International Dark-Sky Park, the first site in Kentucky to receive this designation. Recognizing the exceptional quality of night skies at MCNP, visitors can now experience astronomy-based interpretive programming like ranger-led star parties in the park. More information is available on the website.

Visitors are encouraged to purchase their tickets through the reservation system at www.recreation.gov or by phone at 877-444-6777. In past years, morning tours did not sell out. Morning tours may be the best option for people who have not made advanced reservations. Call 270-758-2180 for up to the minute tour availability information.

The Green River Ferry through MCNP operates daily from 6 am to 10 pm with a daily closure between 1:45 and 2:15 pm to clean the operating booth. Call the ferry hotline at 270-758-2166 for more information.

*NOTE: White-nose syndrome has been found in tour routes of Mammoth Cave. Park staff have discovered WNS in remote sections of Mammoth Cave, including colonial hibernacula.

This does not affect tours of Mammoth Cave. It is important to remember the disease affects bats, not humans. Therefore, tours and research are continuing at Mammoth Cave National Park, accompanied by extensive education and outreach on WNS, and adherence to approved cleaning methods recommended by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Visitors must walk through bio-security mats as they exit cave tours.

To learn more about WNS and MCNP's response, visit http://www.nps.gov/maca/parkmgmt/planning.htm.