Missing are your typical cave formations like stalactites and stalagmites. Instead, Mammoth Cave National Park is a 400-mile labyrinth of subterranean passageways. Carved by underground rivers more than 10 million years ago, Mammoth Cave has a storied history. The cave’s past and its uses are the high points of the park’s Historic Modified Tour. Here are our family’s thoughts on the cave and the tour.
The tour begins at the cave’s massive natural entrance. The large cave opening is how Mammoth got its name. Much to the kid’s dismay, no wholly mammoth remains have ever been found in the cave. Once inside the cave, it’s striking how large the cave is. It is massive.
The cave has been used by humans for thousands of years. First by native people as a burial location and then by European settlers. Settlers discovered the cave contains a large amount of saltpeter, an essential ingredient in the manufacture of gun powder. Several pieces of saltpeter mining equipment still exist in the cave.
Kid’s Tour Highlight
One of the highlights of the tour for the kids is when the electric lights are turned off. To simulate how early visitors experienced the cave, the tour guide lights a single gas lantern. They then extinguish the lantern to “see” what is would be like if all sources of light were unavailable. You cannot see your hand directly in front of your face. Pitch dark.
Despite being a massive cave, there are several tight spaces. The modified historic tour goes through Fat Man’s Misery. You’ll need to slither through narrow walkways, ducking in several locations. The tour also includes stairs. Lots of stairs, more than 400. Though the tour has limitations, it offers a great overview of the cave.
In total, the modified historic tour covers about 2 miles and takes over 2 hours from start to finish. It’s fabulous and we highly recommend it. To read more about our Heartland of America Road Trip, see posts on stops in Springfield, IL, Gateway Arch National Park, Cedar Point Amusement Park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Indiana Dunes National Parks and Hocking Hills, OH.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle
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