A few questions about the different tours

We are a pretty fit family of four with kids ages 7 and 8. We only have time for one tour at Mammoth Cave.

The Grand Ave Tour sounds the best to me, but...do you think this would be too tough of a tour for small children? Are there plenty of rest stops? Any chance of children falling over the edge into an abyss? I don%26#39;t think that any of us is claustrophobic (we%26#39;ve been in caves before and did a mine tour), but is there anything in this tour that would induce that ';bad'; feeling? Anything else to be concerned about? My heart is racing....

After Grand Ave, what%26#39;s the second best tour?

Is there any chance of an earthquake hitting? :-o

A few questions about the different tours

I took my kids on the Grand Avenue tour when my youngest was 8. She played volleyball and field hockey and she was in better shape than 90% of the people on the tour. Our guide was a fit man in his 70%26#39;s. I would have preferred to walk faster, but just like the majority of Americans, there were many in our group who required lots of rest stops. They take a lunch break in the ';Snowball room'; which is sub-average American fare. You might want to pack your own picnic. There is no place where your kids will fall into an abyss. The walks are in wide spaces. Yes, KY has a fault line so you may well see an earthquake here; just like a million other places on earth. The main thing is to book the tour in advance, because they sell out. You can%26#39;t just show up and expect to get a tour. Also, the cave remains a cool 50 degrees year round, so wear light layers and good hiking shoes. Running or hiking shoes with good arch support are the best bet, not flat tennis shoes. You will love the cave and the entire park- very pretty! Have a great time!

A few questions about the different tours

I think it sounds like you and the family could handle the tour well. We visited last year when our daughter was 9. We contemplated the Grand Avenue tour, but I suffer from periodic sciatica and was a little concerned on having a problem with some of the inclines. I have heard there are some steep spots on the tour. I%26#39;m sure Linda would know better since she took it. Instead of the Grand Ave., we took the Historic and New Entrance Tours. But...we had time to take two tours, whereas you have a tighter schedule.

One thing to keep in mind about Mammoth; this is not a cave with lots of formations. We opted for 2 tours in order to see the entire package. The New Entrance and Frozen Niagara Tours focus on the caves few formations. The formations are amazing to see, especially the Drapery Room. The Historic Tour is longer and very informative, but you will see few formations. This tour focuses more on history and some of the tighter spots of the cave. It%26#39;s a great tour nonetheless. If you opt for the Grand Avenue tour, you will see the whole package, formations and all! Both Historic %26amp; New Entrance routes are covered.

It%26#39;s kind of hard to rate the tours; I enjoyed both of ours, as they were quite different and covered two diverse sections of the cave. Try not to worry about the difficulty of tours; as long as you are relatively fit, you will do fine. The kids will be quite safe. As Linda said, many of the areas are quite wide, and the tight areas don%26#39;t pose many hazards as long as you take your time and watch your head. Another note: the park rangers really do an excellent job in describing the tours to everyone. Before you take the tour, they will accurately describe what is required of everyone. If you have any doubts, don%26#39;t take the tour.

As Linda said, be sure to make advance reservations for any tour. They do sell out, especially during the peak summer season. Good footwear is essential, as they are many uneven sections that contain some ';potholes.';

Enjoy your trip to this wonderful park!

There were no sharp inclines on the tour. Some gentle grades, but nothing difficult.

Thank you so much for your help!

The historic route is not covered on the grand avenue tour. The grand avenue tour is a long 4+ hour tour. If you feel the need to walk slower you can always get to the front of the tour and the pase will slow down. There are a couple rest stops on the tour (2). Your children should be perfectly fine on the tour. Just make sure you keep them by your side at all times. Dont let them run around in the cave, this is where accidents could occur. Claustrophobic is the only problem you will probably have, unless you have a problem walking four miles. It is a strenuous tour, the children should be fine but it is a tough walk! But you will see gypsum (pretty crystal looking formation) and lots of it. You will see large and small passages and at the end you will see formations. Its a very nice tour, and take money for lunch in snowball room. Also no bags are allowed in the cave. But buy your tickets in advance since its spring break season (you can do that over the phone, check teh website) ENJOY!!!!!!!!

sorry, also with the childern if you dont want to take this tour take the new entrance... they like the pretty formations, its two hours... But with the grand avenue you will see everything plus lots more....

You dont need to worry about earthquakes. You will be underground anywhere from 100-300 + feet and earthquakes do not travel that far underground. You may not even know if one hits, so you will be fine! (which that would be a rare occasion for an earthquake to hit)

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