Is it better to stay in the park or out a town near by? What is morning traffic like getting into the cave area? How many days would be sufficient to see this area? The reviews on line have me confused as to what would be best. We would be arriving around 8/1 with a 15 year old boy in tow.
lodging in and near the cave
Me again. It depends on what you and your family likes to do. At the park, you can camp. You can also stay in nearby state parks like Barren River State Resort Park, which is very nice, or you can stay in local hotels.
When we went to Mammoth Cave, we stayed in Cave Spring Farm Bed and Breakfast. They have an old house which has been renovated, or you can stay in a cabin on the property. There are farm animals, horses, etc. The breakfast is made locally by the neighboring Amish, and it is delicious. Included in your room rate is a private tour of Cave Spring Cave. It was really a neat cave/story, and my kids loved it almost as much as the big tour at Mammoth Cave.
You can stay in Cave City or Horse Cave if you prefer Holiday Inn type lodging.
While in the area, you might want to take a tour of the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky.
Will you be heading up to/through Louisville? I have a ton of recommendations if you are.
lodging in and near the cave
Hello,
I just read your other post as well.
We visited last August and stayed at the Comfort Inn %26amp; Suites in Cave City. It%26#39;s a relatively new property, and it%26#39;s extremely clean. I have a review on this site if you%26#39;d like to take a look. If you are looking into some more basic lodging to get your son away from the electronic world, camping might be the better bet. I am a person who likes nice lodging, and I was not impressed with the looks of the Mammoth Cave Hotel in comparison to where we stayed.
Cave City is only a 10-15 minute drive to Mammoth Cave, and traffic was no issue in August, and we were there on a weekend. It also has some chain and mom/pop restaurants. Be sure to check out the Sahara Steak House! It%26#39;s a really great family owned restaurant with a nice salad bar, delicious vegetable soup,and some of the most tender steaks and chicken breasts you will find anywhere.
I would recommend 3 days to see this area (a long weekend is appropriate). We arrived on a Friday and left on a Monday.
As far as tours, I highly recommend the Historic %26amp; New Entrance Tours. I do think the Grand Avenue tour would be great for you as well as long as no one in your party doesn%26#39;t mind walking long distances. The Grand Ave tour is around 4 miles and lasts around 4 hours. We chose to split our tours between two days, taking one on our first day and one on our second day.
Just some tips on tours:
1. BY ALL MEANS, MAKE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS! I can%26#39;t emphasize this enough in August. You can do this on-line at recreation.gov. I can%26#39;t tell you how many disappointed people I saw on Saturday morning when they found out cave tours for the entire day were sold out.
2. The rangers do an excellent job in describing the tours to everyone before you go down into the cave. If anyone in your group feels uncomfortable doing anything described, don%26#39;t feel obligated to take the tour. Refunds are given if necessary. We had no problems with anything on either tour, but I happen to know of some friends of mine who would have not fared well on tours due to claustrophobia.
3. The cave trails are uneven in places. Be sure to wear good footwear..no flip flops or sandals. Sneakers or hiking boots/shoes are best.
I noticed someone mentioned the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. You might also want to include a side trip to Beech Bend Park, a small amusement park with a great wooden roller coaster called the Kentucky Rumbler. It has been named as one of the best wooden coasters in the country. The water park was nice also, especially on a hot day. They also offer mini golf and other smaller rides. It%26#39;s a great carnival atmosphere,and the park is very reasonable. It%26#39;s great for people like me who really don%26#39;t ride. I got to go in for $5 or $10 (gate admission), and there are ride packages as well, or you can buy individual ride tickets.
Also of interest in the area is Diamond Caverns in Park City. I have a review on this site. Mammoth Cave is really not known for its formations, but it is known for its size! Diamond is more of a show cave where you will find many stalactities, stalagmites, columns, even cave bacon. It%26#39;s within about 3 miles of Mammoth. You will also find some other privately owned caves and a cave museum in Horse Cave also.
Have a great time! I know you will enjoy the area.
Thanks for the feedback. I don%26#39;t camp. I did when I was in my 20%26#39;s but that was a few decades ago. I looked at some of the B%26amp;B%26#39;s but it seems to be geared more toward couples. With a 15 year old, he likes to hike and explore but wants to come back to a TV and a soft bed so we would probably try a hotel. He can manage the 4 hour hike but I might get I might get claustrophobic. We%26#39;ll decide soon. I especially appreciate feedback on places to eat. I don%26#39;t know if we%26#39;ll go to Louisville but my husband%26#39;s wants to go Frankfurt.
Hi! If you go to Frankfort, please stop in the Kentucky History Museum. It%26#39;s really neat and has a lot of cool stuff from the Native Americans through the present. Also, the Kentucky Military History Museum is nearby. That has exhibits on Kentuckians who have served in the wars from the Revolution through the present.
You can visit Daniel Boone%26#39;s grave, the Old State House, and some GREAT antique stores (my personal favorite thing to do!).
If you want to drive a bit further west, the Salato Wildlife Center is very fun. There are trails, animals native to KY on display, and indoor exhibits. We went last spring break, and my kids LOVED it.
If you are trying to get your son outside and interacting with nature, this is a good, more controlled environment in which to do it. You can fish there too, with a KY permit.
www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/navigation.asp?cid=130
Hi Mami,
If you are not interested in camping, I would definitely recommend the Comfort Inn %26amp; Suites in Cave City. I think you would be very pleased. They have some large suites (not separate rooms, but plenty of room to spread out).
As for the tours, we took a bit of time to decide also. If you aren%26#39;t interested in taking one long tour, you can always do what we did by splitting them up. I have periodic problems with sciatica, and for me, this was a very good option. No one wants to have a painful or uncomfortble vacation! I think Mammoth has also added a Snowball Tour that includes the area near the Snowball Room Snack Bar. Had this tour been in existence when we visited, we would have taken this one also. Since you aren%26#39;t going until August, you have time. I would recommend reserving at least a week in advance to your visit.
Again, have a great time.
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