Backpacking

A good flashlight is an absolute necessity on every single trip to the backcountry.

LIGHT

Rice is a perfect emergency food. Very light weight and full of energy. In an emergency you just need lots of energy, don't worry so much about vitamins. Bring about 3 cups of rice per person per day you think you will spend in worst case.

FOOD

It's good to have either a camp saw or a camping axe with you to cut wood. Camp saws are a lot lighter than camp axes but axes are faster and less tiring to use. If you're not planning to do a very large amount of woodcutting a saw is probably a better idea. But in the wintertime it may be worth it to bring an axe.

SAW

Sleeping bags are rated for down to how many degrees you can sleep in it. The difference between a cheaper bag with the same rating as a more expensive bag is usually in the weight and the pack size, not in its warmth.

SLEEPING BAG

I don't go anywhere without my Leatherman tool, especially not into the great outdoors.

TOOL

The Trailstove is the best camp stove in the world period. It has the lowest pack weight and it burns wood. Wood stoves are generally very heavy, far too heavy for backpacking but the Trailstove doesn't even weigh a pound.

BACKPACKING STOVE

Almost anywhere you go you can find water if you just go downhill, water flows in valleys and accumulates in depressions, it's all just gravity at work.

Look for different vegetation, greener vegetation far away often indicates the presence of water.

Look for a chain of uniform vegetation, this often means that there is a riverbed.

If the riverbed is dry there may be water under the ground, the best place to dig is by the largest plant you can find.

Mammoth Cave National Park

The Park was established to preserve the cave system, including Mammoth Cave, the scenic river valleys of the Green and Nolin rivers, and a section of south central Kentucky. This is the longest recorded cave system in the world with more than 336 miles explored and mapped.

TRAVEL BASICS

Operating Hours, Seasons
Schedule varies by season. Call for current information. Closed December 25.

Getting There
PLANE - Regular flights into Louisville or Nashville, each approx. 1.5 hours from the park

CAR - If you travel south from Lousiville, KY, the most direct route is I-65 south to Exit 53 at Cave City. Another 15 minutes of driving will bring you to the park visitor center.

If you travel north from Nashville, TN, the most direct route is I-65 north to Exit 48 at Park City, KY. Another 10 minutes of driving will bring you to the park visitor center. Nashville and the park are both in the Central Time Zone. Louisville is in the Eastern Time Zone, one hour ahead of the park.

Weather & Climate
Summers are hot and sultry with highs in the 80s to 90s. Winters are mild with highs in the 30s to 40s, although temperatures can drop well below zero. Temperatures in the cave hover around 54?F year-round, so bring a light jacket if you plan to visit the cave.

Accessibility
Tour for the Mobility Impaired; Sloan's Crossing Pond Trail; Heritage Trail; Evening Programs; auditorium programs

Getting Around
You may travel by car to most places in the park. In the backcountry, you may hike, ride horseback, and in limited areas, ride a mountain bike. You may canoe down 27 miles of the Green and Nolin Rivers.

FEES/PERMITS

Activity Fee
CAVE TOURS
$3.50-$35 for One Time
A variety or cave tours are offered, ranging in cost from $3.50 to $35. Reservations can be made online at: reservations.nps.gov

CAMPING

Headquarters Campground
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open From 03/01/2000 To 11/30/2000
Headquarters Campground has 109 sites close to the park Visitor Center. $13/site/night. RV slots; no hookups.
For More Information on this campground please call 800-967-2283

Houchins Ferry Campground
Open All Year
Twelve primitive sites on the bank of Green River. Fresh water available, portable toilets. Covered picnic shelter, boat launch.

Maple Springs Group Campground
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open From 03/01/2000 To 11/30/2000
Four sites for groups with horses; 3 sites for groups without horses. For groups only, minimum 9 persons, maximum 24 persons per site. Horse sites can accommodate only 8 horses. Portable toilets, fresh water available.
For More Information on this campground please call 800-967-2283

LODGING

Mammoth Cave Hotel
Open All Year
Hotel, Sunset Point Lodge, Woodland Cottages. Restaurant, coffee shop, gift shop, craft shop, meeting rooms, accessible facilities.
For More Information on this lodging please call (270)758-2225

FACILITIES

Visitor Centers
MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year Varies by season
Phone - (270)758-2328
Location - Headquarters area
Closures - December 25
Special Programs - Films "Water and Stone" and "Voices of the Cave"; ranger-led auditorium talks and slide presentations
Exhibits - Visual exhibits; exhibit on cave exploration; relief map of park; "video aquarium"
Available Facilities - Water fountains, restrooms, Eastern National bookstore, information desk, weather reports, ticket office, boat tour concession

A good flashlight is an absolute necessity on every single trip to the backcountry.		LIGHT
Rice is a perfect emergency food. Very light weight and full of energy. In an emergency you just need lots of energy, don't worry so much about vitamins. Bring about 3 cups of rice per person per day you think you will spend in worst case.		FOOD
It's good to have either a camp saw or a camping axe with you to cut wood. Camp saws are a lot lighter than camp axes but axes are faster and less tiring to use. If you're not planning to do a very large amount of woodcutting a saw is probably a better idea. But in the wintertime it may be worth it to bring an axe.		SAW
Sleeping bags are rated for down to how many degrees you can sleep in it. The difference between a cheaper bag with the same rating as a more expensive bag is usually in the weight and the pack size, not in its warmth.		SLEEPING BAG
I don't go anywhere without my Leatherman tool, especially not into the great outdoors.		TOOL
The Trailstove is the best camp stove in the world period. It has the lowest pack weight and it burns wood. Wood stoves are generally very heavy, far too heavy for backpacking but the Trailstove doesn't even weigh a pound.		BACKPACKING STOVE