Guest Author - Amanda Masoner

Living in Kentucky, we kept hearing about Mammoth Cave. So last weekend seemed like the time to go and see what all of the fuss was about. We discovered that its name is absolutely accurate. It is the longest cave system in the world! There really are no words to explain the inside of something this monstrous and impressive.

It is at this point that I should warn you that many people have heard of Mammoth Cave. People from around the world were there, waiting for their chance to get a peek at the Kentucky gem.

A lot of the tours sell out two hours in advance (in the summer months) so make sure to get there early so as to have your pick. If you’d rather go it alone you can take a self-guided tour. The bonus of taking this option is that you can begin your tour immediately and take your time. The downside is that it is only ¾ of a mile, unlike the others which are two miles and roughly two hours long. Not to mention missing out on the historical anecdotes throughout your cave journey. Whichever you choose, they are all the same price, $12. I would recommend getting on the Mammoth Cave website and buying your tickets ahead of time if you think you’ll be in a time crunch. They also have coupons available.


There were lights lining the walls of the cave so you have an inkling of what’s around you. But if you have issues with small spaces, short ceilings, or dark surroundings I would advise that you stay home and check it out online. For those of you interested in such an adventure there is plenty of bending, waddling, and sucking in involved. At one point the guides turned off all of the cave lights and we stood in silence to get a grasp of what it would’ve been like to be trapped in there for 36 hours (which really happened to a man decades ago!).

We opted for the Historic Tour. They have several options but we were told the Historic Tour was the one that best showed off what Mammoth Cave was known for. We got to maneuver through “Fat Man’s Squeeze”, a fun little jaunt about 18 inches wide and 25 yards long. It was my favorite part-felt the most true to what the original discoverers must have experienced. We also got to see the “Giant’s Coffin” and the “Bottomless Pit”. They have done a good job of keeping the cave as originally-found as possible. There are lamps and cords but it is very easy to see how the water carved the walls out of stone and how a bat could still easily call this place home.

This is a Midwestern must-see, in my book. Something to bring the family to, so as to show off a bit of how unpredictable this country can be.