Cave Tours

Ranger-led cave tours draw hundreds of thousands of people from around the world to the park each year. Participants on a cave tour will be treated to stunning geological formations and processes, as well as complex stories of human history dating back over 5,000 years, all inside the worlds longest cave system. Joining a guided cave tour is the only way to see inside Mammoth Cave and the other toured caves in the park, Great Onyx Cave and Wondering Woods Cave. For more information on cave tour descriptions, tour schedule, and ticket fees, visit the park website. Know Before You Go Things To Leave Behind To ensure the safety of all visitors and the continued protection of Mammoth Cave the following items are not permitted on cave tours: Flash photography (photography is allowed if the flash is turned off) Child backpack carriers (front packs are permitted) Strollers Tripods/Monopods Walking sticks Metal framed backpacks and backpacks that are higher than the shoulder or that are of a length that extends below the hips (i.e. large trekking backpacks) Firearms or other weapons Pets (Day use kennels at the Lodge at Mammoth Cave are available for rent. Learn more about pets in the park.) Mammoth Cave is for Everyone During the spring and fall seasons the park is a very popular destination for school trips and other parties. As a result, your tour may include other group(s) of various ages. Dress Appropriately You may wish to bring a light jacket during your tour. Cave temperatures can vary widely near entrances (especially in winter), deep cave temperature is 54ºF (12ºC) while surface temperatures in the summer can exceed 90ºF (32ºC). Cave Tour Accessibility Visitors with limited mobility may find some cave tours too strenuous. Please review cave tour descriptions and consider your limitations when choosing which tour to participate on. For members of the deaf and hard of hearing community, assisted listening devices and sign language interpreter services are available with advanced arrangements. The park is committed to providing accessible options for all visitors. Learn more about accessibility in the park. Getting Here When traveling to the park for a cave tour, plan for adequate travel time to the visitor center to arrive around 30 minutes before the start of your scheduled tour. This will allow for time to find parking, pick up your physical paper tour tickets and time to use the restroom. Do not rely on your mobile GPS or web based mapping applications. These services often lead visitors off track onto routes requiring river crossings via ferry or onto narrow winding roads not suitable for large vehicles. More information about travel directions to the park are available.