Mammoth Cave National Park Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
U.S. national park in Kentucky
About Mammoth Cave National Park
The cave is approximately 15 million years old. Humans have been visiting the cave for approximately 4,000 years, although it was only discovered by Europeans in 1797. Through 1816 the cave was mined for nitrates, used in gunpowder, but after the War of 1812 ended, it was sold, and cave tours became popular. With nearly 200 years as a tourist attraction Mammoth Cave is one of North America's oldest tourist destinations. Mammoth Cave, by far the world's longest known cave system, is the heart of the South-Central Kentucky karst, an integrated set of subterranean drainage basins covering more than 1,050 square kilometers – 400 square miles. Atop this labyrinth is a biologically diverse set of ecosystems inextricably interlinked with the ecosystems underground. This physiographic province,
Where to Eat in Mammoth Cave National Park
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Mammoth Cave Lodge Restaurants
Where to Stay in Mammoth Cave National Park
- 🏨Houchin Ferry Campground
- 🏨Mammoth Cave Campground
- 🏨Mammoth Cave Lodge
- 🏨Maple Springs Group Campground
Mammoth Cave National Park Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: