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Stops on your trip south on I - 65, Part 1: Mammoth Cave National Park
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Winter weather is hitting Chicagoland, which means that many families are planning their getaways to a warmer climate for the coming months. This is the first article in a series on some of the great attractions to incorporate into your drive to Disney World or another southern sunny locale.
Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky is a place that interests both kids and adults and stays open year round. Stopping for a cave tour can be a fun adventure that is also educational. The Mammoth Cave National Park opened in 1926 and has since fascinated visitors who make their way through 40 mapped miles of limestone.
From a 30-minute self-guided tour to a six-hour spelunking adventure, there are over a dozen different tours available. And as the world’s longest known cave, even if you’ve visited several times before, you won’t run out of different parts to see.
Since there are so many tours available and more than caves to see at the National Park, be sure to do your homework before visiting. Go to www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/. It is highly recommended that reservations be made in advance for some cave tours.
Also, if you’re planning to stay overnight, to get the full effect of the park, reserve a room at the Mammoth Cave Motel. While near I-65 you’ll find many options for lodging, but there’s just something so tranquil about waking up, looking out your window and seeing deer wandering outside. It sure beats a parking lot view.
Here are details of a couple of the available tours and a list of tour prices from the latest Mammoth Cave Area Travel Guide.
Discovery Tour Self-Guiding
3/4 mile, minimum of 30 minutes
Sometimes this national park is really busy and “all hands on deck” still can’t provide
guided activities for all the day’s visitors. Or, there are visitors who want to see the cave,
but haven’t allowed enough time on their busy travel itinerary. Others take a cave tour
that uses outlying entrances, and want to see the “famous” entrance to Mammoth Cave.
With landmarks like the natural entrance, Rotunda, Audubon Avenue and Rafinesque
Hall, this “busy day” activity could be best for you! Call on the day you plan to visit for
availability. Total stairs: Approx. 160. This tour is NOT available by
reservation. Difficulty: Easy.
Trog Tour
1 ½ miles, 2 ½ hours
No Mom, no Dad - no teenaged brother or sister - just a dozen kids ages 8 through 12,
two guides and a lot of cave dirt! This tour is a great learning experience by way of
physical exploration, including crawling and some short climbs. The tour is usually best
enjoyed with a sibling or friend, but not a good activity for children with asthma or strong
allergies. Tour limit: 12 children, 8 - 12 years only. Difficulty: Moderate.
CAVE TOUR PRICES
Cave Tours Adults Youth* Special Educational***
Access**
Historic Tour $12.00 $8.00 $6.00 $5.00
Mammoth Passage Tour $5.00 $3.50 $2.50
New Entrance Tour $12.00 $8.00 $6.00
Frozen Niagara Tour $10.00 $8.00 $5.00
Grand Avenue Tour $24.00 $17.00 $12.00
Snowball Tour $14.00 $8.00 $7.00
Violet City Lantern Tour $15.00 $11.00 $7.50
River Styx Cave Tour $13.00 $9.00 $6.50
Wild Cave Tour $48.00 -- $24.00
Introduction To Caving $23.00 $18.00 $11.50
Trog -- $14.00 --
Star Chamber Tour $12.00 $8.00 $6.00 $5.00
Focus on Frozen Niagara Tour $10.00 $8.00 $5.00
Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour $4.00 $2.50 $2.00
*Youth is 6 - 12 years of age.
** Special access prices are for visitors presenting Golden Age, Golden Access, and
America The Beautiful Senior and Access Passes. (Box office only ?? not available by
reservation.
*** Educational prices apply to Kindergarten-College groups.
Please call the park at 270-758-2180 to schedule your educational groups.
Looking for more travel tips, getaways and staycation ideas? Visit my home page here. Go to the top of the page and click on “subscribe” to get updates delivered to your inbox. Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/carrieste
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