Mammoth Cave National Park offers trails, caves, and amazing views! Plus, there are some great family things to do near Mammoth Cave and in the National Park!
Table of Contents
Family-Friendly Things To Do In Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave Hiking Trails
Our first stop was the Mammoth Cave Visitors Center to learn more about the Cave tours and to do some hiking. The Visitor Center is nice and big, and they have WiFi! Our cell coverage was very iffy while we were at our campground. Don’t miss the nice gift shop!
We found a couple of trails that seemed good for the kids and headed out—we started on the Heritage Trail. The trails were beautiful—to be honest, I wasn’t expecting it! We made our way the extra distance and came to a spring with a small waterfall (River Styx Spring). It was worth the climb in and the climb back up the hill!
This hike was under one mile, which makes it a great activity for kids in Mammoth Cave! You can check out all the Mammoth Cave hiking trails here.
Highlights:
- There are a lot of great trails that you can go on with kids.
- Some of them are paved so you could bring a stroller.
- The Mammoth Cave Visitor Center is large, with an area to walk through to learn about the cave system.
- The trails are really pretty, and there are some great lookout points.
- Echo River Springs Trail and the Green River Bluffs Trail are highly recommended trails.
Things to know:
- You could easily bring a lunch, take a hike in the morning, have a picnic lunch, do the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center, and hike in the afternoon.
- Mammoth Cave has RV parking in the lot. So, if you just want to stop in for the day, you can park your RV while you go exploring.
- Be sure to bring your hiking gear such as Keen shoes, plenty of water (maybe even a hydration pack), hat, sunscreen, etc.
Mammoth Cave Tours
When visiting Mammoth Cave you have to do a cave tour! There are a variety of cave tours and we weren’t sure which one to do. After looking through the times we decided on the Mammoth Passage Tour (not always offered so be sure to check their site to determine which tour will be best for your group) it was 1 hour 15 minutes. We figured with the kids that was enough.
There were groups of 50 going on one of the tours, so we were really lucky when we were in a group with just us and three other people! We had a great tour guide who taught us a lot about the cave and, at one point, stopped and turned all the lights out so we could see how dark the inside of a cave really is!
This is our second time in a cave since we did Ruby Falls in Tennessee in November. When the ranger asked if the kids had been in a cave before, they were really proud to say they had.
But we also learned that we don’t think Knox likes caves. I don’t know if it is a claustrophobic thing or what?? But he did not like Ruby Falls in Tennessee or Mammoth Cave. He hid his head the whole time, and when we asked if he liked it, he said the cave was stupid . . . he couldn’t wait to get out.
Other than that, we all enjoyed it, and Knox did fall asleep, so that was good. The kids got bored at the end, so I think it was the right length of time for our kids. However, there were a lot of other tours that sounded really cool that we would like to do in the future.
You can check the current tours offered at Mammoth Cave here. They offer tours like: The Extend Historic Tour, Dome & Dripstone Tour, the Discovery Tour and more!
Highlights:
- The tour we took was just a short walk to the entrance – another reason it is good for young kids.
- We couldn’t find the tour we did online, but when we got to the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center, they had information on it.
- It was one of the least expensive tours at $15 for adults and $13 for kids. Kids under 6 are FREE!
Things to know:
- You cannot wear a backpack carrier in the cave. I used my sling, and that was fine—but always check, as I am not sure how strict things have become (they seem to always change!).
- A tour guide leads the tour, and once you are in, you are in (they actually lock the door behind you so people can’t sneak into the cave). You have to stay with your group throughout the tour.
Mammoth Cave National Park website with more information: http://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm
Kentucky has a lot to offer and is a great place to explore and relax. Mammoth Cave is our favorite National Park in Kentucky!
Family-Friendly Things To Do Near Mammoth Cave National Park
Chaney’s Dairy Farm
Our next stop was Chaney’s Diary Farm. Being from Wisconsin, we see cows all the time, but the tour seemed like it would be good. They had a pretty inexpensive kids’ lunch ($7 a piece) and a park. Plus, it sounded very family-friendly (and it was!).
We figured we would give it a try, and we are glad we did. The tour was about 45 minutes long. It started with a hayride to the cows’ area, where the owner talked about them. The kids got to pet a cow and a calf, and then we got a hayride back up to the restaurant area.
After lunch, the kids all got ice cream (included in the cost of the kids’ meal). Then we played at the park. There was a bouncy pillow, which was $5 extra a person. Melia really wanted to go, so she used her birthday money to pay for everyone.
It was nice she did that and we ended up spending about 2 hours just hanging out there. One of the coolest things was when all of a sudden all the cows that were out in the pasture got up and started walking to the barn. One by one they all went up and headed over.
There was one lazy cow who waited until everyone else left, and they got up, too. As far as we could tell, no one had come out to get them, so it was cool watching and seeing if they would all go. It was a beautiful day, and we really enjoyed the farm!
Highlights:
- The tour was well worth it. It was about 30 minutes long and included a hayride for the kids. They didn’t get to milk a cow, but they got to pet one.
- The best part about the tour is the free ice cream everyone gets at the end! And the $7 lunch was worth it, too (came with a sandwich, chips, applesauce, and drink)
Things to Know:
– You could just visit to play at the park for free and to walk down to look at the cows in the field.
– If you want you can also bring your own lunch if you want to.
– You have to call ahead to get a spot on a tour. We were able to join another tour that was going on that day.
Check out their website for more information: https://www.chaneysdairybarn.com/
Night on the Town Kentucky Style
On our last night there, Jen from Free 2 Breathe (who was with us—it’s so fun traveling with friends!) mentioned that they did a Jammin on the Porch at Thomas House (111 East Main Street) in downtown Horse Cave, which is close to Mammoth.
If you are hungry, you can find a restaurant nearby to stop for a bite to eat before the Jam session. Cave City Pizza is an option.
Next, we headed over to Thomas House, and it was true authentic Kentucky music. A group of men sat around playing all sorts of different string instruments while singing. We had a great time!
It didn’t take long for the kids to get up and start dancing in the middle. The guys even did a Scottish kids’ song for us. We are really glad that we went. If you are in the area, they have a music get-together every Thursday night. And if you play, you can bring your instrument and join in!
Highlights:
- This was real, hometown Kentucky music. They went around in a circle, and each person had a turn picking out which song the group was going to perform.
- If you have a guitar, bring it. You are more than welcome to join in. The guy wanted to give Craig his guitar so he could play!
Things to know:
It looked like there were some other unique things to do in the town as well. We just ran out of time!
The website with more information: https://kygetaway.com/events/jammin-on-the-porch-every-thursday-75/
National Corvette Museum
Explore the history of the Corvette while also checking out their ever-changing exhibits. They offer hands-on learning that educates and entertains. This is a great option if you or your kids are into cars!
More info: https://www.corvettemuseum.org/
Where To Stay
RV Park
When we were in Kentucky, we stayed at the Diamond Caverns RV and Golf Club. It was a very small campground but nice and quiet—Craig commented that you couldn’t even hear anything—not the highway, wind in the trees, or anything.
It was very quiet and calm—well, calm—except when our kids were running wild at the playground and mini-golf course. They had a pool, but it wasn’t open yet.
Hotel Stay
If you want to stay in a hotel, you should look into the Cave City area for the typical name-brand hotels. There are also some bed and breakfasts and VRBO options around.
We really enjoyed our time in Kentucky. You could explore Mammoth Cave National Park—the trails, hiking and biking, the caves, and Diamond Caverns for a week while enjoying a few down days in between just to relax and enjoy the sunsets!
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She loves being outside and exploring new places which is all made better when doing it with family and friends!
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Being a Kentucky girl, it makes me proud when someone visits and enjoys their stay! I’ve been to Mammoth cave as a child and loved it. I hope we can take our kids this year since the youngest is now old enough to walk through the caves herself.
Hope you can come back and enjoy some of the other sites and activities Kentucky has to offer some day. Central KY is a bit different with the gorgeous horse farms, a little metro in Lexington and more so up in Louisville, etc… In fact, each region you go to in the state is a little different than the rest. Plenty of enjoyment for everyone!
Hi Crystal. Thanks for the comment. Sounds like a very cool and diverse state. I’m sure we’ll be back!
Great Article!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome tips! We visited Mammoth Cave five years ago and I wish I had known about some of these things back then. We basically just toured the cave itself and what I remember most vividly is that the ranger who guided the tour had a very strange sense of humor.
Well, he does work in a cave all day 😉
Thanks! Your tips were very helpful. We are taking our three kids there this weekend (4,6 and 8) and will use your advice.
Awesome! Glad you liked it.
Where did you lodge?
We stayed at the Diamond Caverns RV park.
Thanks for sharing! (And I’m so glad I thought to look for information on Mammoth Caves ahead of time.) You guys added things I never would have thought to stop and see while in Kentucky–I might have to try them out, too!
Awesome, glad you found it useful! Have a great trip!