Road trip, should we stop at Mammoth Caves on the way to MI

We are coming from Nashville on our way home to Michigan thought to stop at the caves. Is a few hours worth stopping to do a tour. I have a 6 and an 8 yr. old.

Road trip, should we stop at Mammoth Caves on the way to MI

Hi Gigi, a few hours should be efficient time to do a tour. You will need to call ahead of time though and find out which tour you want to do and make reservations ahead of arriving or they will be sold out. There are a number of tours available and they can tell you what would be good.

Road trip, should we stop at Mammoth Caves on the way to MI

Thanks for the info. I will do that.

Hi Gigi,

You can read about the cave tours at this link:

www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/cavetours.htm

Just click on each tour for a complete description. I have personal experience with the Historic and New Entrance Tours and would recommend them both. The rangers are very informative and do an excellent in describing the tour you are on. Their descriptions are very accurate, so if you feel uneasy after they speak to you, feel free to ';back out,'; but worry...we had no problem with any of the tours, and I feel I am just average in fitness.

One thing to keep in mind about Mammoth...it%26#39;s not a show cave known for its formations. Not all tours include viewing the few formations the cave has. It%26#39;s really known for its size--thus the name ';Mammoth.'; Some of the rooms are HUGE! However, some can be quite tight. Of course, there are over 300 miles of discovered passages.

The New Entrance Tour does allow you to see the Drapery Room where the formations are. The Historic Tour does not. There are tours for every age and fitness level.

Advance reservations for any tour are a must as KYMom said. You can reserve/pay on-line at recreation.gov.

You and the kids will love the cave! Enjoy.

I%26#39;d never pass up the chance to see a National Park - and Mammoth Cave is no exception. Check out the link that Sirtravelplanner gave you - and I%26#39;d probably pick the shortest tour for kids the age of yours. And as Kymom said - it%26#39;s DEFINITELY an advantage to make reservations ahead of time.