5 Things To Do With Your Kids In and Around Mammoth Cave Kentucky

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!

Family Friendly things to do in and near Mammoth Cave National park. Picture walking into a Cave tour.

Family Friendly Things To Do In Mammoth Cave National Park

1. Mammoth Cave Hiking Trails

Mammoth Cave 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 we 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 totaled under 1 mile which made it a great thing to do in Mammoth Cave with kids! 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 a hike in the afternoon.

– Mammoth Cave has RV parking in the parking lot. So if you just wanted to stop in for the day you could pull in and park your RV for the day while you go explore.

– Be sure to bring your hiking gear such as Keen shoes, plenty of water (maybe even a hydration pack), hat, sunscreen, etc.

 

2. Mammoth Cave Tours

Mammoth Cave National Park Sign

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 into one of the tours so we were really lucky when we were in a group with just us and 3 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 been.

But we also learned that we don’t think Knox likes cave I don’t know if it is a claustrophobic thing or what?? But he DID not like Ruby Falls in Tennessee and in 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 then 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!

Entering a Cave Tour at Mammoth Caves National Park

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 $7 for adults and $5 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.

– The tour is led by a tour guide 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 go to explore and relax and Mammoth Cave is our favorite National Park in Kentucky!

Family Friendly Things To Do Near Mammoth Cave National Park

3. Chaney’s Dairy Farm

Cheney Farm by Mammoth Cave

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 and they had pretty inexpensive kids lunchs($6 a piece) and a park. Plus it sounded very family friendly (and it was!).

We figured we would give it a try. We are glad we did. The tour was about 45 minutes long with a hayride to where the cows are, then the owner talked about the cows, the kids got to pet a cow and a calf and then we got a hayride back up to the restaurant area.

After eating lunch the kids all got an 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 :).

Jumpy Pillow by Mammoth Cave National Park

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 on 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. The tour itself was about 30 minutes long with a hayride for the kids. They don’t get to milk a cow but they get to pet one and also bet a calf.

– The best part about the tour is the free ice cream everyone gets at the end! And the $3 lunch was worth it to (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 wanted to.

– You have to call ahead to get a spot on a tour. We were able to join with another tour that was going on that day.

Check out their website for more information: http://chaneysdairybarn.com

4. Night on the town Kentucky Style

Jammin on the Porch by Mammoth Cave National Park

Our last night there Jen from Free 2 Breathe (who was with us – so fun traveling with friends!) had mention 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 in down to stop to eat before the Jam session. Cave City Pizza is an option.

Next we head over to Thomas House and it was true authentic Kentucky music . It was a group of men sitting 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 do the 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 do.

– If you have a guitar bring it – you are more then 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.

Website with more information: https://kygetaway.com/events/jammin-on-the-porch-every-thursday-20/

@crazyfamilyadventure

Looking to visit a new place on your Spring Break Road Trip this year? Check out Mammoth Cave National Park and the surrounding area! Here are our top 5 recommendations on what to do when you visit: First give us a FOLLOW for more family travel ideas. And don’t forget to SAVE this post for when you plan your trip! 1 – Mammoth Cave Hiking Trails – it is a beautiful area around the cave and there are a lot of great family friendly hiking trails. We recommend the Heritage Trail to River Styx Spring. 2 – Mammoth Cave National Park Cave Tours – getting down in the cave is a must do when you visit! There are a variety of tours to pick from. We recommend the Mammoth Passage Tour. 3 – Chaney’s Dairy Farm – perfect with younger kids. Great priced kids meal, a fun tour and a great playground area and bouncy pillow. 4 – Jammin on the Porch at Thomas House – Stop in to listen (and play with if you have an instrument to bring) to the locals play music! Our kids loved dancing while the music was being played. 5 – National Corvette Museum – A great stop for any car/corvette lovers in your family! Comment MAMMOTH for all the details! ➡️ FOLLOW FOR MORE TRAVEL, FAMILY LIFE AND RVING TIPS @crazyfamilyadventure @crazyfamilyadventure @crazyfamilyadventure #Kentuckytravel #Kentucky #mammothcavenationalpark #USNationalParks #Mammothcave #roadtrip #familytrip #familyvacation #travelwithteens #ustravel #usatravel

♬ I Wouldn’t Mind – He Is We

5. 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 by Mammoth Cave

RV Park

When we were in Kentucky we stayed at the Diamond Caverns RV and Golf Club. It was a very small campground but was nice and quiet – Craig commented how 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 will want to look into the Cave City area for your typical name brand hotels. There are also some bed and breakfasts and VRBO options around as well.

We really enjoyed our time in Kentucky. You could explore Mammoth Cave National Park – the trails hiking and biking, the Cave’s at Mammoth Cave National Park, 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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More Info Check Out:

11 Favorite Things To Do In Kentucky With Kids

14 Fun Things To Do In Lexington KY With Kids

Top 13 Fun Things To Do In Elizabethtown KY

9 Fun Things To Do In Louisville KY With Kids

11 East Coast National Parks You Want To Visit This Year

12 Best Things To Do In Bowling Green KY

Bryanna
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14 thoughts on “5 Things To Do With Your Kids In and Around Mammoth Cave Kentucky”

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. Thanks! Your tips were very helpful. We are taking our three kids there this weekend (4,6 and 8) and will use your advice.

  4. 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!

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