Mammoth Cave National Park | HIKING

McCoy Hollow Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

McCoy Hollow Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

While cave tours are the main draw to Mammoth Cave National Park, there are plenty of trails for those interested in hiking. The most popular are near the Visitor Center. These typically lead to interesting features such as springs and small cave entrances (you can’t go inside) and are a great way to spend time in between cave tours.

The backcountry trails, which are on the north side of the Green River, are open to both hikers and horseback riders. However, they definitely have more appeal for those on horseback than on foot. I hiked multiple days in the backcountry and saw only one other hiker. I saw a dozen horseback riders.

The better backcountry trails are nothing more than old dirt roads. The worst are so overgrown and filled with downed trees that they aren’t fit for man or beast. Other than using them to get to Backcountry Campsites, they are basically nothing more than walks in the woods with little to no scenic value unless trees are your thing.

The quickest way to get to the backcountry from the Visitor Center or the Mammoth Cave Campground, which is where most people are likely to find themselves, is via the Green River Ferry. This is the only way across the Green River from within the park. However, it is as likely to be closed due to low water levels as it is to be open. When closed, trails in the backcountry can take anywhere from forty-five minutes to an hour to reach via the highway through Brownsville. In truth, even if the ferry is working, the only trails that you can reach quickly are those at the Maple Springs Trailhead, which is near the ferry landing. The backcountry roads are winding and have slow speed limits, so it takes nearly as long to get to the Lincoln, First Creek, or Temple Hill trailheads by the ferry as it does by the highway.

Green River Ferry in Mammoth Cave National Park

Green River Ferry in Mammoth Cave National Park

VISITOR CENTER TRAILS

Dixon Cave Trail

Echo River Spring Trail

Green River Bluffs Trail

Heritage Trail

River Styx Spring Trail

River Valley Trail

Sinkhole Trail

Two Springs Trail

Whites Cave Trail

OTHER FRONT COUNTRY TRAILS

Cedar Sink Trail

Mammoth Cave Railroad Hike and Bike Trail

Sand Cave Trail

Sloan’s Crossing Pond Trail

Turnhole Bend Nature Trail

BACKCOUNTRY TRAILS

Big Hollow Trail

Blair Springs Hollow Trail

Buffalo Creek Trail

Collie Ridge Trail

Dry Prong Trail

Maple Springs Trail

McCoy Hollow Trail

Mill Branch Trail

Raymer Hollow Trail

Sal Hollow Trail

Turnhole Bend Trail

Wet Prong Trail

I did not hike the First Creek Trail or the White Oak Trail. A friend of mine said the First Creek Trail was CERTIFIED ROTTEN. I cannot comment on the White Oak Trail.

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Last updated on September 14, 2024
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