Green River Bluffs Trail at Mammoth Cave National Park

Length:  1.5 mile with trip to the Green River
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous

The Green River Bluffs Trail is located on the south side of the Green River near the Mammoth Cave National Park Visitor Center. It is an out-and-back trail that starts at the Mammoth Cave Picnic Area and ends at the Green River. There is no sense in hiking back the same way, so be sure to form a loop between it, the River Styx Spring Trail, and the Dixon Cave Trail. This loop comes out at the other side of the picnic area, so just cut across the field to get back to your vehicle.

Green River Bluffs Trail Map (click to enlarge)

When you drive up the Picnic Area road from the Visitor Center, do not take the first left to where a sign directs you to park. Continue up the road to the Mammoth Cave Environmental Education Center, the first building you will come to. Park as close to it as you can. The trailhead is across the street.

Start of the Green River Bluffs Trail across from the Mammoth Cave Environmental Education Center located inside the park’s main picnic area

The Green River Bluffs Trail starts off on a gravel path through the forest. The first two tenths of a mile is fairly level, but after that, it’s downhill along a mild slope for the next three tenths of a mile.

Typical terrain at the start of the Green River Bluffs Trail in Mammoth Cave National Park

As you proceed down the hill, the gravel path disappears and the trail becomes a little rocky. My feet slipped out from under me on loose rocks at one point. The slopes of a trail are often rocky due to rainwater flowing down them for decades and washing away the top soil to expose the rocks.

Typical terrain a third of a mile into the Green River Bluffs Trail in Mammoth Cave National Park

From the picnic area, the Green River Bluffs Trail makes are large, backwards C-shaped curve. After a half mile the curve ends, and for the next third of a mile you will be hiking up and over three hills that are similar in difficulty to the hill on the way down—somewhere between easy and moderate. There is an overlook of the Green River at the top of the first hill, but there is no longer much of a view due to the excessive vegetation.

Overlook on the Green River Bluffs Trail in Mammoth Cave National Park

View of the Green River from an overlook on the Green River Bluffs Trail in Mammoth Cave National Park

As the trail goes up and over the three hills it follows along a ridge that runs high above the Green River. At this point the trail is very rocky, way worse than any other sections up to this point.

Rocky terrain on the Green River Bluffs Trail when it first parallels the Green River, Mammoth Cave National Park

At .8 mile into the hike the route gets very confusing, mainly because the trail map on the Mammoth Cave National Park brochure is not accurate, and that’s what most people are likely to have in their possession when hiking the trails. There is a National Geographic weatherproof map sold in the Visitor Center that is a little better but still not crystal clear. The Green River Bluffs Trail comes to a T-intersection with what may be the northern terminus of the Dixon Cave Trail. Regardless of name, a left leads to Dixon Cave, which is very near to the picnic area. If you have had enough and want the quickest way back to your car, this is the way to go. Otherwise stay right to continue the hike on the Green River Bluffs Trail. Just beyond this is another intersection with a trail on the right, but this just leads to an overlook with not much of a view, so skip it and stay straight.

First intersection of the Green River Bluffs and Dixon Cave trails, Mammoth Cave National Park

In less than a tenth of a mile is an intersection that is not on the park brochure map at all. I ran into a few other hikers coming the other way, and nobody knew where the hell they were. Straight ahead is another trail that either leads to or is the Dixon Cave Trail. The main point of confusion, other than the intersection’s omission from the map, is a sign for the GREEN RIVER BLUFF TRAIL / RIVER STYX SPRING .5 MI. Coming from the picnic area as I was, all I could see was the back of the sign until I passed it and turned around. From that viewpoint, it appears to be pointing back the way I just came, which is obviously not correct. It is really referring to a trail on the left (a sharp right, nearly a U-turn when coming from the picnic area). On the trail map at the top of this page (with corrections in RED), this is where three zigzags begin.

Turn at the second intersection of the Green River Bluffs and Dixon Cave trails from the perspective of hiking from the Mammoth Cave Picnic Area

Turn at the second intersection of the Green River Bluffs and Dixon Cave trails from the perspective of hiking from the Dixon Cave Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park

Starting at this intersection, the Green River Bluffs Trail is extremely rocky. To make matters worse, the zigzags are switchbacks that, when heading towards the Green River, lead down a very steep hill with an average grade of 17% (15% is where strenuous hiking begins). However, short sections have grades anywhere from 25% to 30%. Note that the photos below are taken looking back up the hill.

Steep hill on the switchback section of the Green River Bluffs Trail in Mammoth Cave National Park

Extremely rocky terrain on the switchback section of the Green River Bluffs Trail in Mammoth Cave National Park

There is a footbridge at the bottom of the hill, which comes one mile into the hike. From here to the Green River the trail is on level ground and is once again a smooth, gravel path.

Footbridge at the bottom of the switchback section of the Green River Bluffs Trail in Mammoth Cave National Park

Typical terrain on the last half mile of the Green River Bluffs Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park

The Green River Bluffs Trail eventually dead ends at another T-intersection 1.4 mile into the hike. Take a left to continue the loop back to the picnic area on the River Styx Spring Trail. However, if you first want to see the Green River, take a right and head towards the wayside exhibit a short distance down the path. The exhibit has information about a former riverboat landing where visitors to Mammoth Cave once arrived. Take a left at the exhibit to get to the former landing and the Green River. DO NOT take a right because it is a Certified Rotten path that turns into a narrow, rutted gully. The trail to the left isn’t much better, but at least you can get to the river.

A right at the southwestern terminus of the Green River Bluffs Trail leads to a former riverboat landing on the Green River, Mammoth Cave National Park

Path to the Green River at the southwestern end of the Green River Bluffs Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park

Narrow and overgrown path to the Green River at the southwestern end of the Green River Bluffs Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park

View of the Green River near the southwestern end of the Green River Bluffs Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park

When you return from the river, continue straight to the River Styx Spring Trail intersection and take a left to begin the hike back to the picnic area. This is also the intersection for the Echo River Spring Trail (fork to the right) and a short trail to the actual River Styx Spring (also to the right and within sight distance). It was closed when I visited due to a tree falling on the boardwalk. If the trail is repaired when you do the hike, certainly take the .1-mile detour to see the spring. For information on the hike back, read the River Styx Spring Trail report here on National Park Planner.

View from the southwestern terminus of the Green River Bluffs Trail to the start of the River Styx Spring Trail in Mammoth Cave National Park

Western trailhead for the River Styx Spring Trail (left) and the detour to the actual River Styx Spring (right) at Mammoth Cave National Park

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