Southern trailhead of the Raymer Hollow Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

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If you plan to hike in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park, do not rely on the map that comes with the free park brochure. Purchase the weatherproof map by National Geographic that is available in the Visitor Center book store. This map has more detail, and it is going to last much longer than the paper map. I hiked most trails in the backcountry using the National Geographic map, and it’s nearly as good as new.

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Length:  6.25 miles (one way)
Time:  2.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy with a half dozen moderately steep hills
Suitable for Horses: Yes

The Raymer Hollow Trail is one of the many backcountry hiking and equestrian trails within Mammoth Cave National Park. It is a 6.2-mile out-and-back trail that runs between the Mill Branch Trail on its southern end and the Collie Ridge Trail on its northern end. It cannot be reached without first hiking one of these trails: two miles on the Collie Ridge Trail or a mile on the Mill Branch Trail.

It is possible to combine the Raymer Hollow Trail with other trails to form a loop, but don’t expect any short hikes in the backcountry. A loop starting at the Big Hollow Trailhead on the Mill Branch Trail that includes a short segment of the Collie Ridge Trail and the entire Raymer Hollow Trail is 10.6 miles. A loop starting at the Lincoln Trailhead on the Collie Ridge Trail that includes 1.9 miles of the Mill Branch Trail and the entire Raymer Hollow Trail is roughly 13 miles.

Raymer Hollow Trail map (click to enlarge)

There are mileage markers attached to trees every quarter mile (some are missing) on nearly all the backcountry trails in Mammoth Cave National Park, so you can keep track of how far you have traveled. The 0 marker for the Raymer Hollow Trail is at the intersection with the Collie Ridge Trail, and the first marker at Mill Branch is for 6.25 miles. Since I was hiking from Mill Branch to Collie Ridge, the miles counted down as I went. (Note that RH on the mileage markers stands for Raymer Hollow.)

Mileage marker on the Raymer Hollow Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

I started my hike on the Raymer Hollow Trail at the intersection with the Mill Branch Trail, having come from the Collie Ridge Trail. The hike starts off up a moderate hill on what appears to be an old dirt road. It is less than 200 feet to the top. There are only a few other short and moderately difficult hills to climb similar to this one—most of which are on the northern two miles of the trail—but you can count these on one hand. Overall, this is an easy hike for the entire six miles.

The Raymer Hollow Trail quickly narrows from the wide dirt road into a more traditional hiking trail, but it is still plenty wide enough for both hikers and horseback riders. On top of that, the surface is largely rock and root free, so you can easily hike at your normal pace. In fact, I can’t recall a smoother surface on any trail in a backcountry area other than perhaps in Florida. After hiking the miserable Mill Branch Trail, this was a pleasure.

Typical terrain on the Raymer Hollow Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

Typical terrain on the Raymer Hollow Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

At 4.2 miles into the hike (near the 2-mile marker) the Raymer Hollow Trail crosses Dry Prong, which actually had some water in it when I visited. The water was deeper than my waterproof hiking boots, but there were enough stepping stones that I was able to cross without the water flowing over the tops and getting my socks wet. Anyone wearing tennis shoes might be in for a soaking, depending on water levels. Any higher, and my feet would have been wet as well.

Raymer Hollow Trail crosses Dry Prong in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

Dry Prong is at the bottom of a ravine, so after crossing it, the Raymer Hollow Trail starts uphill. This, and the hill down into the ravine, are two of the aforementioned moderately steep hills on the hike. The overall grade of the hill averages 11%, though some very short segments have grades between 15% and 25% (15% is the starting point for strenuous hiking). This hill is followed by a .2-mile level area before coming to another hill of similar difficulty and length. After that, the trail is level for the next mile.

Steep hill after the Raymer Hollow Trail crosses Dry Prong, Mammoth Cave National Park

One of the reasons to hike the Raymer Hollow Trail is to get to the Raymer Hollow Backcountry Campsite. The turnoff comes 4.75 miles from the Mill Branch Trail intersection (1.5 mile from the Collie Ridge Trail). There is a CAMPSITE directional post, and once on the .1-mile trail to the campsite, look for the orange blazes. These are paint splotches or other markers attached to trees that you follow like Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs.

Post marks the turnoff from the Raymer Hollow Trail for the Raymer Hollow Backcountry Campsite in Mammoth Cave National Park

Orange blazes mark the route of the trail to the Raymer Hollow Backcountry Campsite in Mammoth Cave National Park

Another steep hill comes right after the turnoff for the campsite. It is a tenth of a mile climb to the top, and after that the Raymer Hollow Trail is fairly level for the next three quarters of a mile. There is a dip with a small stream at the bottom, but instead of having to wade across the creek, there is a footbridge.

Stream crossing at the northern end of the Raymer Hollow Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

The last .4 mile before the Collie Ridge Trail is uphill, and half of that has an average grade of 12%, making it the longest of the steeper hills on the Raymer Hollow Trail.

Final hill on the Raymer Hollow Trail just before the intersection with the Collie Ridge Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

For those on horseback, the Raymer Hollow Trail offers an excellent ride. However, I do not suggest making any sort of loop that uses the section of the Mill Branch Trail between it and the Collie Ridge Trail. This leaves only the option for an out-and-back ride from the Lincoln Trailhead to the Big Hollow Trailhead (18.5 miles, round trip). You can also depart from the First Creek Trailhead, taking the Wet Prong and Blair Spring Hollow traills to the Collie Ridge Trail.

Horseback riders on the Raymer Hollow Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

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