Turnhole Bend Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park
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 (it is also available from various online retailers). 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.
Length: 2 miles (one way)
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Mainly easy with a few moderate and one very steep hill
Suitable for Horses: Yes
The Turnhole Bend Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park is a 2-mile trail that is open to both hikers and horseback riders (no bikes). It runs from the intersection with the Buffalo Creek Trail at its northern end to the Turnhole Bend Campsite at its southern end. It is located in the middle of the backcountry, so you must hike other trails to get to it. The quickest way to reach it and the Turnhole Bend Campsite, if that is your destination, is to take the Buffalo Creek Trail starting at the Maple Springs Trailhead. You can also get to it via the Sal Hollow Trail, but that’s a 3.5-mile hike from Maple Springs.
Turnhole Bend Trail map (click to enlarge)
The Turnhole Bend Trail is an old dirt road, so it is easy to hike. It starts off uphill for .2 mile (a moderate climb), but after that the general trajectory of the trail is downhill all the way to the turnoff for the campsite. There are some level areas and a few uphill climbs along the way, but in general, you will be heading downhill. However, other than the last tenth of a mile before the campsite, any hills are mild in nature, and when you get to the end and assess the hike, you’ll fondly remember walking on pretty level ground.
Typical terrain on the Turnhole Bend Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park
As with most trails in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave that are open to horseback riding, there are numerous mudholes on the Turnhole Bend Trail that are created by horse hooves churning up dirt in wet areas. Many mudholes have side trails around them, which goes to show that these areas are muddy more often than not. Even if the mud is dry, there can be hoof prints in it six inches deep, so it is still very difficult to walk across this terrain without twisting an ankle. I will say that there are far fewer mudholes on the Turnhole Bend Trail that on others in the park, and overall the trail is a pleasure to hike.
Mudhole on the Turnhole Bend Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park
The intersection with the Sal Hollow Trail comes .6 mile from the start. Continue straight ahead, following the sign to TURNHOLE CAMPSITE. The stated distance to the campsite is .9 mile, but this is way off. It is a 1.3-mile hike.
Turnhole Bend Trail at the intersection with the Sal Hollow Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park
The Turnhole Bend Trail narrows into a traditional hiking trail about a third of a mile south of the Sal Hollow intersection. It widens a little in spots over the next third of a mile, but it is never a wide dirt road again. The trail surface does remain smooth, so it is still easy to hike. There are a couple moderate hills with grades of around 10% (15% is considered the start of strenuous hiking), but it is a short hike to the top or bottom of any of them.
The Turnhole Bend Trail becomes a traditional hiking trail south of the Sal Hollow Trail intersection, Mammoth Cave National Park
Three quarters of a mile from the Sal Hollow intersection, the trail becomes very narrow and is in fact overgrown in some places. I imagine that the only people who hike this far are those camping, so without hordes of people and horses trampling down the vegetation, this doesn’t surprise me much.
The Turnhole Bend Trail is narrow and a little overgrown as it approaches the Turnhole Bend Backcountry Campsite at Mammoth Cave National Park
All of the backcountry campsites I visited at Mammoth Cave National Park were located either at the top or bottom of an extremely steep hill. It’s no different at Turnhole Bend. Over the last tenth of a mile to the campsite, the trail heads down and out of a deep ravine. This all starts when the otherwise straight-as-an-arrow Turnhole Bend Trail makes a big curve to the left. The hike down isn’t bad, but the hike up has an average grade of 23% and lasts for about 150 feet. Why the National Park Service couldn’t put the campsite before the turn, I don’t know. The photo below does not accurately convey the steepness of the hill, but it is one of the steepest in the park. It is tippy-toe steep. That’s where you have to walk on the balls of your feet to move forward, and your heels never touch the ground. Once you climb out of the ravine, it is another hundred yards to the campsite.
The Turnhole Bend Trail dips in and out of a steep ravine near the Turnhole Bend Backcountry Campsite at Mammoth Cave National Park
For information on the campsite, see the Turnhole Bend Backcountry Campsite review here on National Park Planner.
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Last updated on October 3, 2024
