Southern trailhead of the Wet Prong 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:  4.9 miles (one way)
Time:  2.5 hours
Difficulty: Between easy and moderate with a few very steep hills
Suitable for Horses: Yes

The Wet Prong Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park is a 4.9-mile hiking and equestrian trail with its northern starting point at the First Creek Trailhead located near the intersection of Houchin Ferry Road and Ollie Ridge Road. Its southern trailhead is at the intersection with the Collie Ridge Trail. I hiked the Wet Prong Trail from Collie Ridge to the First Creek Trailhead, and this report is written from that perspective.

Wet Prong Trail map (click to enlarge)

There are horse hitching posts and a picnic table at the intersection of the Wet Prong and Collie Ridge trails. You can also pick up the Buffalo Creek Trail from here. Directional signage identifies all three trails.

Hitching posts and picnic table at the intersection of the Collie Ridge, Wet Prong, and Buffalo Creek trails, Mammoth Cave National Park

The routes of the backcountry trails in Mammoth Cave National Park are marked with blue blazes. These are typically paint splotches or colored markers on trees that you follow like Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs. While most of the Wet Prong Trail is easy to follow, there are a few confusing spots where the blazes come in handy.

Blue blazes mark the route of backcountry trails in Mammoth Cave National Park

There are also mileage markers that are supposed to be attached to trees every quarter mile, but a lot of them are missing. WP on the marker stands for Wet Prong.

Mileage marker on the Wet Prong Trail in the Mammoth Cave backcountry

Unlike the Collie Ridge Trail, which is an old dirt road, the Wet Prong Trail is a traditional earthen hiking trail. The first half mile is a little narrow, but it has a smooth surface that is largely free of rocks and roots. It follows along a shallow ditch caused by years of horses traveling on the trail, and there are also some sandy areas created by hooves churning up the soil.

Typical terrain of the Wet Prong Trail near the intersection with the Collie Ridge Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park

The trail forks at the half-mile mark, with an option to keep straight on a nice-looking trail and an option to head down the side of a cliff on a trail that appears to descend into hell. This intersection is not on the trail map, and there is no directional signage. Referencing the map, this is the first big curve—almost a U-turn—at the southern end of the trail. By continuing straight on the nice trail you simply curve around to the bottom of the hill on what amounts to a switchback. The steep downhill trail is nothing but a shortcut to the bottom, and you will find such shortcuts at most of the switchbacks along the trail. The shortcut has an average grade of 29% (15% is where strenuous hiking begins). Either path will get you to the bottom. I took the steep shortcut, but being older, I wouldn’t do it again.

View back up the shortcut trail at the first switchback on the southern end of the Wet Prong Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park

The terrain remains hilly once at the bottom, but for the first quarter mile the grade of any hill rarely exceeds 12%—just imagine a kiddie rollercoaster. As before, the trail is narrow, has sandy soil, and continues to follow a shallow gully.

Typical terrain at the southern end of the Wet Prong Trail in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

The Wet Prong Trail forks once again at the start of the switchback that comes just prior to the intersection with the McCoy Hollow Trail (.7 mile from the start). This is just another one of those trails that shaves some distance off the hike by cutting from one side of the switchback to the other. Stay right to remain on the official trail.

Fork in the Wet Prong Trail just prior to the intersection with the McCoy Hollow Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park

At the intersection with the McCoy Hollow Trail, take a right to remain on the Wet Prong Trail, following the sign to the FIRST CREEK TRAILHEAD. At this point you will have hiked .9 mile.

Intersection of the Wet Prong and McCoy Hollow trails in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

The next point of interest is the Wet Prong itself (a small creek). Waterways are almost always at the lowest point on the terrain, so it should come as no surprise that the trail heads down into a ravine (referencing the map, this is the switchback prior to Wet Prong). The first 500 feet are fairly level, but then things take a turn for the worse. To start with, the trail gets very rocky, and there are also plenty of muddy spots that are made even muddier by horse hooves. Many of these mud holes have side trails around them that were blazed by previous hikers, which means the mud is there more often than not. Where the water comes from, I don’t know. Could be horse piss.

Rocky terrain on the Wet Prong Trail on the south side of Wet Prong, Mammoth Cave National Park

Muddy terrain on the Wet Prong Trail on the south side of Wet Prong, Mammoth Cave National Park

The hills on this section also get much steeper. There are short stretches with average grades of up to 43%, but most of the steeper hills average around 15%. You can see the creek at the bottom of the valley, and there is another one of those shortcuts if you don’t mind trekking down a cliff. However, it is only .2 mile to the bottom via the official trail, so you might as well stick to it. My attention at this point was more focused on not twisting an ankle on the rocks than the difficulty of the descent.

Steep hill on the Wet Prong Trail just before reaching the Wet Prong from the south, Mammoth Cave National Park

Once at the bottom, the trail runs along the Wet Prong for a short distance, and this stretch is very overgrown. Despite constantly brushing up to and busting through vegetation, I did not get any ticks on me. Nevertheless, be sure to check yourself for ticks whenever coming into contact with vegetation.

Overgrown section of the Wet Prong Trail as it runs along the southern bank of the Wet Prong, Mammoth Cave National Park

The Wet Prong Trail finally comes to a small beach at the creek. It continues on the other side, and there are three blue blazes within a hundred feet of each other to make this perfectly clear. There is no easy way across, and it may not even be passable without wading if the water is high. With the aid of my hiking poles, I was able to walk across on rocks without getting any water into my hiking boots (they are waterproof). If you are hiking the trail in tennis shoes, your options may be to turn around or continue the hike in soaking wet shoes and socks.

Beach where the Wet Prong Trail crosses the Wet Prong, Mammoth Cave National Park

The Wet Prong Trail continues on the other side of the Wet Prong, Mammoth Cave National Park

Wet Prong in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

Once across the creek, other than the fact that you have a 500-foot hike up a hill with an average grade of 16% to get out of the ravine, the trail returns to having a much smoother surface and is once again a pleasure to hike. In fact, the trail segment just before the Wet Prong is the only rough section of the entire Wet Prong Trail.

Hilly terrain on the Wet Prong Trail just after crossing the Wet Prong when heading towards the First Creek Trailhead, Mammoth Cave National Park

Once at the top of the steep hill, the general trajectory of the Wet Prong Trail remains uphill for the next mile. However, other than one short and moderate climb, this is a wide and relatively smooth section of trail that is easy to hike.

Typical terrain on the Wet Prong Trail on the north / west side of the Wet Prong, Mammoth Cave National Park

Referencing the trail map, there is a long, finger-like protrusion roughly .6 mile from the Wet Prong crossing. The reason for this major detour from the Wet Prong is that there is a ravine with a creek at the bottom called Wildcat Hollow that runs perpendicular to Wet Prong (the creek empties into Wet Prong). The ravine is too deep to cross at this point, so the trail turns away from Wet Prong, paralleling Wildcat Hollow along a ridge until the ravine and creek are shallow enough to cross (they get shallower the farther from Wet Prong). Once on the other side of the ravine, the Wet Prong Trail follows Wildcat Hollow back to Wet Prong and then continues northeast.

The Wet Prong Trail crosses a creek in Wildcat Hollow in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

The Wildcat Hollow creek is a lot easier to cross than the Wet Prong. When I did the hike, I just walked across in the water. Off to the right is a small cave shelter that the creek flows through.

Wet Prong Trail crosses a small creek in Wildcat Hollow, Mammoth Cave National Park

Cave shelter where the Wet Prong Trail crosses the creek that runs through Wildcat Hollow, Mammoth Cave National Park

Once across the small creek, the Wet Prong Trail continues along easy terrain for most of the way to the intersection with the Blair Spring Hollow Trail, 1.2 mile head. Per the map, it follows along the Wet Prong, but while you can hear water, the trail never comes within eyesight of the creek.

The last quarter mile before the Blair Spring Hollow Trail is a switchback that heads uphill the entire way. The first half tackles some short-but-steep hills (17% grade on one), but the last half is just a gradual climb to the top.

Uphill stretch of the Wet Prong Trail just south of the intersection with the Blair Spring Hollow Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park

The intersection with the Blair Spring Hollow Trail comes 3.25 miles from the Collie Ridge Trail. There are no directional or trail identification signs at the intersection, so without a trail map in hand you’d have no idea where you were or where to go. To continue on the Wet Prong Trail, take a left. The Blair Spring Hollow Trail heads down a very steep hill to the right.

Intersection of the Wet Prong and Blair Spring Hollow Trail when heading towards the First Creek Trailhead, Mammoth Cave National Park

From the Blair Spring Hollow intersection, the First Creek Trailhead is just 1.5 mile away. The general trajectory of the first half of the hike is uphill, though this time the climbs aren’t very difficult. Regardless of the ascent, the Wet Prong Trail is as wide and smooth as a golf cart path, so it is a pleasure to hike.

Typical terrain on the Wet Prong Trail just west of the Blair Spring Hollow Trail intersection, Mammoth Cave National Park

At the top of the hill are a few hitching posts for horses, and the trail appears to split. Stay to the right to remain on the Wet Prong Trail. I have no idea where the other trail goes.

Hitching posts on the Wet Prong Trail approximately .75 mile from the First Creek Trailhead in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

The trail from here on out is slightly hilly, but other than a 100-foot downhill section with a 10% grade, this is about as easy as hiking gets.

Wet Prong trail near the First Creek Trailhead in the backcountry of Mammoth Cave National Park

The Wet Prong Trail comes to an end at Houchin Ferry Road on the opposite side from the First Creek Trailhead parking lot.

Wet Prong Trail begins on the other side of Houchin Ferry Road from the First Creek Trailhead parking lot, Mammoth Cave National Park

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