The Black Lagoon and Wakulla Springs

Billed ‘strange and mysterious waters,’ a 6,000-acre sanctuary is hidden away in a quiet corner of the Florida panhandle, 30 minutes from Tallahassee and more than an hour from St. George Island. However the unique cinematic history as well as its incredible geographic features convinced us to make the trip to Wakulla Springs State Park, and we were so entranced that we are already making plans to return!

The deepest part of the spring is just beyond the buoy

The heart of the park is Wakulla springs, one of the largest and deepest in the world. The freshwater springs are a result of the unique geology created by the prehistoric seas that once covered the area; when the seas retreated they left behind sandy soils over limestone, and when water eats away at the limestone, holes develop. The result is called ‘karst,’ and the holes and tunnels (resembling Swiss cheese) are linked in an enormous underground cave system that serves as the aquifer for the region. The freshwater springs are 185 feet deep with a flow rate of 250 million gallons of water per day.

Several underwater scenes for the 1954 horror movie “Creature from the Black Lagoon” were filmed in Wakulla Springs, as well as Tarzan movies from the 1930s, “Return of the Creature,” “Night Moves” and “Airport 77.” The clear water of the deep spring along with the tropical vegetation growing along the Wakulla River (and the alligators that go with it!) make for ideal filming conditions. If you take the boat tour your guide might point out some of the spots utilized most frequently in filming.

One of the River Tour boats making the rounds

One of the boys’ favorite portions of our visit was the boat tour. When the water is clear enough, the Park offers glass-bottom boat tours over the spring itself, however on our visit rainfall (with higher nitrogen levels) and the invasive & exotic species of hydrilla and algae had teamed up to create a dark water day; on these days visibility in the basin is too low to permit the glass-bottom boats to operate. However, the 3-mile River Tour operates 365 days a year (with exceptions for extreme weather) taking visitors up the river among the giant bald cypress trees to see alligators, native birds, turtles and other wildlife up close. The morning of our visit dozens of alligators were taking advantage of the warm day to sun themselves on the banks, and a manatee was seen on its way out to the coast to feed; the gentle giants cruise the waters in the summer, and a pod has been known to winter around the springs where the water stays a constant 70° year round.

See it?

The tour guide was very knowledgeable on the flora and fauna of the park, but also the historical aspects. Archaeologists have uncovered giant Mastodon bones and evidence of inhabitants dating back more than 14,000 years in the area! A complete mastodon skeleton recovered from the spring is on display at the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee.

Clockwise from left: white ibis, hooded mergansers, male anhinga (during breeding season flesh around the eyes turns bright emerald green), double -crested cormorants and the common gallinule

The river boat tour presented an opportunity to get up-close views (and identification) of wading birds, anhingas, grebes, ducks, and many others.  A number of species breed and raise their young in the waters of Wakulla River, and migratory species travel through from fall through spring. For boat tour pricing please see the Wakulla Springs website.

A cooter sunning itself among the cypress knees

It isn’t necessary to take the boat tour to see the spring, however. The deepest spot is adjacent to the swimming area, and a dive tower allows for viewing the spring and a two-story perch to plunge into the cool waters. The historic tower used to be four stories; I will admit jumping off the bottom level provided enough excitement for us, and swimming/jumping is at your own risk – no lifeguards are present. Also, swimming and snorkeling are limited to this designated swimming area (alligators!), and although scuba diving is allowed at some designated sinkhole areas, the Wakulla Springs are off limits.

Then and now. Historic photo source here

Another way to see the park is on the 9 miles of trail, either on foot, bicycle or horseback. The Nature Trail leads through southern hardwood and maple-cypress forests, with several state and national champion trees along the way. The entrance to the Cherokee Sink trailhead is on Hwy 61 two miles south of Hwy 267, and leads 1.4 miles to an 80 foot deep sinkhole lake. On the Riversinks Tract of the park visitors can hike the Bob Rose Trail, which follows the cave system and showcases karst features such as dry and wet sinks, swallets, and collapsed caves. On our visit we stopped at Sally Ward Spring, the reason why the area is called Wakulla SpringS, not spring; the second, 18ft deep spring is located near the park entrance and flows into the Wakulla River just downstream of its sister spring.

Placards throughout the park describe the biological, historical and other features that make Wakulla Springs so unique. It was shortly after Edward Ball purchased the property in 1931 that the Historic Wakulla Springs Lodge was built, and period furnishings include a grand piano, marble checker tables, a massive fireplace and the lodges only TV. The Spanish-Moorish style mansion (Mediterranean Revival architecture) is two stories with 27 rooms, lavished with pink and grey marble (including one of the world’s longest marble counters in the gift shop), and cypress beans and ornate hand painted ceilings grace the grand reception room. Upon Ball’s death in 1981 the property went to the State of Florida, and today the Lodge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a National Natural Landmark. Even if you’re not staying/dining in the lodge, plan to stop in, if only to see “Old Joe,” the 11’2” stuffed alligator that was a longtime resident of Wakulla Springs before it was illegally killed in 1966.

Visitors should definitely plan on spending the whole day at Wakulla. We utilized picnic tables for lunch, swam for several hours, toured the grounds, took the boat tour and still had multiple things we wanted to do before we left. In the immediate vicinity of the Park you’ll find other points of interest as well, including state capital Tallahassee, St. Mark’s Wildlife Refuge and the St. Mark’s Lighthouse (on the Forgotten Coast Lighthouse driving tour), the world’s smallest police station in Carrabelle (plus stop here for coffee!), and the National Forest. That evening our route would take us to a favorite spot for Apalachicola Bay oysters back on St. George Island, and the next day we would be on our way west through Apalachicola and St. Joe, to Panama City Beach.

Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve

Half of a weathered wood, hand-written sign reads “lower parki… area Forty Acre…”, about the only clue you’re in the right place. The 2,965 acre Heritage Preserve near Kershaw is managed by the SC Department of Natural Resources, but isn’t widely publicized due to the sensitive ecosystems it contains; Forty Acres encompasses 2,965 acres of the most diverse protected area in the Piedmont, including granitic flatrocks, waterslides, waterfalls, a beaver pond, caves, hardwood and pine forests, and a variety of wildflowers and wildlife. At least 20 national and state endangered species can be found on the Preserve, Forty Acre Rock being one of five worldwide habitats for the wild Amphianthus pusillus (pool sprite). These uncommon plants grow in vernal pools on the rock, and are among the rarest of their type in North America.

The Rock. It’s actually only 14 acres in size, but as you’re standing on the top it certainly feels like more. Forty Acre Rock is one of six National Natural Landmarks in the state, a National Park Service designation that recognizes only the most outstanding natural and geological features. In spring water will collect in the depressions on the rock, and visitors will find a variety of specialized plants growing there such as lichens, mosses, sedum, and the endangered pool sprite, making March through May the perfect season to visit.

Katawba Valley Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, DNR and other conservation groups teamed up to protect this unique site, piecing the preserve together over 35 + years from 14 separate properties, the most recent of which was added in 2015 (the Rainbow Ranch tract).

To fully experience Forty Acre Rock, hike the moderate, 4.5-mile figure-eight trail from the lower parking area. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow, except for the portion on the actual rock - make sure to take a look at a map before starting off. We prefer hiking the loops in a counter-clockwise direction, starting in the forest next to the lake, climbing up past the cave and waterfall into the rocky area east of the rock before crossing over the rock itself, then descending back down past the waterfall before looping around the beaver pond next to Flat Creek.

Similar to Bald Rock Heritage Preserve here in the Upstate, Forty Acre Rock has long been a target of vandals; graffiti, smashed glass and remnants of illegal fires cover not only exposed rock faces but also caves and even trees. In recent years the DNR is ramping up efforts to curb the abuse and protect this highly sensitive area from illegal vehicle traffic and vandalism; do your part by adhering to DNR regulations and reporting illicit activity.

The beaver pond at sunset

A few notes:

Make sure to check directions/maps before you travel as you most likely won't have a signal.

There are no facilities on the Preserve.

The official DNR Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve website can be found here.

Click here for a map of the trails…

…and this article by nature and travel magazine NatureSouth is invaluable in detailing the plant, bird and animal life that can be found within the Preserve.

Finally, more on South Carolina’s Heritage Preserves can be found in the following Femme au Foyer posts: Bald Rock, Bunched Arrowhead and Poinsett Bridge in Greenville County, Stumphouse Mountain in Oconee, and Eastatoe Creek in Pickens county.

Lost Sea of Craighead Caverns

Spelunking, boating, waterfalls, campouts... all fun trips with the family. But what if I said one destination had all of these things!? In the middle of a mountain in east Tennessee is a lake so enormous as to merit the title of America’s largest underground lake in the Guinness Book of World Records. The 4.5 acre Lost Sea is part of an extensive cave system called Craighead Caverns, located near Sweetwater, TN in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. (The largest underground, non-subglacial lake in the world is Dragon's Breath Cave in Namibia, 4.9 acres in size.)

The caverns are named for their former owner, Cherokee Chief Craighead. In the “Council Room,” almost a mile from the entrance, a wide range of Indian artifacts have been found, indicating the cave was long used by the Cherokee for habitation and as a meeting place.

Starting with the 1820s, the first white settlers in the Tennessee Valley used the cave for storing potatoes and other vegetables, since the underground temperature is a cool 58° year-round. In subsequent years the cave was utilized by Confederate soldiers, who mined the cave for the saltpeter needed to manufacture gunpowder.

the descent underground

The Lost Sea was discovered in 1905 by a thirteen-year-old boy named Ben Sands. The water level of the lake fluctuates depending on precipitation, and by the time Ben had convinced his father to return to explore his discovery further, the water level had risen and concealed the entrance; local explorers only rediscovered it several years later. Today the lake is stocked with rainbow trout, and although fishing is not allowed, visitors can take a ride on the lake on one of four boats powered by electric motors.

In 1939, off-duty cave guides found the bones of a Pleistocene jaguar. A portion of the remains are now on display in the American Museum of Natural History in New York, while others (and plaster casts of the cat’s tracks) can be viewed at the visitor center. Around this time a mushroom farm was operating near the Historic Entrance in the “Big Room,” and it was in 1947 that the nightclub “Cavern Tavern” operated underground, complete with dance floor. It didn’t seem surprising to hear the cave had also long been used for moonshining and cockfights.

a few of the crawling tour options...

In the 1970s cave divers explored the Lost Sea and discovered several additional rooms that are completely filled with water, totaling more than 13 acres. The full extent of the underground sea has yet to be fully explored.

my spelunker!

In addition to historical relics, the caverns also contain stalactites, stalagmites and a waterfall. However, it’s the presence of cave flowers, rare crystalline structures called anthodites, which resulted in Craighead Caverns being added to the National Park Service list of National Natural Landmarks in 1974. According to the Lost Sea website, Craighead contains 50% of the world’s known formations of anthodites.

sleeping arrangements!

Want to explore the cave for yourself? Various tour packages are available (see website for details), ranging from an hour-long visit of the lake and main rooms, to an overnight “Wild Cave Tour” adventure that includes a cavern tour, various crawling tours in the undeveloped section of the cave, a boat ride on the Lost Sea and an overnight sleepover; this is the option that gets our vote! Roberts and Lauris emerged into the early morning fog absolutely covered in mud, tired from their adventure but with grins on their faces and quite a few stories to tell… It has already been decided that they won’t get to hog all the fun next time!

Thanks to Roberts for use of his photographs!

Going batty this Halloween…

We attended the 1st annual Halloween Bat Count yesterday at Sunrift Adventures in Travelers Rest. Sponsored by the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and Sunrift, the bat count was a great way to celebrate these awesome creatures of the night around an especially appropriate holiday.

What is now Sunrift, an outdoor outfitter specializing in cycling, backpacking, climbing & paddling, was once Brown’s Feed and Seed. The large building that stands behind the store dates back to 1904 as part of the cotton gin, and the old scales on which cotton was weighed still stand at the back of what is now called the Boat Barn. Along with the barn, the new buyers inherited a colony of bats that had moved into the roof of the building. It took the installation of eight bat houses and several years of plugging holes to keep the bats outside!

Why do we need bats here in the Upstate? Not only are bats major consumers of insects including mosquitos and various agricultural pests, but they contribute to our economy as well as our ecosystem. According to a 2011 study bats provided an annual pest suppression service of $115 million to the state's agricultural industry, and with the use of less pesticide they also help reduce the impact of these chemicals on other native wildlife species.

However, bats are in serious trouble. White-nose Syndrome is a disease that has devastated bat populations across North America, killing well over six million bats so far. Originally documented in New York in 2006, it was found in Pickens county in 2013; the mortality rate is 90-100%.  While the disease doesn’t affect humans, species such as the little brown bat have become locally extinct from their northeastern hibernation sites. Locally, tri­colored bats have tested positive for white-nose syndrome, their populations plummeting 60% in just a few years.

Of the fourteen species of bats that live in South Carolina, two call Sunrift home: the Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) and the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). SCDNR biologists gave a quick lesson on bats to those gathered for the count, and armed with paper and pencils, everyone headed towards their assigned box as the sun started setting.

As the bats woke up and prepared to leave their boxes, we could hear them squawking and chirping. Knowing we would be distracted by the boys, we chose to observe (and leave the counting to others) and settled in at a picnic table with a view of three of the boxes. It wasn’t long until the first bat dropped down and then swooped up and away, departing on its nightly hunt. The seconds ticked by, and then a river of bats would flow from the house, sometimes in a trickle, but sometimes filling the sky for a few moments. The flight would cease from one box only to resume from the next, and as I sat in awe of the sheer numbers the boys zoomed around us, squealing in delight.

We have a bat box in our yard, but it has sat empty for a couple of years. Armed with a new desire to see a family of bats move in, we will soon be relocating the house to ensure it is suitable for habitation. I hope you’ll consider adding a bat box or two to your property; not only will it help with mosquito control, but the beauty of the bats surging out at sunset was a sight to behold…

Wishing you a batty Halloween from our little cat, George Washington, and Thomas the Train!

Find the US Fish & Wildlife fact sheet on White-nose Syndrome here, and the SC DNR info page here.

Behind Grotto Falls

After the mountain vistas and high peaks of the previous day, I wanted to show the boys a different side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park; one of moist hardwood coves, abundant animal life, towering trees and fragrant forests that in my mind embody this National Park. The timing of our visit coincided with prime leaf-peeping in the region, and despite the draw of the unique historical and biological value of nearby Cades Cove, I knew that it would be bumper-to-bumper traffic, overflowing pull-offs and very little, if any wildlife sightings – which is why I turned my attention to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.

Similar to Cades Cove only in that it’s a loop, the one-way Roaring Fork passes through rhododendron thickets and dense hardwood forests as it follows the old roadbed of the Roaring Fork community. To reach it, visitors must drive through Gatlinburg and then a short distance on Cherokee Orchard Rd, through what once was an 800-acre commercial orchard in the early 1900s. It was here that we saw our first bear; traffic had slowed to near stop despite the ranger waving everyone on. Not long after we spotted a wild turkey, of which we would see a lot of on this trip! After 3.6 miles we made the right turn onto Roaring Fork, where a tour booklet can be purchased from the kiosk for a small fee.

Built by hand, the road is narrow and serpentine, winding through the forest connecting the homesteads of about 25 families that lived in the area. Many had running water thanks to a series of troughs which can still be seen today, such as at the Alfred Regan Cabin. Proximity to the river and various tributaries also means fantastic natural geographic features; there are three major waterfalls within easy hiking distance of the Motor Trail. Rainbow Falls is a strenuous 5.4 miles to an 80-foot waterfall that is very popular due to the heavy mist that surrounds it, the Baskins Falls trail (3.2 miles) leads to a 30-foot waterfall, and a 2.6 mile hike will bring you to Grotto Falls.

We chose Grotto Falls as our destination, partly for the shorter distance, and partly due to it being rated moderate (it has an elevation gain of 585ft as opposed to 1,700ft on Rainbow Falls and 950ft for Baskins). Then there's the trees; although the old-growth hemlock forest is suffering the effects of the balsam woody adelgid, there are still enormous hemlocks to be seen. However the clincher was the grotto; the trail actually passes behind the 25ft waterfall!

The trail is packed hard with years of use, not only by people headed to the waterfall, Brushy Mountain and LeConte Lodge, but also by llamas! As the resupply route for the lodge, it is the trail that the llama train uses to carry supplies up the mountain. The llamas leave very early in the morning, and so our chances of catching them on the way up were slim to none. But in order to get a parking spot we headed out sooner than later, and so they hadn’t started their return trip yet (it’s my understanding that they usually return sometime in the afternoon). We had to settle for llama poop and checking out the llama trailer…

This is far from a secret hike, and is actually one of the most popular hikes on this side of the park; therefore it was not surprising that we arrived to a crowd at the waterfall. As the kids were still fresh we decided to keep climbing, hoping to reach the intersection of Trillium Gap and Brushy Mountain trail (3+ miles from the trailhead), where I’ve heard the views are pretty fantastic. However after about another mile we got our fill of views and elevation gain, and instead headed back down to linger at the falls.

Although there was still a crowd, it wasn’t quite as obnoxious as when we were on our way up. We let the boys play in Roaring Fork, and were rewarded with several salamander sightings including what might have been a hellbender judging by its size. 

A salamander (but not the hellbender), a millipede and a brown squirrel

Not only a haven for amphibians, the perpetual mist makes it ideal habitat for wildflowers such as white and yellow trillium in the spring, hence the name Trillium Gap.

source: here

Know before you go: The roundtrip distance to the waterfall is 2.6 miles and the hike is generally considered moderate in difficulty. It takes about 2-3 hours to hike to the waterfall and back so carry drinking water with you. Pets and bicycles are prohibited on the trail, and black bears are regularly seen in the area. Do not climb on rocks around the waterfall; people have fallen to their deaths and suffered serious injuries! Not only are you risking life & limb and causing erosion of sensitive habitat on your way to the top, but you are ruining other people’s photos for that selfie – and there’s nothing to be seen at the top! Finally, make sure to stop at the roadside Thousand Drips Falls near the exit of the Motor Trail; after a rain it’s a great cascade plummeting down the mountain, but even in drier weather it is still a sight to behold.

Once back at the car we continued on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and found a quieter spot to enjoy a picnic lunch. The boys spent an hour splashing in the cool mountain water before we packed up the car and headed east into the mountains, where more adventures awaited.

A boy finds his first salamander

Mammoth Cave - the Green River Bluffs

Happy National Park Week! This week is America's largest celebration of national heritage; it’s about exploring amazing places, discovering open spaces and honoring the national parks that make America great! From April 16-24^th every national park will give you free admission, so get out there and find your park!

In honor of National Park week I’ll be blogging about some of the Parks we’ve recently visited as a family, wrapping up our spring break trip to Mammoth Cave National Park. Famous for over than 400 miles of explored tunnels, Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system – but that’s not all that’s there! Although we did descend down into the cave through the Historic Entrance on the Discovery Tour, we spent most of our time in the Park exploring above ground. Spring is the perfect time to visit as dozens of species of wildflowers are adorning the forest floor, and temperatures are mild allowing comfortable adventuring of one of Mammoth Cave’s 50 trails totaling over 80 miles of hiking.

Continuing on the Dixon Cave trail from the Historic Entrance

Our first taste of Mammoth Cave was the area around the Historic Entrance and the Visitor Center. We hiked a portion of the Green River Bluffs trail, the Dixon Cave trail, the Sunset Point trail and the Heritage trail, making a big loop down to the Green River and then back up. Leaving the crowds behind at the Historic Entrance we headed north on the Dixon Cave trail, 0.4 miles to reach what used to be a part of Mammoth Cave – perhaps a million years ago. The one cave became two when a sinkhole collapse cut Dixon off from Mammoth, creating the Historic Entrance. Endangered Indiana and gray bats use Dixon Cave, and so it’s gated off and shouldn’t be approached due to the threat of spreading deadly white-nose syndrome.

From Dixon Cave it’s an easy 0.1 miles back up to the paved picnic area loops where hikers can tie into one end of the Green River Bluffs trail. We elected to cut out a portion of the 1.3 mile trail and took the shortcut to the middle of the trail where we were rewarded with scenic views of the Green River from high on the bluffs.

After a swift descent to the river we were able to explore a sandy beach just opposite Cave Island. Large amounts of Tiger swallowtail butterflies had congregated here, and while I watched and photographed them the boys took turns throwing stones into the river.

The coves down adjacent to the Green River contained some enormous trees; the sycamores and beeches were each more massive and impressive then the last, colossal trunks supporting immense canopies that had just begun budding on our visit.

Soon we reached the mouth of the River Styx where there used to be an old riverboat landing. As the river was replaced as a means of transporting large loads by the railroad, steamboats took over touring the Green River, offering cruises complete with musicians, fine dining, traveling shows and circuses. We turned inland on the 0.4 mile River Styx boardwalk which leads to the point where the River Styx emerges above-ground for a short trip to empty into the Green River.

A short climb on the Echo River Spring trail brought us to the 0.3 mile Sunset Point trail which took us up the steep bluffs through a series of switchbacks. It was here that the boys encountered their third deer, eliciting a few screams as it crashed across the trail just as they had rounded a corner out of our line of sight – affecting a few more gray hairs before we learned the reason for their shrieks.

Sunset Point might provide a scenic viewpoint of the sun setting over the river; however it was more convenient as a rest point after a steep climb even as the shadows lengthened. The boys used the opportunity to continue work on their Junior Ranger Adventure books, the effort rewarded the following day when they received their hard-earned badges at the Visitor Center.

From Sunset Point we followed the half-mile paved Heritage loop past the Mammoth Cave Hotel back to the Visitor Center. Our loop totaled about 1.5 miles, but as it included several steep portions it was a challenging, rewarding hike. By including the entire Green River Bluffs trail it could easily be extended to 2 miles, and by adding loops to Dome Sink, Echo River and White Cave one could easily incorporate 4-5 miles of trail into their itinerary.

The view from Sunset Point

It seemed easy to separate our visit to Mammoth Cave into two parts; the descent into the underground world of the cave system, and the above-ground realm of rivers, forests and wildflowers. However, in reality these are two parts of a greater whole (hole!), unified by the various forces of nature that continue to form the caves and shape the landscape of this one ecosystem linked by water. With a wide variety of tours, trails and adventures awaiting, Mammoth Cave National Park is deserving of the title of World Heritage Site and should be included on your quest to find your park.

Mammoth Cave - Discovery Tour

A cave’s a cave?

We’ve explored dozens of caves; from the underground waterfall Ruby Falls near Chattanooga, TN, to the largest Latvia has to offer, Gūtmaņala, all the way across the ocean to the grottes of Gorges du Tarn in France and the σπήλαιο of Antiparos, Greece… we’ve experienced caves across the world. However none had prepared us for the enormity of Mammoth Cave!

On our recent trip to Ohio to spend Easter with family we elected to add a few days to the drive and make a vacation out of it. On the way north we explored Big South Fork NRRA and Caryville, while on our way south we had plans to stop at Mammoth Cave National Park. Being a popular spring break destination we knew we were in for some crowds and so we planned ahead, contacting the Park for information not only on their cave tours, but the above-ground hiking options as well. However, the truth is this – if you are going to visit Mammoth Cave National Park, you must descend into the cave to get the full experience.

There are almost a dozen cave tours offered at the Park, some seasonal and some year-round. The Mammoth Cave website offers descriptions of which tours are offered when, as well as great maps of which portion of the cave the tour explores. However, I feel that it doesn’t do the best job of explaining your options upon visiting the Park. A majority of the tours have a capacity under 40, and with anywhere from 1 to about 10 tours per day, you can imagine that these options sell out quickly, even at $12-$55/person. We went back and forth on which tour we were interested in, wanting to see more than just ¼ mile on the Frozen Niagara tour, but not wanting to go underground with a crowd of 120 people on the Historic Tour, nor spend 2.5 hours in the caves with Vilis (and no backpack carrier as they aren’t allowed) on the Domes and Dripstones Tour. Reservations are not required, but are strongly recommended to ensure a spot on cave tours, and cannot be made the same day of the tour. With our indecision we missed our chance to participate in any of these tours, but luckily there is another option that isn’t clearly explained on the website – the Mammoth Cave Discovery Tour. Along with the Mammoth Passage Tour, these tickets are only available on site on the day of. We wouldn’t have even known about this option if it hadn’t been for a stop at the Visitor Center on our second day in the Park, as our first visit was after 3pm – when the tickets aren’t available. Even upon inquiring if the tours were full, this option wasn’t mentioned… and I can see why - they want to sell out all their other tours. The tickets for the self-guided exploration are only $5/adult (kids 6-12 $3.50 and under 6 free), entry is through the Historic Entrance (right next to the visitor center), and you can explore a designated section of the cave at your own pace. Online feedback from the guided tours indicates little time to photograph or admire individual features with the large groups, and while these tours may offer visits to intricate features such as the Frozen Niagara or famous ‘rooms’ such as the Snowball Room, the Discovery Tour takes you through a giant dome (the Rotunda) and long passageway, more than enough to suit our little group.

Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system known in the world. The park was established on July 1, 1941, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site on October 27, 1981. There is archeological evidence in the cave of 4,000 years of exploration, and geologists think that there could be 600 miles of undiscovered passageways. The cave also predates all other National Parks as a tourist attraction, for as early as during the War of 1812 the site was already being advertised as one of the greatest natural treasures of the United States.

A short hike from the Visitor Center brought us to the Historic Entrance where we descended into the dark passage that would take us to the Rotunda. Although the cave system is home to about 130 forms of life such as the eyeless cavefish and the cave crayfish, we only saw a couple of brown bats, asleep in the beginning passage right above unsuspecting tourists’ heads. Soon we entered into the Rotunda, one of the largest rooms in the cave system. Lighted information placards and exhibits described the 19^th century saltpeter mining operations that took place in the cave, as well as the geologic origins. From the Rotunda we explored Audubon Avenue, a vast canyon passageway. The Narrows and Rafinesque Hall are also open to view on this tour. You will experience an elevation change of 140 feet and must climb 120 stairs.

If you are interesting in crawling through tight passageways on your belly by headlamp, photographing the domes and dripstones or discovering famous rooms further into the underground labyrinth, you probably want to reserve one of the many tours offered by the Park Service. However, if you are interested in getting a feel for the enormity of this underground natural wonder without the time, physical fitness or $ commitment, the Discovery Tour might be for you. Visit the website to explore the multitude of options and to see what tours are offered during the season you expect to visit, and make your reservations early if you choose to do so. However, keep in mind that you can always see a portion of the cave on a self-guided tour – and don’t forget there’s also the above-ground portion of Mammoth Cave to explore!