Mammoth Cave

Why the Mammoth Cave are special
Mammoth Cave in the state of Kentucky in America is the world's longest mapped cave system and is blessed with fantastic limestone formations.

Mammoth Cave tips and insights
When to visit Mammoth Cave
The best time to visit is spring (after the snow melts) and fall. In summer, temperatures soar. So do crowds, to the point where tours can quickly sell out.

Guided cave tours
You have a choice of tours, ranging from easy to expert:

• Very easy
  The easiest tour is well lit, has strategically placed handrails, and lasts a little over an hour.
  
• Reasonably easy
  The next tour is a little harder and longer, but you see Mammoth Dome, a massive cavernous room measuring 58 meters (192 feet) from floor to ceiling.
  
• Difficult
  The National Park Service offers experienced cavers a six-hour Wild Cave Tour. You don helmets, knee pads and other spelunking gear to explore unlit pathless areas. Sometimes you need to squeeze through tight passages and muddy crawlspaces.

Length
No one knows Mammoth Cave's true length. About 575 kilometers (360 miles) have been explored and mapped. Some professionals believe that there is an equal distance yet to be discovered.

In 1972 it increased significantly in known length when it was discovered that it connected with another long cave system.

Not homogeneous
Different sections have different configurations, formations and coloring.

Clothing
Bring a light sweater even if its sweltering outside. Caves are chilly the year around.

First inhabitants
Early Native-American artifacts dating back 4,000 years were found in the caves

National Park
Mammoth Cave is part of Mammoth Cave National Park, which includes the scenic forested river valleys aboveground.

Location in America