Kentucky – Emily Takes a Hike

In the South, there’s no better time for an underground hike than the middle of summer. When August temperatures above ground make even the most heavily shaded trails feel like saunas, Tennessee and Kentucky offer several optimal underground hiking alternatives. None of these is more well known than Mammoth Cave National Park, easily accessible by a ninety-minute drive north from Nashville. As the only national park that’s justifiable as a day trip from my home in the Music City, the fact that I didn’t explore this place sooner completely baffles me. However, I couldn’t have picked a better opportunity to reunite with one of my favorite hiking partners and beat the heat by taking this chapter in the second iteration of my New Year’s Resolution underground.

Megan and I in a low-quality photo from a high-quality underground hike at Mammoth Cave. NPS strictly prohibits camera flashes inside the cave, so this is the best shot my iPhone could manage to produce.

Naturally, Mammoth Cave has been high on my “unexplored hiking destinations within a couple of hours of Nashville” bucket list (yes, I’ve got one of those) since the beginning of this journey in January of 2018. But this local climate that’s nothing short of smoldering for about eight months every year, as I’ve since learned, significantly changes beneath the earth’s surface. My hike at Mammoth Cave with Megan, a close friend who I’ve hiked with more times than maybe anyone, felt different than any other hike I’ve ever taken, and not just because of temperature differential below ground. I’ll admit that part felt so refreshing, because I can’t think of another summertime activity (outdoors and out of water) this close to home that gives me the chills, in the best way.

The entirety of the four-mile trail that Megan and I hiked lay beneath the ground. However, I’d describe this trail as generously moderate, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the National Park Service does not allow mere mortals to explore Mammoth Cave without a guide. I respect this, since Mammoth Cave is the world’s largest known cave system. The cave encompasses more than 400 miles of explored passages, only 14 of which are accessible to the general public, and many experts believe that at least half of the Mammoth Cave system has yet to be discovered. To the federal government, that translates to countless opportunities for unaccompanied and inexperienced tourists to get lost in the dark. As if NPS needs an additional reason to require Mammoth Cave visitors to enter the cave with a guide, it’s also extremely hazardous for the cave’s internal ecosystem to endure the human impact associated with unmitigated foot traffic.

Stalactites hang from the ceiling in several places in Mammoth Cave. Formed by mineral deposits on the limestone surface of the cave, stalactites grow at a rate of 10 cm per thousand years.

Accompanied by two park rangers and sixty other cave visitors, Megan and I descended into Mammoth Cave and embarked on the Grand Avenue Tour, the longest and most strenuous option available that doesn’t require caving equipment or experience. If you’re planning to visit Mammoth Cave, check out their website to learn about your tour options, as many (including Grand Avenue) are only offered seasonally. Megan and I were lucky to snag two of the last remaining spots on our tour about a week in advance. All tours require check-in at the Visitor Center prior to departure via shuttle to one of a handful of cave entrances.

Soon after entering the cave, I began reaching into my backpack for my pullover jacket, as the temperatures inside the cave felt at least forty degrees cooler than those above ground. Besides the chill in the air, the first thing I noticed was the infrastructure built within the cave, thoughtfully designed to accommodate crowds who don’t spend much time underground. The trail was smooth and even, and actually paved with a concrete mixture made from loose rubble cleared from the cave’s passages that are now accessible to visitors. The cave also had electricity, powered by generators along the trail that the enabled the rangers to turn lights on and off as we moved from one area to the next. Ladies and gentlemen, this cave even had bathrooms, and not the portable kind. These toilets flushed.

NPS strategically places small spotlights within the cave that allow visitors to see into the recesses along the trail without obstructing the path or the view.

All things considered, this might be the most civilized hike I’ve ever taken. It’s certainly the largest group I’ve ever hiked with, and the first guided hike I’ve taken since I started this journey. Although part of me feels disheartened about the manmade modifications to such an astounding natural wonder, another part of me appreciates that the National Park Service has made it possible for people like me to safely explore a place that would otherwise be inaccessible. This managed approach grants access to a limited number of guests and only in predetermined areas, all for a price. The controlled nature of this organized system, and the revenue that it generates, helps to preserve the cave for future generations of explorers.

Many of my photos turned out blurry as my phone struggled to focus in the dim light. However, some of these blurry photos, like this one of Megan, appropriately reflect the cave’s mysterious ambiance.

Ranger Steve, the NPS officer who led our journey, provided detailed historical and speleological anecdotes as we moved through the caverns. Speleology is the term that defines the study of caves, and I learned the name of this ancient science through a wise sage called Google. While most of the passages that we moved through didn’t feel cramped at all, this journey included a few spaces that would make a claustrophobe sweat, even in the cool subterranean climate. The rock formations changed as we moved through the cave, and Ranger Steve provided an excellent translation of the story that unfolded through the intricate patterns on those limestone walls. Mammoth Cave developed over the course of hundreds of millions of years, and it’s still a magnificent work in progress.

As my first underground hike, this one will always stand out in my memory as a completely unique experience, and one that I’m so grateful to have shared with my favorite Kentucky native, Megan. Not surprisingly, hiking through dark spaces beneath the earth’s surface produces sub-optimal lighting for photos, and NPS has a strict policy against flash photography in the cave, due to its harmful impact on bats, spiders, and the other species that call Mammoth Cave home. If you’re looking for a hike that will produce an array of likable photos to post on Instagram, this destination isn’t for you. I think that’s part of the appeal. Mammoth Cave presents a rare opportunity for the average tourist to explore one of the world’s most impressive natural phenomenons. There are no mountain vistas or breathtaking waterfalls inside this cave, but that doesn’t compromise the beauty of this enigmatic landscape.

As the downward pattern suggests, a waterfall formerly flowed over this rock face inside the cave. Darkness shrouds the bottom of the cavern below, making its depth impossible to define from the trail above.

Caves feel so personal to me, because of the closeness of the surrounding landscape, both comforting and intimidating at the same time. Despite the fact that I hiked through Mammoth Cave as a member of a large tour group, parts of this experience felt incredibly intimate. I salute NPS for this. While I still prefer adventures above ground, I foresee additional cave hikes in my future, and I’m lucky to live in an area that provides plenty of subterranean options.

This view shows the ceiling in what’s known as the Drapery Room, where stalactites and stalagmites create a curtain effect that dominates nearly every inch of this beautiful space.

There’s more than one way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

This year, instead of drinking green beer on a patio, I traveled to Red River Gorge in eastern Kentucky with two friends for an overnight hiking trip. Before this trip, I hadn’t slept in a tent since I was a kid, so I was really excited (and a little nervous, because you know, bears…) about the opportunity to sleep under the stars and roast marshmellows over a campfire. In reality, we had to put a cover over the top of the tent to keep the rain out, and there was no campfire to roast marshmellows over, also because of the rain. But hey, that’s why we brought wine, which we enjoyed inside the tent after a long day of exploring, protected from the rain (and the bears).

a stunning view of Red River Gorge from above, via the top of the Cloud Splitter Trail

Candidly, the camping piece of our weekend was not very primitive. We pitched our tent in an assigned spot at a campground. We drove right up to our spot and actually had access to indoor plumbing. All things considered, these were ideal conditions for a novice camper like me. We got to experience sleeping outside (next to a babbling brook, I might add), but didn’t have to carry all of our supplies up the side of a mountain. I have no doubt that I could handle more extreme camping, but I’ll never underestimate a scenario that allows me to sleep out in nature without sacrificing bathroom access.

After we prepared the campsite and erected our tent on Saturday morning, we set out to find and climb the infamous Indian Staircase, a very smooth and steep rock face that adventurous hikers can scale with no equipment by relying on small recesses worn into the rock over hundreds of years.

the small cavities that run several hundred feet up the rock face, giving the Indian Staircase its name

An important thing to note about Red River Gorge is that many of its 100+ trails are unmarked and can be difficult to find unless you know what you’re looking for. For example, Indian Staircase is only accessible through a series of spur trails originating from the Bison Way Trailhead. Despite some thorough research, my friends and I accidentally hiked around the backside of this section of the gorge and came out on top of Indian Staircase.

The path we followed was completely gorgeous, but I honestly can’t tell you how we ended up on top of Indian Staircase, except that we opted for the more upward route every time the trail split. We thought that this would eventually lead us to the foot of the staircase, but we came around a sharp corner on a high and narrow trail only to realize that we’d already reached the top via an alternate route. Oops! Ideally, we’d have hiked to the bottom of the staircase and ventured up, as crawling down proved to be much more of a challenge than climbing up.

panoramic view of the gorge on the way up to Indian Staircase

view of Indian Staircase from about a mile or so away, where the trees open up enough to give hikers their first view of the staircase from the trail

After a slow, careful descent of Indian Staircase, we followed a series of paths back out to the Bison Way Trailhead. From there, we made our way over to the Cloud Splitter Trail, which proved to be the most difficult, but most rewarding, hike of the weekend. As with the trails that provide access to Indian Staircase, the trail up to Cloud Splitter isn’t signed. However, on this hike, the “always upward” strategy works. I could provide more specific direction, but actually finding this gem is part of the fun, so good luck (:

shamelessly taking a selfie break between the Indian Staircase and Cloud Splitter trails

This one felt like an obstacle course, demanding and dangerous at times but totally worth the effort. After a steep upward hike that involved scrambling over rocks and hoisting ourselves up the steep path, using roots and vines for leverage, we reached the mouth of a cave. The visible trail ends here, presenting hikers who want to proceed further with two options: through the cave or over it. Each route has a unique and breathtakingly gorgeous end point, but both present significant challenges.

We decided to venture through the cave first, enticed by rumors we’d heard about the view from the opening on the other side. To say the least, getting through the cave involved more climbing and crawling than hiking. The total distance from the mouth of the cave to the opening on the other side can’t be more than 100 yards, but the end isn’t visible until you’re almost there.

one of the small openings we had to squeeze through in the cave

Needless to say, this part of the journey would be uncomfortable for a person of size or anyone who feels apprehensive in small, confined spaces. The view that awaits the ambitious hiker on the other side, however, is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The opening provides a stunning view of the gorge below, and the flat lower surfaces of the cave allow hikers to comfortably sit with their feet dangling over the sharp edge for an exhilarating view of the surrounding scenery.

the view of the gorge from inside the cave, nestled in the vertical rock face near the top of Cloud Splitter

my friend, Megan, enjoying the view from the cave’s edge, high above the bottom of the gorge

We stayed here for a while, taking in the gorgeous views, before traveling back out to the mouth of the cave and making our way up the final section of rock that leads to the top of Cloud Splitter. Admittedly, this part of the journey was terrifying, but thrilling at the same time. Apparently, the park service puts ropes in place here during the peak summer season, to assist hikers with the most perilous section of the climb. The ropes weren’t up yet, this early in the year, so I channeled my inner Spiderman and asked God for forgiveness on a couple of unresolved transgressions (just in case) as I shimmied across the smooth and nearly vertical rock surface that diagonally climbs up toward more level ground.

As you may suspect, I survived, and the reward was absolutely worth the risk. The top of Cloud Splitter provides a spectacular 360 degree view of Red River Gorge. It’s one of those truly special experiences that’s difficult to capture in words or photos and impossible to comprehend unless you’re there in person to take it all in.

breathtaking view of the Red River running through the gorge, on top of Cloud Splitter and about 100 feet directly above the cave

With rain and nightfall approaching, we descended back into the gorge and rewarded ourselves for the 6+ miles of strenuous hiking with a pizza feast at Miguel’s, a dive that’s deservedly popular with both locals and visitors. Sleep came easily in our tent that night, as the result of full stomachs and tired muscles (and the wine, of course).

The following day, we headed over to Natural Bridge State Park, an area adjacent to Red River Gorge and a short 20 minute drive from where we camped. We set out on a 3.5 mile hike along the Natural Bridge and Battleship Rock Trail.

standing on Battleship Rock, across the gorge from the Natural Bridge

The first mile of the hike is a steady uphill climb through a combination of natural inclines and manmade staircases. The path traverses through a serene forest before it curves upward through a narrow, rocky passage and emerges on top of Battleship Rock. Battleship Rock provides a beautiful view of Natural Bridge from about a mile away (as pictured above), but the trail eventually leads across the top of the bridge, which in return offers an unobstructed view of the immense Battleship Rock (as pictured below).

panoramic view of Battleship Rock from the top of Natural Bridge

The section of the trail between Battleship Rock and Natural Bridge is fairly level, as it’s on top of the wall of the gorge, and there are plenty of opportunities to veer off the main trail to explore short spurs that lead to various overlook points on either side. After crossing over the top of Natural Bridge, the trail then descends down, around, and under the bridge, offering hikers amazing views of this natural phenomenon from every angle.

taking a moment to enjoy the view at an overlook along the ridge between Battleship Rock and Natural Bridge

All things considered, this St. patrick’s Day celebration may have been my best one yet. I didn’t have any green beer or find any four-leaf clovers, but I felt beyond lucky to experience this holiday in an unconventional way with friends who share my passion for exploring. I’m not sure what’s on deck for April, but March’s adventure at Red River Gorge will be tough to beat.

Category: Kentucky

Hiking Underground at Mammoth Cave National Park