What safety concerns should I have?
Visiting Mammoth Cave can be a safe and enjoyable experience when visitors take some basic precautions and are aware of the dangers inherent to caves. Please read the precautions below and share them with your students and chaperones.

	Watch your footing while touring the cave.
	Lighting of trail surfaces will vary, so use extra caution when walking in areas with low light.
	Cave trails are marked, but can be uneven and in some places wet.
	Use handrails and be careful of low hanging rocks.
	Stay on the trails at all times.
	Do Not sit, climb, or step on rocks marking trail edges.
	Walk together as a group or family unit. All children under 16 must be accompanied and in the presence of an adult chaperone throughout the tour.
	Stop walking when using still or video cameras. Walking and photographing at the same time is hazardous and can lead to serious personal injury, injury to others, and resource damage. We suggest that a class designate one or two photographers rather than permitting all students to carry cameras.
	Visitors who want to travel at a slower pace should move to the front of the group. Due to "bottlenecks," the pace is faster at the back of the tour group.
	Visitors with known heart or respiratory problems, poor circulation, or difficulty walking long distances and negotiating stairs, should carefully consider their limitations. Choose your chaperones carefully.
	Evacuation from the cave to a hospital for medical attention could take several hours.
	Please be aware of any medical conditions that your students might have; students who have severe allergies to bees or other allergens or have asthma should have appropriate medication with them.
	Mammoth Cave National Park is home to copperheads, rattlesnakes, brown recluse spiders, ticks, bees, and wasps. Each of these have stings or bites that can range from painful to deadly. Never place a hand or foot in a place you can't see; if you are bitten or stung, contact a ranger immediately.

 

What are the rules?
Common sense and the rules from your classroom will suffice for most situations, however, because Mammoth Cave is a National Park, we do have a few special rules and requests for school groups:

	Take only memories, leave only footprints: all rocks, plants, animals, and historic artifacts in the park are protected; plants and flowers may not be picked, and animals may not be injured, killed, fed, or harassed. Please leave them here, as you found them, for others to enjoy.
	Stay with your group; students must be with a chaperone at all times.
	Please do not bring food, drinks, gum, or any tobacco products into the cave.
	Please do not touch cave formations; the oil from your hands can damage them permanently.
	Be safe: please see the safety suggestions above.