Mammoth Cave National Park - Wild Cave Tour (U.S. National Park Service)

Duration: 6 to 6½ hours
Caving Distance: 5½ miles
Sells Out at: 14 visitors (reservations required)
Restroom Available? Yes, at Snowball Room - Lunch is also available seasonally for cash only - call the park at 270-758-2180 for availability
Emphasis on: Safe caving techniques; environmental concerns; cave exploration (past and present); team building
Landmarks Seen: Carmichael Entrance, Cleaveland Avenue, Split Rock, Snowball Room, Boone Avenue, various areas off developed tour trails, Frozen Niagara Tour route
Elevation change: 300 feet
Physical Challenges: Heights that involve free-climbing cave walls; lengthy crawls through areas as tight as 9 inches high; walking in a crouched position; hand and knee crawls over jagged rocks and dirt; crawling through wet areas; twisting into and out of tight crawlway openings

Over-the-ankle boots with lug soles are *required* on the Wild Cave Tour.

Restrictions: • Visitors must have had their 16th birthday • An adult must accompany visitors under age 18 • High-top, over-the-ankle lace-up boots, with lug or deeply treaded soles, are required. No low-cut hiking or athletic shoes allowed. Failure to wear required footwear will result in visitor being removed from the tour prior to trip departure • No backpacks are allowed on the tour. Only small fanny packs may be taken • Chest or hip measurement should not be more than 42 inches to avoid situations that impact tour for all participants • Work or climbing gloves and long pants are recommended - do not overdress • Helmets and lights are provided • Visitors should bring their own kneepads • Soft athletic (i.e. volleyball) kneepads are recommended (hard plastic kneepads are prohibited) • If desired, visitors may wish to bring a pair of gloves and soft athletic elbow pads (hard plastic elbow pads prohibited) • Requires a minimum of 2 participants.

NOTICE: Boots and/or cave packs used on crawling activities within Mammoth Cave National Park must not have prior exposure to any cave or mine in the states listed below cited as a potential source for White Nose Syndrome. In the event potentially contaminated gear is brought, it will require a cleaning process that includes full submersion in a liquid disinfectant cleaning solution. Visitors will be required to wear park helmets, headlamps and kneepads. Visitors wishing to bring their own knee pads or additional gear such as gloves or elbow pads must bring only new sets.

The states included are:

Connecticut
Deleware
Indiana
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Massachusettes
North Carolina
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia