Wildflower Day activities include crafts, nature walks, and talks about everything wildflowers!
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Wildflower Day 2024
Join Mammoth Cave National Park rangers and volunteers as they celebrate the wildflowers and blooming trees that treat park visitors to colorful displays along park trails, roadways, and forests each spring. The annual park event highlights the importance of wildflowers for our human history and environmental health.
Wildflower Day events will take place throughout the day on Saturday, April 20, 2024, and are free with no reservations or tickets required.
Scheduled Programs
Discovery Self-Guided Cave Tour -10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Free of Charge - No reservations required
The Discovery tour is a self-guided experience through some of the cave’s largest passageways. Visitors will explore the history and geologic origins of the Mammoth Cave system.
This tour is the self-guided version of the guided Mammoth Passage Tour and requires participants to walk down and up a steep hill as well as navigate 160 steps.
Youth under the age of 16 years, must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older.
For more information about the Discovery cave tour or other cave tours offered during your visit, visit the Cave Tours page.
The tour begins at the Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave
Visitors can watch quilting demonstrations at the annual Wildflower Day event at Mammoth Cave National Park.
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Surface Activities
Free of Charge - No reservations required
Warren County Garden Club - Wildflower Exhibit 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
View a display of native wildflowers that have been harvested from outside the park by the Warren County Garden Club at the visitor center. Wildflower experts will be on hand to answer questions about the plants and provide suggestions on the best trails to see what is currently in bloom. Meet inside of the Visitor Center.
"Let's Go Birding!" - 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Join volunteer naturalist Steve Kistler in the search for the sights and sounds of a diverse variety of bird species around the visitor center area. In addition to resident birds, you'll have the opportunity to look and listen for spring migrants as they pass through the park. Some binoculars will be available for checkout.
Meet at the back porch of the Visitor Center.
Quilting Demonstrations - 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
View locally made quilts at a quilting demonstration that showcase textile artistry, creativity, dedication, and regional cultural heritage Meet inside of the visitor center.
Cedar Sink Hike - 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Join volunteer naturalist Steve Kistler on a hike through one of the most wilflower rich areas of Mammoth Cave National Park. Learn ways to identify common wildflowers, peak season, hot spots in the park, and traditional uses of various species. Steve is a former Mammoth Cave National Park employee and has outstanding experience in the trail systems of the park and knowledge of wildflowers and Southeastern United States.
Meet at Cedar Sink Trailhead. (2 hours, 2.0 miles/3.2 kilometers)
Moderate difficulty.
Cedar Sink Photography and Wildflower Hike - 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Join naturalist and photographer Kevin Burt on a hike to Cedar Sink Trail. Locate blooming plants and explore the forest ecology. Learn landscape, nature, and wildlife photography and connect with nature no matter your skill level. Meet at Cedar Sink Trailhead (2 hours, 2.0 miles/3.2 kilometers)
Moderate difficulty
Ridge to River Photography Hike - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Join volunteer and photographer, Kevin Burt, on a nature hike to experience wildlife native to the park and a beautiful array of springtime flowers in bloom along the ridges of the Green River. This hike will start on a portion of the Heritage Trail, a flat and level surface that is wheelchair accessible, for approximately 0.25 miles (0.4 km). The hike will then reach Sunset Point and travel down a switchback trail with some steps for approximately 0.3 miles (0.48 km) until you reach the River Styx Spring. The group will then go up the gravel River Styx Spring Trail for 0.4 miles (0.64 km) until they reach the Historic Entrance.
Recommended items to bring, but not required: Cameras of any kind (cell phones to DSLR). Tripods optional.
Meet at the back porch of the visitor center.
2 hours, 1 mile/1.6 km
Moderate Difficulty - This trail includes steep uphill and downhill climbs, and approximately 100 stairs.
Heritage Walk - 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
This easy walk uses the 0.5 mile Heritage Trail, adjacent to the Mammoth Cave Lodge. A ranger will share stories of the Old Mammoth Cave Estates and how the surface above helped shape the stories below. Includes a walk to the Old Guide's Cemetery where former enslaved cave guide Stephen Bishop now rests. The ranger will also talk about many of the wildflowers visible along the trail during this walk. Meets at the back porch of the visitor center. (45 minutes, 1/2mile/0.8 kilometers)
Difficulty: Easy
Porch Talk - 1:00 p.m.
Join a Park Ranger and dive into a variety of topics including traditional and medicinal uses of wildflowers, native/non-native and invasive plant species, tips and tricks to catch peak season, best trails, or easy tools to help identify wildflowers.
Meet on the back porch of the visitor Center. (15 minutes) ♿
Echo River Spring Trail Walk- 4:00 p.m.
Join a ranger on this accessible surface walk and learn about the karst landscape. See where the Echo River exits the dark passages of Mammoth Cave and enters into the sunlit world above. Discover the close connection between the surface and subsurface and how it all relates to the world around us. Meet at the vistior center back porch (1 hour, 0.5 miles/0.8 kilometers) Difficulty: Easy
Evening Program - 7:00 p.m.
Ever wonder what is behind the sounds you hear at night? Join Ranger Jeff Rose to explore the night birds at Mammoth Cave National Park. Meet at the outdoor amphitheater. ♿
Jr. Rangers create beautiful works of art in celebration of wildflowers.
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Jr. Ranger Activities
Free of Charge - No reservations required
Wildflower Kids Crafts and Jr. Ranger Activities
9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
Discover wildflowers and plants and engage in crafting activities with park rangers and naturalists Meet on the back porch of the Visitor Center (0.5 hour) ♿
