Horse Cave & Mammoth Cave

LONGEST CAVE SYSTEM in the world at Mammoth Cave: check. Longest underground suspension bridge at Hidden River Cave: check. One of the few caves in the world located directly beneath a town—again, Hidden River Cave—housing one of the largest free-standing cave domes, and with an entrance
right on Main Street. Check, check, and check.

Kentucky Cave Country is all about the superlative experience. And not just underground.

Horse Cave has animal encounters, free bluegrass jam sessions at the historic Thomas House, and lots of outdoor adventures. Rappel down the face of Hidden River Cave. Play disc golf and paddleball at Green River Park & Arboretum. Wander among mysterious rock formations at Kentucky Stonehenge in nearby Munfordville.

At Mammoth Cave National Park, paddle the Green and Nolin Rivers Blueway—Kentucky’s first National Water Trail—to Bridal Veil Falls. Hike, bike, or horseback ride over 80 miles of trails. Fish, camp, canoe, or kayak. Go birding on a ranger-led program or join in a ranger-led discussion on the plants, animals, history, and geology above and below ground.

Mammoth Cave National Park

1 Mammoth Cave Parkway, Mammoth Cave, 270-758-2180, nps.gov/maco

Each year over two million people visit the Mother Cave — Kentucky’s oldest tour attraction and, at 426 explored miles, the world’s longest known cave system. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, a certified International Dark Sky Park (the place for stargazing), home to the Green and Nolin Rivers Blueway—Mammoth Cave is an overachiever that lives up to its name.

Visit the Old Guide’s Cemetery. Share a picnic on the banks of the Green River. Walk through the rock layers and see the earth’s formation up close in a place that is as old as the prehistoric seas
of the Mississippian Era.

Go underground like the cave’s early explorers did, with only the light of a lantern to guide your steps over steep hills and uneven terrain. Tour the Giant’s Coffin. Cross the River Styx. See stone huts where 19th-century tuberculosis patients checked in for treatment.

TIP: See the historic and restored 19th-century Mammoth Cave Stagecoach on permanent display at the refurbished Lodge at Mammoth Cave.

Hidden River Cave/American Cave Museum

119 E. Main Street, Horse Cave, 270-786-1466, hiddenrivercave.com

Home of the American Cave Conservation Association, this free-admission museum tells the story of the pollution that clogged Hidden River Cave for decades until a massive cleanup restored it to treasured landmark status. The self-guided tour features exhibits about karst geology, a landscape characterized
by sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, and springs, as well as the archaeology of caves.

The museum sits at Main Street level. Look down far below: the entrance of Hidden River Cave yawns at the bottom of a 200-plusstep descent. Inside, grand-scale drama awaits.

The world’s longest underground suspension bridge swings high above the river rushing below. Hang onto the handrails as you cross to the other side with the tour guide, and to the cave’s pièce de résistance: Sunset Dome. At five acres, it is one of the largest freestanding cave domes in the United States. It’s beautiful, too, soaring 100 feet high and burnished in shades of red, yellow, and orange.

Farmwald’s Restaurant and Bakery

3720 L&N Turnpike, Horse Cave, 270-785-5600, farmwalds.com

Don’t be surprised if you see horse-drawn buggies hitched in downtown Horse Cave and clip-clopping along the county’s rural roads. Horse Cave has a large—and growing—Amish population and a thriving Amish business landscape.

It is one that Farmwald’s fits right into, a rambling building in a cheery, country store setting. This Amish-owned eatery, open for breakfast and lunch, is known for its freshly baked doughnuts, breads, and melt-in-your-mouth fried pies, along with chicken baskets, fish dinners, and made-to-order deli lunches where you can build-your-own cold-cut sandwich. Sweet treats include smallbatch, homemade ice cream.

A gift shop stretches across one side of the building, shelves brimming with local honey and jarred condiments, wooden toys and woven baskets, home decor, and accessories—mostly made by craftspeople from the local Amish community. A fireplace and cozy seating group add warmth and help make shoppers feel right at home.

Nearby Alternatives
Animal Encounters: Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo; Dutch Country Safari Park
Traverse the wilds of Kentucky backcountry to pet (or nap with) kangaroos, see animal shows, mine for gemstones, and explore cave cauliflower at Mammoth Onyx Cave at the Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo; feed Watusi cattle, water buffalo, camels, and wildebeests that nose into the hay wagon at Dutch
Country Safari Park.
3700 L&N Turnpike, Horse Cave, 270-786-1010, kentuckydownunder.com
2125 L&N Turnpike, Horse Cave, 270-925-4417, kygetaway.com/dutch-countrysafari-park

Campground: Horse Cave KOA Holiday
Climb into the treetops for cozy overnights in a treehouse. Crawl into a Conestoga wagon or slip into a custom-built teepee, each with private patio and firepit. Clean, comfortable, and overlooking gently rolling pastureland, the campground also offers a beautifully maintained bathhouse, plus fishing pond and seasonal swimming pool.
489 Flint Ridge Rd., Horse Cave, 270-786-2819, kygetaway.com/horse-cave-koaholiday

Outdoors: Dinosaur World
Think Jurassic Park without the rampaging velociraptors. Thickly forested wilderness. Paved walking paths.
Stegosaurus, triceratops, dilophosaurus—even T. rex—and dozens and dozens of their behemoth brethren stomp about in open-air natural settings. A dinosaur-themed playground, fossil dig, gift shop,
and picnic areas round out a fun family adventure.
711 Mammoth Cave Rd., Cave City, 270-773-4345, dinosaurworld.com

Underground: Crystal Onyx Cave
Descend the stairs into this family-owned show cave, established in 1960 and rich in speleothem (formations): cave popcorn, dripping domes, stalactites, stalagmites, sinkholes, cave drapery, and
rimstone dams. Dress for 58 degrees and bring your camera. Each half-mile guided tour is an
original. Open March through December.
425 Prewitts Knob Rd., Cave City, 270-773-3377, crystalonyxcaveky.com

Trip Planning
Horse Cave & Hart County Tourist Commission
P.O. Box 385, Horse Cave, 270-218-0386, kygetaway.com

This is an excerpt from Kathryn Witt’s newly released book Perfect Day Kentucky: Day Trips, Weekend Getaways, and Other Escapes, published by Reedy Press. Thanks to Reedy Press for allowing us to post this excerpt on our website.

About the Author: Kathryn Witt is an award-winning author and travel writer who has written seven books, including Secret Cincinnati: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, which also celebrates Northern Kentucky secrets. She has written about Kentucky for many years, including for Kentucky Living magazine and the official Kentucky Visitors Guide as well as for a number of Kentucky destinations. A member of Society of American Travel Writers and Authors Guild, she lives in Northern Kentucky. Learn more about Kathy’s books at KathyWitt.com and facebook.com/SecretCincinnatiNKY.