Community Forums

Gadget63 · 07-02-2013, 08:59 AM

We will be travelling into that area in a couple of weeks and would like some input on where to stay and things to do after the caves. We'll be bringing our two grand daughters (12 and 9) with us so any kids friendly ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks.

TN Blondie · 07-02-2013, 09:22 AM

If you do a google search in iRV2, someone just was there and had posted a ton of info - things closed due to sequester etc.

TN Blondie · 07-02-2013, 09:23 AM

Here's one of the threads:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f38/mammo...er-161727.html

Gadget63 · 07-02-2013, 09:30 AM

LOL, well that's not what I wanted to hear! But thanks for the info. May have to rethink going somewhere else.

Superslif · 07-02-2013, 07:13 PM

Yes, I started two threads for Mammoth Caves, here is the other one

We were there for 8 nights about 2 weeks ago....Yes, the sequester has limited some of the tours offered. With that said, there still is much to see. Basically there are 3 entry areas to the cave. The middle entrance is the one that they have closed. If you only had time for two tours take the Historic tour ( 2 hours / 2 miles) which covers the main entrance and the New Entrance (2 hour 3/4 mile ) tour. A 3rd would be the Star Chamber Lantern tour ( 2-1/2 hours 1-1/2 miles). The first two you can reserve the day of or the day before unless Saturday is the only day you are there. The Star Chamber Lantern tour is only offered once a day and tends to sell out the day before. We made our tour reservations a month before to lock in the days and time slots.

We stayed 4 nights at two different places. Four at Nolin Lake State Park (W&E sites) about 15 minutes north of the caves and 4 nights at the Mammoth Caves Federal campground ( non-electric sites ) right next door to the caves.

For Nolin Lake the campground has only about 35 sites. The sites are huge and all level with a water faucet at each site. The campground is surrounded by water on 3 sides. The lake water was like bath water...Here I would reserve a site now.....especially the waterfront sites. Sites 27,29,30,31 and 32 are on a cove of the main lake that your kids would have fun in because the lake is deep with rock ledges great for jumping off...Like I said the water was warm even for mid June...

At Mammoth Cave CG most sites are first come first serve. Most people only stayed two days so there is not much trouble getting a site.

Here are few pics from the trip of both campgrounds Mammoth Cave 2013

LKicklight · 07-02-2013, 07:21 PM

We had planned to come back through there after Goshen Rally in August. Looks like we need to take you up on that offer to make resv. now and not wait til we get there.thanks,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superslif

Yes, I started two threads for Mammoth Caves, here is the other one

We were there for 8 nights about 2 weeks ago....Yes, the sequester has limited some of the tours offered. With that said, there still is much to see. Basically there are 3 entry areas to the cave. The middle entrance is the one that they have closed. If you only had time for two tours take the Historic tour ( 2 hours / 2 miles) which covers the main entrance and the New Entrance (2 hour 3/4 mile ) tour. A 3rd would be the Star Chamber Lantern tour ( 2-1/2 hours 1-1/2 miles). The first two you can reserve the day of or the day before unless Saturday is the only day you are there. The Star Chamber Lantern tour is only offered once a day and tends to sell out the day before. We made our tour reservations a month before to lock in the days and time slots.

We stayed 4 nights at two different places. Four at Nolin Lake State Park (W&E sites) about 15 minutes north of the caves and 4 nights at the Mammoth Caves Federal campground ( non-electric sites ) right next door to the caves.

For Nolin Lake the campground has only about 35 sites. The sites are huge and all level with a water faucet at each site. The campground is surrounded by water on 3 sides. The lake water was like bath water...Here I would reserve a site now.....especially the waterfront sites. Here are few pics from the trip of both campgrounds Mammoth Cave 2013

Superslif · 07-04-2013, 07:05 PM

Quote:

We had planned to come back through there after Goshen Rally in August. Looks like we need to take you up on that offer to make resv. now and not wait til we get there.thanks,

Yes, for Nolin I would unless it is late August when the kids may be going back to school.

For Mammoth Caves government campground, you can get away without a reservation. The one loop that you can make a reservation for, half of the sites are not RV friendly. The two "first come-first serve" loops have more RV sites that are level. The only issue is if you have a 45' rig, then the "pull-thru" sites are a little tight, but some of the back in ones can be had. All the roads and sites were re-paved last year.