Pt. 2 Paths Less Traveled Mammoth Cave: Again
It’s been one more week, and my Pokemon is still hanging out by Sand Cave!
Want to spoil yourself on information relevant to the plot of the upcoming book? (And learn more about the history of Mammoth Cave?) Go find him! (by hiking the trail.) But I think this proves my point: I am the first and only person to ever walk the daunting Sand Cave Trail in Mammoth Cave. 0.1 miles, or 0.2 miles round trip.
Last week, I was a bit scattered. (Maybe purposefully.) But my general thesis was: Sand Cave trail is fascinatingly under- traveled, in comparison to the history it holds and its accessible location.
There are many other places in Mammoth Cave National Park which seem similarly under represented. (Namely many of the above ground sections.)
This makes sense. It’s in the name. Mammoth Cave National Park. Most people come to see the cave. (Stay tuned to see my future blog about my favorite cave tours.) But there are many sights on top of those caves worth seeing. Whether you have limited time, or can spend a couple of days in the region, I recommend checking some of them out. Some have historical context, some simply are beautiful. Many are both. I was fortunate enough to have people more expert in Mammoth Cave show me some of these other sights and I want to share some of my favorite recommendations.
This is a series I call: Paths less traveled (until I forget that name and end up calling it something similar but different instead.) However like Sand Cave, not every under-appreciated site is hard to reach, research or see, and I wanted to provide an array of options for people short on time or who aren’t interested in longer hikes, all the way up to places I would recommend looking for only after you find someone with knowledge of the park to take you. I’ll break these down into 3 levels of difficulty/time consumption.
Difficulty Level 1 - easy to find, short to hike, or both.
Lets start with a few well worn paths that still do not see the attention they deserve.
Sand Cave Trail - I’ve already mentioned this one. It’s on every map, and it’s right beside what I happen to believe is the most photogenic entrance sign in Mammoth Cave. (look forward to Bailey’s illustrative rendition in Specters of Mammoth Cave.) It’s historically important, easy to find, and short.
Sloan’s Pond. - This is also on the map. And the parking lot, inside the park, is a great place to meet up with people because there is cell service. One of the few standing bodies of water in the park, it’s simply a nice little wetland. You can walk out to the overlook to get the best view, or hike the very short trail. It’s picturesque, tranquil, and I like it. (I stopped on the bench halfway across one fall and wrote part of the outline for the upcoming book.)
Trails near the Visitor Center. - The shorter and easier trails around the Visitor Center are more well traveled than most of my other recommendations. But they are still worth hiking. A shorter trip down to the entrance. A flatter path to the overlook where you can see the entrance from above: go over the bridge and around to look down on the historical entrance, and keep going to see historically important locations such as the Old Guide’s Cemetery, which is the resting place of one of the most notable figures in Mammoth Cave History, and scenic locations like Sunset Point.
Turnhole Bend Trail. - It’s short, but I cant recommend it if you have a hard time hiking. If, however, stairs and slopes don’t bother you. This small trail is offers a lot of sights in a small area, sinkholes, microclimates, and an overlook where I once saw a golden eagle flying above Green River.
Moving on to Difficulty Level 2. These are still, mostly, worn trails.
Trails near the Visitor Center pt2- Walk past the entrance and down towards the Green River to see the historic location of an old Ferry, now long gone. Keep exploring the winding trails below the Visitor Center (or access these trails by way of the parking lot next to the modern ferry,) to find a few interesting geologic locations, like Mammoth Dome Sink, which is above one of Mammoth Caves most interesting rooms, springs connected to the rivers in Mammoth Cave, and a really creepy old shack.
Great Onyx Trail- Flint Ridge Road is a right turn just before you enter the visitor center parking lot. Its a winding road you should take slowly through the forest, and it provides access to several interesting locations. Up a hill, before you reach the church and cemetery, is a small pull off on the left (starting from the Visitor Center area) to Great Onyx Trail. You can park there. (Don’t block the road, as the park needs access to it for tours and other services.) You can hike the gravel trail down to the entrance to Great Onyx Cave entrance. (The cave is closed unless you take an official tour.) If you do, make sure to take the left onto a little side trail about .1 miles along the gravel road to see the Bransford Cemetery. Resting site of a family with deep ties to Mammoth Cave. You’ll know when you reach it because of the monument and sign.
The Collins Homesite and Crystal Cave.- Keep driving down Flint Ridge Road, and you’ll pass a church and cemetery. These are worth stopping at if you want to learn a bit more about life in the park before it was a park. Your footsteps will echo hollowly on the elevated wooden church floor. There are several figures notable to the history of the area buried here. But after you stop, keep driving and you will reach another gravel road turn out on the left. This is the trail to the once residence of Collin’s family, and the entrance to Crystal Cave. Crystal Cave has been connected to Mammoth Cave in the years since the park’s founding, but it was its own cave for a long time. Its location is so far from the entrance to Mammoth Cave, which explains why it is still a Path Less Traveled, however it’s known to be one of the most beautiful sections of Mammoth Cave. Crystal Cave itself is not accessible to the public. That doesn’t stop you from hiking out to the old “Floyd Collin’s Home” — (which probably wasn’t his home.) And checking out the little loop which was, for a time, an island inside of Mammoth Cave National Park.
Last, but not the hardest, Cedar Sink Trail. It’s out of the way. (near to Turnhole Bend though.) It’s not the longest hike, (although there are several branching trails you can take in the region to extend your walk if you’d like) but it is really cool. I put it on difficulty two mostly because it’s out of the way, and also because I like to do a longer hike, where I park at Turnhole bend, then hike along the road over to the fire trail which slopes down into Cedar Sink, instead of parking in the little lot on the where the trail starts. It’s a fun trail for several reasons. It gives a better idea of the scale of Karst topography we are working with in Mammoth Cave. Also, there is a disappearing river, which pops up in the sinkhole, and then retreats back underground. Fun!
Difficulty Level 3 - I can’t really recommend these without getting more information. Talk to rangers, or go with local experts. (Also there are other ways to access these areas that I don’t have as much experience with, such as horseback tours and mountain bike rides. I focus on hikes, but that’s not the only way to see the park.)
My first recommendation for “harder” hikes is kind of a cheat. It’s the entire northern region of Mammoth Cave National Park. Across the Green River, you either have to take the ferry, or drive way out of the way. (my best time was 45 minutes to reach the road the ferry can carry you to in 3 minutes.) There are easy hikes and sites on this side of the park. (And a campground.) But there are many longer hikes. First Creek Trail. Second Creek Trail. Maple Springs Loop. Big Hollow Trail. Ask the rangers for the trail map, and their recommendations at the visitor center, and make sure you pay attention to where you are on the various trails. There are many beautiful sites and locations.
The true off path trails. - Disclaimer before I write any more. Make sure you know where you are. Make sure you know what you are doing. Make sure you are prepared. Make sure others know where you are. Don’t Trespass. Don’t take risks. Go with a buddy. There are loose rocks, and (this is cave country) holes to fall into. Cell signal is spotty or non-existent. There are rules you need to observe. Talk to the rangers about those. Should be obvious with any national park: don’t mess with anything which appears to be a historical artifact. Also should also be obvious: don’t go into a cave without a permit, preparation, and professionals. Best Recommendation: connect with people who know the area, do a group hike. Don’t go during tick season. (most of the not winter year.) But there are a lot of sights to discover which don’t have paved trails or easy signs. There are old homesteads , cemeteries mostly abandoned worth paying your respects to, and signs and relics which hint at the history of the park scattered throughout the land above Mammoth Cave. There are very beautiful sites, and many even I haven’t seen, (and some I could never find on my own.) Just, again, don’t try and tackle them on your own, and respect whatever you find. That way you can appreciate it, and anyone who comes after can as well. (also, again, be careful.)
Much of this land used to be farmland. It became famous for the Caves beneath. However the land above Mammoth Cave is still interesting. There are thickets across roads long gone. Trees returning to areas once pasture. The remains of homesteads, golf courses, and abandoned businesses. History and nature are everywhere in the park, and because they are protected, they are growing and decaying in a natural order. People have left things behind. Nature continues to add more to see. Every time I hike in Mammoth Cave National Park I discover something new. So take a little time, if you have the chance, to go off the beaten path. (even if it’s just to visit a lesser traveled, but still well-signed trail.)