The first field trip went on was in first grade to Tuckaleechee Caverns in Townsend, Tennessee. This trip was the first time I became fascinated by caves and bats. Once I learned about Mammoth Cave from the weekly reader during elementary school, I made a plan to someday visit there. It was interesting to me to know the largest cave system on the planet was less than 200 miles from home. Experts have explored 400 miles of Mammoth Cave, but there’s still much more to explore.  After a little research, I put the cave at the top of my to-do list.

Finally, in early September of 2012, I had the chance to go to Mammoth Cave National Park.  It far exceeded my expectations! There’s incredible beauty the inside the cave as well as many miles of trails to hike around the outside.  

The most memorable part of my trip was taking the Historic Cave tour. The day was warm and as you approach the entrance to the cave, you can feel the cool air rushing out.  There’s an area in the cave called the Mammoth Dome and it’s like being in a cathedral. The 2-mile tour was not too difficult, but be aware, there’s many steps to climb.  

Visiting Mammoth Cave is one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. One the of the coolest things to do outside of the cave is hiking down to the Echo River Springs Trail. You can hike to where the river emerges out of Mammoth Cave. It looks absolutely magical.  Hopefully, I’ll get to visit this amazing park again soon. There’s so much to do there. It’d be fun and challenging to do the "Wild Cave Tour" when I return.  

- Tamera, Mast Store Knoxville

For more of our Mast Family National Park Service adventures and recommendations, click HERE