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National park · South and Southeast

Mammoth Cave National Park

Kentucky. 660,734 visits in 2025. No entrance fee.

By The Green Adventures · Updated · How we check

StateKentucky
EstablishedJuly 1, 1941
Area72,473 acres (113 sq mi)
Visits in 2025660,734 (34th of 63)
Entrance fee (2026)No entrance fee
Nonresident feeNone
RegionSouth and Southeast
Nearest national parkGreat Smoky Mountains (5 h drive)
Best time to visitApril, October and November
Looking out from a large cave entrance with falling water and green trees shown over the entrance.
Two worlds, one aboveground and the other below, collide at the largest natural entrance to Mammoth Cave. Photo: NPS Photo / J. Cooper

Mammoth Cave National Park covers 72,473 acres in Kentucky. It became a national park on July 1, 1941, the 26th of today’s 64 parks to get that title. It recorded 660,734 recreation visits in 2025, the 34th most of the 63 parks with a 2025 count.

Today at Mammoth Cave

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Alerts: National Park Service, checked hourly. Forecast: National Weather Service, for Mammoth Cave Visitor Center. Always confirm on the official park site before you set out.

Trees with colorful autumn leaves surround a large pond and reflect off of its surface.
Autumn arrives at Sloans Crossing Pond Trail, an accessible boardwalk path. Photo: NPS Photo / J. Wheet
A long staircase travels down a slope into the dark cave opening.
The Historic Entrance to Mammoth Cave has welcomed explorers for centuries. Photo: NPS Photo/ Thomas DiGiovannangelo
A large stacked stone pillar reaches the flat ceiling containing signatures in a cave passage.
Over two hundred years of guided tours leads to the history of Mammoth Cave. Photo: NPS Photo/ Jackie Wheet
A long cave passage with an oval shape.
The network of cave passages in the Mammoth Cave system stretches over 400 miles. Photo: NPS Photo/ Thomas DiGiovannangelo
A wooden boardwalk leads into the forest.
The half-mile Heritage Trail leads to panoramic views of the Green River. Photo: NPS Photo/ Thomas DiGiovannangelo

In the park service’s words

Rolling hills, deep river valleys, and the world's longest known cave system. Mammoth Cave National Park is home to thousands of years of human history and a rich diversity of plant and animal life, earning it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Region.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Entrance fee and passes

No entrance fee is listed for this park in National Park Service data. You do not need a pass to enter. Parking, ferry, boat or other transport fees can still apply.

Best time to visit

  • Best time to visit Mammoth Cave: April, October and November. The weather is at its most comfortable then, and crowds are lighter than at the peak.
  • Busiest month: July, with about 100,837 visits in a typical recent year. That is 4.7 times as many as February.
  • Quietest month: January (16,524 visits), when weather or closures keep most people away.
JanVery quiet48°29°3.7 in
FebQuiet53°32°4.5 in1 in snow
MarBusy62°40°5.0 in
AprBusy73°48°4.9 inBest
MayBusy81°57°5.2 in
JunBusiest88°64°4.8 in
JulBusiest91°68°4.9 in
AugBusy90°67°3.8 in
SepModerate85°60°4.0 in
OctBusy74°49°3.8 inBest
NovQuiet61°40°4.1 inBest
DecQuiet51°33°4.8 in1 in snow

Bar height: visitors that month, compared with the busiest month. Temperatures: average daily high and low (°F); rain and snow: monthly averages. Best marks the months we suggest.

More detail: the best time to visit Mammoth Cave, month by month.

Plan your visit

  • Explore Wildflowers at Cedar Sink (45 to 60 Minutes): Stunning rock faces, cave springs, and geological panoramas, you will experience a wide array of seasonal wildflowers and biodiversity.
  • Take a Ridge-top Walk to Sunset Point (30 to 60 Minutes): Visitors to Mammoth Cave National Park Marvel over the Green River Valley while visiting the popular overlook, Sunset Point.

All 2 hikes

Webcams

Weather, in the park service’s words

The park service says:

Kentucky has a moderate climate with warm, yet moist conditions. Summers average in the high 80s; winters average in the low 40s. Southern Kentucky, where Mammoth Cave is located, receives the highest average precipitation for the state, about 50 inches per year, mostly in spring. Winter can bring mild to moderate snow and ice. Storms happen year-round, and can include tornadoes and flooding in low-lying areas, but severe weather is infrequent. The temperature deep in the cave is a constant 54°F (12°C).

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Nearby national parks by road

Drive times run between the closest visitor centers of each pair, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads. Link several parks with the road trip planner.

Sources

Last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to enter Mammoth Cave National Park?

No entrance fee is listed for this park in National Park Service data.

What state is Mammoth Cave National Park in?

Kentucky.

When did Mammoth Cave become a national park?

July 1, 1941.

How many people visit Mammoth Cave?

660,734 recreation visits were counted in 2025.

When is the best time to visit Mammoth Cave?

April, October and November. July is the busiest month and February the quietest while the park is fully open.

Nearby parks

A clear sky with a vast snowy mountain scene. North Carolina and TennesseeGreat Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina and Tennessee. 11,527,939 visits in 2025. No entrance fee. looking up at the curve of the Gateway Arch against the sky MissouriGateway Arch National Park Missouri. 2,209,028 visits in 2025. $3 per person. bend in the river West VirginiaNew River Gorge National Park & Preserve West Virginia. 1,958,440 visits in 2025. No entrance fee.