Know before you go: Mammoth Cave

Stay safe

• Wildlife: Keep at least 25 yards (23 m) from all wild animals, and 100 yards (91 m) from bears and wolves where they live. Never feed wildlife. Use pullouts to watch animals from the road.
• Caves: Caves are cool all year, so bring a light jacket. To stop white-nose syndrome spreading between bat colonies, do not wear clothes, shoes or gear that have been in other caves.
• Cell service: Coverage is patchy in most parks. Download offline maps and the park’s info before you lose signal.

What to pack

Start with the park service’s ten essentials:

• Navigation: a paper map or offline map, plus a charged phone and battery pack
• Sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat
• Layers: a warm layer and a rain shell, even in summer
• Headlamp or flashlight
• First aid kit
• Fire starter (matches or a lighter) for emergencies
• Repair kit and tools (a small knife, tape)
• Extra food
• Extra water and a way to treat it
• Emergency shelter: a space blanket or tarp

For Mammoth Cave also bring:

• A light jacket and shoes with good grip for wet cave trails
• A red light and a blanket for stargazing
• Binoculars for wildlife watching from a safe distance
• Camping: tent, sleeping bag rated for night temperatures, camp stove and fuel bought locally

What to leave at home

• A drone: launching, landing or flying drones is banned in almost every national park site.
• Firewood from home: it can carry tree-killing pests. Buy it where you burn it, ideally within 10 miles.
• Pets: of the 2 hikes the park service lists here, 2 allow pets. Where pets are allowed they must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
• Anything you plan to take home from the park: rocks, plants, antlers, artifacts and fossils must stay where you find them.
• Food that wildlife can reach: store it as the park directs, in your car or a locker, never in a tent in bear country.

Weather

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).

Sources

• NPS: The Ten Essentials
• NPS Yellowstone: Safety (100 yards from bears, wolves and cougars; 25 yards from all other animals)
• NPS White Sands: hiking safety (at least one gallon of water per person per day)
• NPS: Uncrewed aircraft in the national parks (Policy Memorandum 14-05, 36 CFR 1.5)
• NPS: Don’t move firewood (buy it where you burn it)
• NPS: B.A.R.K. rules for pets (leash no longer than 6 feet)
• NPS Blue Ridge Parkway compendium, 36 CFR 2.1: preservation of natural and cultural resources
• Official park website

Last checked 1 November 2026.