Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is a national park of the United States in south-central Kentucky. Visitors find it 7 mi northwest of Park City. The site is run by the National Park Service. In 2025, it drew 661K visitors.
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A national park, 7 mi northwest of Park City
Visits hit a record in 2024, then fell back
The National Park Service counted 747,042 visitors in 2024, a record. In 2025 the count fell 12% to 660,734. Visitors ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 187K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 98% of the 7,770 attractions we track.
You can sleep inside the park
12 places to stay are inside the park: Hickory Cabins and The Lodge at Mammoth Cave. The nearest town with more is Park City. Where to stay ↓
Best month: Oct
October is mild and quieter than average, with a high of 72°. When to go ↓
A day trip from Louisville
Louisville is about 73 miles north and Nashville is about 80 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
The busy season and the weather
A visit to Mammoth Cave can follow the busy and quiet months below.
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is a national park of the United States in south-central Kentucky. It encompasses portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest known cave system in the world. The park's 52,007 acres (21,046 ha) are located primarily in Edmonson County, with small areas extending eastward into Hart and Barren counties. The Green River runs through the park, with a tributary called the Nolin River feeding into the Green just inside the park.
The cave system has formally been known as the Mammoth–Flint Ridge Cave System since 1972, when a connection was discovered between Mammoth Cave and the even longer system under Flint Ridge to the north. As of 2025, more than 426 miles (686 km) of passageways had been surveyed, over 1.5 times longer than the second-longest cave system, Mexico's Ox bel ha underwater cave.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1941
- Area
- 84 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- World Heritage Site (1981)
- Wikipedia readers
- 187K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/maca
Hours, entry and address
Where to sleep near Mammoth Cave National Park
You can sleep inside the park (12 places). To stay close, try Cave City (26) and Bowling Green (50).
Stay in the park
- Hickory Cabins lodge or cabins
- The Lodge at Mammoth Cave lodge or cabins
- Noble Pine Cabins, Glamping, & Horse Camp lodge or cabins
- Mammoth Cave Hotel hotel
- The Wayfarer Inn inn or B&B
- Rock Cabin Camping campground
Cave City
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
2,398 people
8 mi southeast of Mammoth Cave Visitor Center · 3 mi to the park
Bowling Green
78,505 people
23 mi southwest of Mammoth Cave Visitor Center · 18 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cave City | 8 mi southeast | 10 min | 26 11 hotels · 8 motels · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 4 RV parks | 2,398 | $117K | A− |
| Bowling Green | 23 mi southwest | 35 min | 50 44 hotels · 3 motels · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 RV park | 78,505 | $242K | C− |
| Park City | 7 mi southeast | 10 min | 6 1 hotel · 1 lodge or cabins · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 629 | $150K | — |
| Horse Cave | 10 mi east | 15 min | 7 3 hotels · 1 motel · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 2,276 | $114K | A− |
| Glasgow | 16 mi southeast | 25 min | 9 4 hotels · 1 motel · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 RV park | 15,302 | $174K | C |
| Brownsville | 9 mi west | 15 min | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 898 | $161K | — |
| Munfordville | 13 mi northeast | 20 min | 3 3 hotels | 1,730 | $119K | A |
| Smiths Grove | 11 mi southwest | 15 min | 2 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B | 852 | $165K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Other places close by
Every place here is under 67 miles away.
Big draw49 mi LandmarkUnited States Bullion Depository
131 mi National Historical ParkAbraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park213K visitors a year
67 mi CaveBell Witch Cave
220 mi MuseumNational Corvette Museum
62 mi LakeLake Cumberland65 mi MuseumHouse of Cash
326 mi CaveLost River Cave
50 mi MuseumGeneral George Patton Museum of LeadershipPhoto credits
United States Bullion Depository: Work permit Original author=Cliff, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park: Jamie from Toronto, ON, CC BY 2.0 · Bell Witch Cave: Www78, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Corvette Museum: Jonrev at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Lake Cumberland: Censusdata at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Lost River Cave: Nyttend, Public domain · General George Patton Museum of Leadership: Yellowute at English Wikipedia, Public domain
660,734 visits in 2025
See how visits changed from 2016 to 2025.
Mammoth Cave, answered
What town is Mammoth Cave National Park near?
Park City, KY, about 7 miles southeast.
When is the best time to visit Mammoth Cave National Park?
October, with a high of 72°. July is the busiest month (about 99,940 visitors).
How many people visit Mammoth Cave National Park each year?
660,734 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 747,042, set in 2024.
How far is Mammoth Cave National Park from Louisville and Nashville?
About 73 miles north of Louisville and about 80 miles southwest of Nashville, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Mammoth Cave National Park?
Owensboro Daviess County (OWB), about 70 miles away. The nearest big hub is Louisville Muhammad Ali (SDF), about 71 miles.
Where should I stay near Mammoth Cave National Park?
Inside the park: Hickory Cabins, The Lodge at Mammoth Cave and Noble Pine Cabins, Glamping, & Horse Camp. Nearby: Cave City (8 mi, 26 places to stay), Bowling Green (23 mi, 50 places to stay) and Park City (7 mi, 6 places to stay).
Questions for Park City
Questions and tips go in Park City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.