Parking
Start at the Maple Springs Trailhead parking area and follow the roughly one-mile access trail to Big Hollow; return the same way.
Overview
About Big Hollow North and South Loops Trail
Why go
- Combines both named loops into one substantial outing.
- A creek footbridge and varied wooded singletrack break up the route.
Heads up
- The full distance includes the Maple Springs access trail out and back.
- Rooty tread, exposed rock and a steep South Loop climb require steady footing.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mammoth Cave map
Full mapElevation707–783 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Mammoth Cave alerts
- ClosureAccessible Tour unavailableThe Accessible Tour is currently unavailable because mechanical issues have taken the cave elevator out of service. - Check back for updates or call the visitor center at (270) 758-2180.Official details
- ClosureGreen River Ferry temporarily out of serviceThe Green River Ferry has temporarily suspended operations because low water levels make service unsafe. - Ferry service will resume once water levels rise and conditions are safe.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mammoth Cave Tour Guide
Your drive to Big Hollow North and South Loops Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mammoth Cave National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Maple Springs Day Use Area0:00 / 0:26
“You're approaching Maple Springs Day Use Area, a useful picnic stop before exploring the north-side trails. Stop here for a meal you've brought or a woodland walk; there's no overlook to seek out.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Mammoth Cave Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Good Spring Baptist Church and Cemetery
- One Tree, Many Trunks
- A Mussel’s First Ride
- A Bat Among the Leaves
- 52 audio storiesacross Mammoth Cave’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor White-tailed Deer, Tricolored Bat, Cave Salamander, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 47 trails, 42 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Big Hollow North and South Loops Trail
The full loopThis complete 11.
This complete 11.1-mile loop links Big Hollow’s North and South Loops from Maple Springs Trailhead. Follow the roughly one-mile Maple Springs access trail to Big Hollow, then return the same way. Allow about 4–5 hours for narrow, uneven dirt tread and junction checks. The roughly 9-mile Big Hollow system figure leaves out this outing’s Maple Springs access out and back.
Follow the connectorsUse the signed junctions to connect the North and South Loops, then retrace the Maple Springs…
Use the signed junctions to connect the North and South Loops, then retrace the Maple Springs access trail to finish. The junction between the loops can be confusing, so check the signs before turning. For a shorter outing, the North Loop is 5.3 miles; from Maple Springs, allow roughly 7.3 miles with the access trail both ways.
North Loop footingThe North Loop follows narrow dirt singletrack with roots and rocks.
The North Loop follows narrow dirt singletrack with roots and rocks. A short, steep descent reaches a small creek and footbridge; rolling grades continue beyond it.
South Loop footingThe connector crosses rolling ridge terrain before the South Loop.
The connector crosses rolling ridge terrain before the South Loop. Its eastern stretch becomes noticeably rockier, with exposed stones, and the climb near the southern turn includes a steep pitch.
Shared trail and facilitiesHikers share Big Hollow with mountain bikers, while horseback riders also use the Maple Springs…
Hikers share Big Hollow with mountain bikers, while horseback riders also use the Maple Springs access trail. A restroom building is reported at Maple Springs; no food or water service is documented along the route. Leashed pets are allowed on park surface trails, with a six-foot maximum leash.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Mammoth Cave
227 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
21 sightingsTricolored BatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
75 sightingsCave SalamanderMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
149 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsBarred OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
40 sightingsSnapping TurtleMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mammoth Cave. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
