Parking
Start at First Creek Trailhead; Temple Hill Trailhead is the far end. Arrange a pickup or shuttle between the two access points before hiking.
Overview
About First Creek Trail
Why go
- A true backcountry point-to-point
- Wooded trail with Nolin River views
Heads up
- Needs a return plan between trailheads
- Mud and horse traffic can make the tread messy
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mammoth Cave map
Full mapElevation515–883 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Mammoth Cave alerts
- ClosureGreen River Ferry suspendedGreen River Ferry service is suspended because low water levels prevent operation. - Service will resume once water levels rise and conditions are safe; a river forecast is available.Official details
- ClosureAccessible Tour unavailableThe Accessible Tour is 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mammoth Cave Tour Guide
Your drive to First Creek 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
First Creek Trailhead0:00 / 0:26
“First Creek Trailhead is ahead, a starting point for a long woodland hike with Nolin River views.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Mammoth Cave Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Men Who Planted the Forest
- A Tulip in the Treetops
- What the Crickets Bring Back
- Lincoln Trailhead and Collie Ridge Loop
- 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 First Creek Trail
A 6.3-mile through hikeFirst Creek Trail is a one-way, point-to-point route between First Creek Trailhead and Temple…
First Creek Trail is a one-way, point-to-point route between First Creek Trailhead and Temple Hill Trailhead. Treat 6.3 miles as the distance between those ends; the mapped corridor measures about 6.32 miles. Going back the way you came makes roughly 12.6 miles, so arrange a ride between trailheads before you start. Allow about three to four hours one way, with more time if the tread is muddy.
Forest, ridges and river countryThis is a long dirt-trail crossing through wooded backcountry, dipping into hollows and…
This is a long dirt-trail crossing through wooded backcountry, dipping into hollows and climbing across ridges. It passes through Nolin River country and includes water views, but there is no single developed overlook or loop payoff: the experience is covering the country from one trailhead to the other.
A shared horse trailHorseback riders use this route too.
Horseback riders use this route too. The tread can be muddy, horse droppings have been reported, and some hikers have found markings sparse. Keep the route available offline and expect slower going when the ground is wet. Dogs are allowed on the surface trail on a leash up to six feet; pull to the side and keep them close while horses pass.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Mammoth Cave
228 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
23 sightingsTricolored BatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
75 sightingsCave SalamanderMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
151 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.
